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CU in the NBA
Creighton men's basketball seniors Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Ethan Wragge and Doug McDermott.
Courtesy: © Steven Branscombe
2013-14 Men's Basketball Season Recap
By: None
Release: 04/28/2014
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2013-14 Creighton Men's Basketball
Creighton Bluejays (27-8, 14-4 BIG EAST) Year-End Recap For 2013-14
Creighton entered its first season in the BIG EAST with more questions than answers. How would the team handle the rigors of the BIG EAST Conference? Was
Doug McDermott
's decision to come back for his senior season the right call? Could the Jays replace
Gregory Echenique
in the middle? Would Creighton fans invade New York City the same way they had in St. Louis once the conference tournament rolled around in March?
One by one, the answers became known, and what resulted was one of the top teams in program history, highlighted by what many have called the top individual performance in the program history.
Creighton had announced its intention to join the BIG EAST Conference on March 20, 2013, and had just 103 days to prepare before joining the league on July 1st. The pieces that helped lay the groundwork and made for a successful 2013-14 season quickly fell into place.
Two-time All-American McDermott announced on April 25th that he was spurning the NBA Draft to return for his senior season. On July 2nd, the NCAA notified Creighton that
Grant Gibbs
was awarded a rare sixth year of eligibility. All of the sudden, Creighton had two senior leaders back for 2013-14 as it jumped a level from the Missouri Valley Conference to the vaunted BIG EAST.
After a lopsided exhibition victory over Northern State, Creighton opened the regular-season with lopsided wins over Alcorn State and UMKC before hitting the road for the first time. The Bluejays went to Philadelphia to take on Saint Joseph's. The Hawks soared to an early 24-11 lead before CU clawed back behind reserves
Devin Brooks
Ethan Wragge
. The Jays got within five points by halftime, and took the lead early in the second half. The teams traded leads five times in the second stanza, the final time with 4.9 seconds left when McDermott made a long jumper, and the subsequent free throw, for the first game-winning basket of his career.
CU returned home with a win over eventual Conference USA Tournament champ Tulsa before heading to California for an eight-day trip that featured four games over the Thanksgiving holiday.
CU opened the trip by knocking Arizona State from the ranks of the unbeaten to open play at the Wooden Legacy in Anaheim, 88-60. One night later the Jays started hot against San Diego State, but it wouldn't be enough as the Aztecs rallied for an 86-80 victory and send CU to the consolation bracket. Creighton closed out play at the Wooden Legacy with a loss to George Washington to take fourth in the event as McDermott was held to a season-low seven points. Before heading home, CU closed out its trip with a road win at the famed Pyramid at Long Beach State, a 78-61 decision that coincidented with
Ethan Wragge
Will Artino
in the starting line-up.
The Jays would then return to Omaha for a five-game home stretch in which it never trailed. The Bluejays began the streak with an 82-67 win over Nebraska, but the game was never that close. CU bolted to a 38-8 lead in the opening minutes and it was 51-25 by halftime.
Lopsided wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (88-51), California (68-54) and Chicago State (90-58) closed out the non-conference season with CU sporting a 10-2 record.
Creighton would play one of its most-anticipated games in decades on New Year's Eve when it made its BIG EAST debut with league favorite Marquette coming to town for the first time since 1996. Add in a 9 pm start, and the atmosphere was one that had long-time fans calling it an 'all-time best' scene. McDermott would drain a three-pointer 15 seconds into the game to help CU to a 21-9 lead early, and the Jays would send a statement with a 67-49 win on the opening night of league play.
The Jays proved it wasn't a fluke, winning its first two BIG EAST road games by double-digits in triumphs over Seton Hall (79-66) and DePaul (81-62), despite a knee injury suffered by Gibbs in the latter contest.
Facing a month-long injury to one of its key players, few knew how Creighton would react. Falling behind 12-0 in the opening minutes of its return game vs. Xavier didn't help, but CU would recover to lead by halftime, and then ride the hot hand of Wragge as CU topped fellow league newcomer Xavier, 95-89.
Creighton would stay hot in its next game, surging to a 53-24 halftime lead in an 88-60 win over fellow league newcomer Butler. The Jays scored on 14 straight possessions in the first half to bury the Bulldogs and improve to 5-0 in its new league.
Creighton suffered its first loss in BIG EAST play on Jan. 18th at Providence, but responded two nights later against fourth-ranked Villanova with a performance for the ages. Creighton drained 9-of-9 three-pointers on its first nine possessions to open a 96-68 rout of the Wildcats. Wragge was 7-for-7 from deep in the first 6:05 of the contest en route to a career-high 27 points, tying the school record with nine three-pointers in the process. As a team, CU made a BIG EAST and school record 21 three-pointers on the night in a performance that resonated nationally and widely considred one of the top shooting displays of all-time.
The Jays returned for a three-game homestand, beginning witih a 76-63 win over Georgetown in the team's annual 'Pink Out". The Jays would score on 13 of its final 14 possessions of the first half, and also raised $48,000 for cancer research.
CU followed that win with a memorable 63-60 win over St. John's, as McDermott hit a game-winning three-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to break a 60-all tie. He would finish with 39 points in the win. Gibbs then returned to action on Feb. 7th during a 78-66 win over DePaul.
Creighton's first trip to the current version of Madison Square Garden took place on Feb. 9th, a tough 70-65 loss at St. John's. CU led late, but the Red Storm closed the game on an 8-2 run in the final 2:10 to earn the win. Following the game the Bluejay program ran into noted musician/humanitarian Bono at the airport.
The historic venue tour continued four days later in a trip to Indianapolis, Ind., to meet Butler at famed Hinkle Fieldhouse. Creighton trailed in the final minute before a McDermott three-pointer started a game-ending 7-0 run. The win was the 100th for coach
Greg McDermott
at Creighton.
The victory over Butler set up another showdown with now sixth-ranked Villanova, as the nation tuned in to see how CU would follow up its masterpiece from four weeks earlier. McDermott scored CU's first 11 points as part of a 39-point effort that saw him move ahead of Larry Bird on the NCAA's all-time scoring chart, and the Bluejays won 101-80 to move into sole possession of first place at 11-2.
Up next was a trip to Marquette, where the preseason favorite Golden Eagles rarely lose. McDermott and Wragge each scored 22 or more in an 85-70 win that saw CU's four seniors combine for 61 points. CU then closed out February with a 72-71 win over Seton Hall for its 17th straight home win.
At this point, the team's 23-4 start and 13-2 BIG EAST mark had made Creighton a national name, and CU vaulted into a best-ever No. 9 spot in the Associated Press poll. Interviews with ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption", Jim Rome, Dan Patrick and others followed as the nation couldn't get enough of the Jays.
The Jays returned to the court a week later and dropped both games on a challenging two-game trip at Xavier and at Georgetown. Reserve guard
Isaiah Zierden
was lost to a knee injury in the Xavier game and was lost for the remainder of the season.
Emotions were high as Creighton ended the regular-season with an 88-73 win over Providence in front of a school-record crowd of 18,868 that turned out in tribute to an unreal senior class. McDermott, who entered the game 34 points shy of 3,000 in his career, would not be denied. He scored 22 in the first half, then added 23 more after the intermission, to become the eighth man in NCAA history to reach 3,000. His 45 points were a personal best, and also CenturyLink Center Omaha record. The night was later called by BleacherReport.com as the top moment of the 2013-14 college basketball season.
Creighton entered the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 2 seed, and brought a couple thousand of its closest friends to the Big Apple to celebrate. McDermott gained national acclaim the day the tournament began when he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Any worries about the famed 'jinx' were quickly laid to rest when he set a tournament record with 27 points in the first half of CU's 84-62 quarterfinal round win over DePaul.
McDermott's hot hand continued with his third straight game of 32 points or more in an 86-78 win over Xavier in the semifinals, as the Jays never trailed.
Creighton's bid for the school's first BIG EAST title in any sport came to an end in the final, as Providence bested the Bluejays, 65-58.
Having finished second in both the regular-season and conference tournament, CU was 26-7 on Selection Sunday and earned its first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2001. The Jays were a best-ever third seed and sent to San Antonio, Texas, to take on Sun Belt champ Louisiana.
Creighton trailed 50-46 with 12:15 to play against the Ragin' Cajuns, but a 10-0 run featuring two #WraggeBombs sent the Jays into the Round of 32 after a 76-66 win.
Bidding to win consecutive NCAA Tournament games for the first time, Creighton would meet sixth-seeded Baylor in the Third Round. But Creighton struggled from the field, while Baylor made its first five three-pointers, and the Bears won an 85-55 game to advance to the Sweet 16.
With the game out of hand in the waning minutes, CU coach
Greg McDermott
subbed out each of his four seniors in the waning moments. A memorable hug with his son Doug would later make CBS' "One Shining Moment" video at tournament's end.
Creighton would finish the season leading nation in assist/turnover ratio, three-point percentage and three-pointers made, while also ranking top-five in assists and field goal percentage. CU was ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll and No. 20 in the year-end poll by the USA Today coaches.
Doug McDermott
wrapped up a career for the ages by sweeping every National Player of the Year award, in addition to the Senior CLASS Award. He led the nation in scoring (26.7 ppg.) and would finish his career as the fifth-leading scorer in Division I men's history with 3,150 career points. He also became the third man in NCAA history to be named conference Player of the Year in multiple leagues.
Wragge was an honorable-mention All-BIG EAST pick after ranking fifth in three-point percentage and eighth in three-pointers per made.
Greg McDermott
would be one of 10 finalists for the USBWA's Henry Iba Coach of the Year award, and his team would be named Creighton's 2013-14 Male Team of the Year.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2013-14 season. John Bishop and Nick Bahe called the action. Every game but the NCAA Tournament contests were also streamed on the website at 1620thezone.com.
The pregame show "Bluejay Shootaround", hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, generally aired for 90 minutes prior to each contest.
Following the game, Tim Krueger, Danny O'Byrne and Heath Gunderson host "Overtime" for approximately one hour, while also taking calls.
Broadcast Information
All but one Creighton game (at Long Beach State) was televised in 2013-14. The games aired on eight different networks, led by 21 appearances on FOX Sports 1.
Webcast Information
Due to its TV contract, Creighton streamed just one home game via video webcast in 2013-14, the Nov. 1 exhibition vs. Northern State.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season had free live stats, as the school once again used StatBroadcast Systems.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott
(Northern Iowa, 1988) finished his fourth season as head coach at Creighton with a 107-38 mark at the school, including his third straight season of 27 wins or more. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 387-233 after his 20th season and is 256-169 after his 13th Division I campaign. McDermott was assisted by
Darian DeVries
Steve Lutz
Patrick Sellers
Postseason x 17
Creighton has made the postseason in 17 consecutive seasons. The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 17 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.
Postseason Win Streak
Thanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Louisiana, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in seven straight seasons.
The following four programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in seven straight seasons, including 2013-14: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina and Syracuse.
The only 10 teams to win an NCAA Tournament game each of the past three years include Creighton, Florida, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Saint Louis and Syracuse.
NCAA Tournament History
Creighton made its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance, and 10th in the last 16 years, in 2013-14. The Bluejays are 12-20 all-time in NCAA action, including a 9-10 record in its first game.
In 27 NCAA or NIT appearances, Creighton has never won consecutive games in the same event.
Against NCAA Opponents
Creighton went 10-6 against teams that made the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Jays were 2-0 against Villanova, 2-1 vs. Xavier, 1-0 vs. Louisiana, Tulsa, Saint Joseph's, Nebraska and Arizona State. CU was also 0-1 against George Washington, Baylor and San Diego State, and 1-2 versus Providence.
Creighton also went 3-2 against NIT qualifiers, going 1-0 vs. Cal and spllitting games vs. both St. John's and Georgetown.
Creighton didn't play any CBI or CIT teams.
History As A No. 3 Seed
Creighton was a No. 3 seed for the first time in history. It was Creighton's best seed slot since the NCAA began seeding all the teams in 1979, three spots higher than the No. 6 seed during the 2002-03 campaign.
Creighton was the 12th BIG EAST team in the last eight NCAA Tourney's to earn a No. 3 seed. Those 12 teams went 26-11 with one national title (Connecticut) and seven Sweet 16 bids.
Since 1985, No. 3 seeds are 102-18 against No. 14 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 29-3 mark since 2007.
Since 1985, No. 3 seeds are 61-40 in the Round of 32, including this year.
Creighton's NCAA Tourney Seeds
(since seeding began in 1979)
Year Seed Record
2014 3rd 1-1
2013 7th 1-1
2012 8th 1-1
2007 10th 0-1
2005 10th 0-1
2003 6th 0-1
2002 12th 1-1
2001 10th 0-1
2000 10th 0-1
1999 10th 1-1
1991 11th 1-1
1989 14th 0-1
1981 8th 0-1
Postseason Victors
Creighton has won 11 postseason games since 2008, including three in the NCAA's (one each in 2012, 2013 and 2014), two in the NIT (2008 and 2009), two in the 2010 CIT and four in the 2011 CBI.
On a national basis, Creighton's 11 postseason wins since 2008 rank tied for 16th nationally.
Most Postseason Wins, Last 7 Years
Wins School
22 North Carolina
20 Kansas
20 Kentucky
18 Florida
18 Louisville
18 Michigan State
17 Baylor
17 Connecticut
16 Ohio State
15 Syracuse
14 Butler
14 Duke
12 Pittsburgh
12 Stanford
11 Creighton
11 Wichita State
10 Oregon State
McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach
Greg McDermott
made his fourth straight postseason appearance at Creighton, and sixth overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
McDermott's Division I teams own a 7-8 record in seven postseason appearances, including a 7-5 mark at Creighton.
McDermott's Div. I Postseason Appearances
Year Tourney Postseason W-L
Eight Out Of 16 Tourney Titles
Creighton owns eight league tournament titles in the last 16 years. On a national basis, the only schools that can claim this are Gonzaga (12), Duke (10), Winthrop (9) and Creighton (8).
All-Conference Picks
Creighton had a pair of men honored by the BIG EAST on March 9th when All-Conference selections were announced.
Doug McDermott
was named First Team All-Conference in a vote of league coaches. It's the fourth straight year he's been a first-team pick, though the first three awards came from the MVC. He was also named BIG EAST Player of the Year, becoming the third man ever named Conference Player of the Year in two different leagues (also MVC in 2011-12 and 2012-13).
In addition,
Ethan Wragge
was named an honorable-mention All-BIG EAST pick. Wragge led the league in three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
McDermott Sweeps Player of the Year
Doug McDermott
swept all 14 National Player of the Year awards handed out by the media.
He was honored by the USBWA (Oscar Robertson Trophy), John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Adolph F. Rupp Trophy, Associated Press, NABC, CollegeInsider.com Lute Olson Award, Sporting News, Basketball Times, NBCSports.com, CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, USA Today and Dick Vitale.
In addition, he was also honored with the Senior CLASS Award that takes into account his off-field contributions.
This is McDermott's second year with such lofty honor. As a sophomore, McDermott was named CollegeInsider's Lute Olson Player of the Year.
McDermott's In The Top 10
Creighton senior
Doug McDermott
finished his career fifth in NCAA history with 3,150 career points.
McDermott is the all-time leading scorer of any player to appear in a BIG EAST game, passing former Boston College great Troy Bell.
McDermott passed hoop legends Oscar Robertson, Hersey Hawkins, Larry Bird, Danny Manning, J.J. Redick, Elgin Baylor, Bill Bradley, Sean Elliott, Jimmer Fredette, Joe Dumars, Calbert Cheaney, Byron Larkin, Don MacLean, Keith Van Horn, Stephen Curry, David Robinson, Hank Gathers and Wayman Tisdale in the NCAA record book during the last few weeks.
NCAA Division I - Most Career Points All-Time
Rk. Name, School Years Points
1. Pete Maravich, LSU 1967-70 3,667
2. Freeman Williams, Portland State 1974-78 3,249
3. Lionel Simmons, La Salle 1986-90 3,217
4. Alphonso Ford, Miss. Valley State 1989-93 3,165
Doug McDermott
, Creighton 2010-Pres. 3,150
6. Harry Kelly, Texas Southern 1979-83 3,066
7. Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's 2002-07 3,058
8. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88 3,008
9. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-60 2,973
10. Danny Manning, Kansas 1984-88 2,951
Wragge Ends In Top 10
Ethan Wragge
finished his career tied for ninth in NCAA history in games played with 149 career appearances. Below stands the all-time leaders in games played:
Games Player, Team Last Season
157 David Lighty, Ohio State 2011
154 Jake Gollon, Mercer 2014
152 Deon Thompson, No. Carolina 2010
152 Darius Miller, Kentucky 2012
151 Wayne Turner, Kentucky 1999
151 Walter Hodge, Florida 2009
150 Antonio Anderson, Memphis 2009
150 Patric Young, Florida 2014
Ethan Wragge
, Creighton 2014
149 Lamar Patterson, Pitt 2014
149 Joey Dorsey, Memphis 2008
148 Christian Laettner, Duke 1992
148 Robert Dozier, Memphis 2009
148 Kyle Singler, Duke 2011
Halftime Key
Creighton was 26-0 this year when leading at halftime, but just 1-8 when trailing at intermission.
Dating to last season, Creighton has won 33 straight games when leading at the break.
What SI Cover Jinx?
Doug McDermott
was featured on the March 17 edition of Sports Illustrated as the magazine tried to recreate an epic 1977 cover shot that featured Larry Bird.
McDermott posed along with Jays Dancers Kelsey Saddoris and Kayleigh Begley for the photo, which was taken on March 5th in Omaha.
In his first game after the issue was made public, McDermott set a BIG EAST Tournament record with 27 points in the first half of a game vs. DePaul before finishing with 35 points.
McDermott then had 32 points vs. Xavier and added 27 more vs. Providence.
In six games after the SI photo was taken (also factoring in his 45 points vs. Providence on March 8th), McDermott averaged 30.7 points per game.
Try To Stop Him
Many people thought that
Doug McDermott
would have an advantage the first time he faced a BIG EAST schedule, but would struggle his second time through the league as defenses adjusted and he wore down. They were wrong.
In the nine games his first time through the league, McDermott averaged 25.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while making 51.2 percent of his shots from the floor and 46.2 percent from three-point range.
In the 12 games during his second trip (and third meetings vs. DePaul, Xavier and Providence) through the BIG EAST, McDermott averaged 30.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range.
Streak Week
Creighton ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage, making 49.7 percent of its shots from the floor.
The Bluejays have won 59 straight games when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field since a loss to Wichita State in 2011.
All-time under
Greg McDermott
, Creighton is 58-1 when shooting 50.01 percent or better.
Track Meet In Play?
Creighton went 23-1 this season when scoring 70 points or more, compared to a 4-7 mark when being held to 69 points or less.
Move the needle to 80 or more points and Creighton was 17-1 this year and is 52-2 in four seasons under
Greg McDermott
All-Tournament Honors
Creighton had a pair of men earn All-Tournament Team accolades at the BIG EAST Tournament.
Doug McDermott
earned the nod after averaging 31.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. His 94 points were the most ever in a three-game tournament run, and he shot 55.7 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range.
Austin Chatman
was honored after averaging 8.7 points and 6.7 assists per game. He shot 56.3 percent from the floor and had just six turnovers in three games.
Special Senior Class
Creighton's senior class featured four men who have contributed immensely to the program, as
Grant Gibbs
Jahenns Manigat
Doug McDermott
Ethan Wragge
, all made immediate impacts.
During the past four years, the Jays went 107-38 while appearing in the postseason every season, claiming the 2012-13 MVC regular-season title, as well as the 2012 and 2013 MVC Tournament titles. The 29 wins two years ago are a school-record, as are the 57 wins from 2011-13 for a two-year span, the 84 wins from 2011-14 the mark for a three-year span and 107 wins are the most-ever in a four-year span at Creighton.
In the last four years the team was 64-7 at home, including a 31-5 mark in league play, and this group has been part of the first teams in school history to win NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons.
The quartet has combined for 5,964 points, 2,250 rebounds and 1,062 assists while shooting a combined 872-2013 (43.3%) from three-point range.
McDermott & Tisdale
Doug McDermott
scored a school-record 934 points this season. McDermott had 801 points as a sophomore and 834 points as a junior before this season.
According to ESPN Stats, McDermott is the first player with 800 points in three straight seasons since Oklahoma's Wayman Tisdale (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85). According to Mike Douchant of CollegeHoopedia.com, the only men to have three 800-point seasons all-time are McDermott, Tisdale, Larry Bird, Freeman Williams, Pete Maravich and Oscar Robertson.
It's also worth noting that Creighton is 26-1 all-time when McDermott scores 30+ points, and 21-0 when he scores 31 or more.
Full Speed 45
Doug McDermott
moved over the 3,000 point milestone in his final home game on March 8 when he scored a career-high 45 points, one more than his previous best done as a sophomore at Bradley.
McDermott's 45 points were a CenturyLink Center Omaha record. The old mark was 43 by Evansville's Colt Ryan in 2012, while the old facility mark by a Creighton player was 42 points from Cavel Witter in 2008 vs. Bradley.
McDermott's 45 points were tied for fifth-most in Creighton history for one game and the most since Benoit Benjamin had 45 points on Jan. 19, 1985 vs. Indiana State.
McDermott's 45 points were the fourth-most in BIG EAST history for a league game, and most since Marshon Brooks had a league-record 52 points vs. Notre Dame on Feb. 23, 2011.
McDermott By The Numbers
Senior forward
Doug McDermott
has put together very similar numbers throughout his career, regardless of result, site, level of competition or score differential, as seen below:
Breakdown MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG PPG
Wins 31.0 .575 .489 .846 7.4 23.3
Losses 33.1 .474 .380 .762 7.8 17.4
Home 30.2 .564 .448 .832 7.5 22.2
Away 32.2 .547 .481 .820 7.6 20.6
Neutral 33.9 .519 .445 .842 7.3 22.8
BCS Foes 33.4 .528 .432 .851 6.8 24.9
Non-BCS Foes 30.7 .561 .474 .821 7.8 20.4
Margin 0-9 33.3 .528 .428 .783 7.4 20.3
Margin 10-19 31.7 .542 .433 .850 7.8 21.9
Margin 20+ 27.5 .609 .558 .882 7.0 24.1
CAREER (All) 31.5 .550 .458 .831 7.5 21.7
1K to 2K to 3K
Doug McDermott
went over the 1,000 point milestone in his 57th career game (Jan. 15, 2012 vs. SIU), surpassed 2,000 in game 101 at Evansville on Feb. 16, 2013, and reached 3,000 points on March 8, 2014.
McDermott had 1,018 points (17.9 ppg.) and 433 rebounds (7.6 rpg.) in his first 57 games while shooting 44.9 percent (80-179) from three-point range.
In the 44 games (career games 58-101) between points 1,019-2,001, McDermott had 983 points (22.3 ppg.) and 345 rebounds (7.8 rpg.) while shooting 46.7 percent (78-167) from three-point range.
In the 39 games (career games 102-140) between points 2,001 and 3,011 points, McDermott had 1,010 points (25.9 ppg.) and 282 rebounds (7.2 rpg.) while shooting 45.9 percent (100-218) from three-point range.
Three-Mendous Shooting
Creighton owned 356 three-pointers this season, most in school history. Last year's club set the previous school standard with 307 in 36 games.
Creighton's 356 three-pointers rank 11th-best in NCAA single-season history, and led the nation this year.
In addition, Creighton's 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range ranked tied for third-best in school history.
All five Bluejay starters make at least 38.9 percent of its three-point attempts.
This year's Creighton team owned 173 three-pointers in BIG EAST play alone, breaking a conference record (in league play) of 155 first set by the 2004-05 Notre Dame team.
BIG EAST Record Watch
In addition to the record for three-pointers made by a team in BIG EAST play, Creighton had numerous individuals etch their name in the record book.
Doug McDermott
averaged 27.7 points per game in BIG EAST play. The 'career' record for a one-year player was 22.3 per game by Villanova's Michael Bradley in 2000-01.
McDermott owned 498 points in league play. The BIG EAST record for points in a conference season had been 468 by Providence's Marshon Brooks in 2010-11.
McDermott's 27.7 points per game was the highest in league play since Troy Bell averaged 27.8 points per game in league play, in 2002-03.
Creighton shot 49.9 percent from the field in league play. That mark was the best by any BIG EAST club since Georgetown shot 50.5 percent in 2006-07.
Top Scorer, Nationally
Doug McDermott
ranked first nationally in scoring at 26.7 points per game just ahead of Niagara's Antoine Mason (25.6), son of former NBA big man Anthony Mason Jr.
McDermott had 22 or more points in 14 of his last 15 games, an incredible streak even by the lofty expectations bestowed on him.
Only one BCS player nationally was within 170 points of McDermott's 934 points this season, North Carolina State forward T.J. Warren (871).
McDermott ranked third nationally as a sophomore (22.9 ppg.) before moving up to second place as a junior (23.2 ppg.).
Below is a list of the nation's five top scorers:
Rank Name, School PPG
Doug McDermott
, Creighton 26.7
2. Antoine Mason, Niagara 25.6
3. T.J. Warren, NC State 24.9
4. Billy Baron, Canisius 24.1
5. Patrick Miller, Tennessee State 23.7
Scoring Leader in Postseason?
Doug McDermott
was the rare player who led the country in scoring while also playing for a team that made the NCAA Tournament.
Before McDermott, the last time the eventual NCAA scoring champ played in the NCAA's came in 2011, when Jimmer Fredette did so with BYU.
Besides Fredette, the only other players in the last 15 years to lead the country in scoring and play in the NCAA's were Houston's Aubrey Coleman (2010), Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (2006) and Fresno State's Courtney Alexander (2000).
Outside of McDermott, the only player in the last 40 years from a "BCS" conference to lead the nation in scoring and make the NCAA Tournament was Purdue's Glenn Robinson in 1993-94.
Wragge Passes Century Mark
Ethan Wragge
finished the season with 110 three-pointers this season, trailing only Kyle Korver's 129 as a senior in Bluejay history.
Wragge owned 16 career games with five three-pointers or more, including eight such contests this year.
Wragge's 110 three-pointers were the most in the BIG EAST since Kyle McAlarney (124) in 2008-09.
Wragge would close his senior season in Dallas at the Final Four, where he competed in the State Farm 3-Point Championships. Wragge had a strong first-round score of 17, but finished fifth of eight men's entrants and did not advance to the semifinals.
Coaches vs. Cancer
As part of the nationwide American Cancer Society Coaches vs. Cancer event, men's basketball fans were encouraged to wear pink to promote cancer awareness and participate in the "Creighton Vs. Cancer Pink Out" game when the Bluejays hosted Georgetown on January 28th.
Bluejay players wore pink shooting shirts and pink jerseys for the game and fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction (the shooting shirt could be personalized – last name, nickname, etc.).
The first 16,000 fans entering the venue received a complimentary pink t-shirt courtesy of Alegent Creighton Health and Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center.
This year's jersey auction raised $48,247.11, more than the previous two years combined. Last year's auction raised $24,444, while two years ago it raised $20,600. Below is a list showing what each jersey sold for:
Jersey #1 $3,825
Jersey #2 $520
Jersey #3 $11,603
Jersey #4 $541
Jersey #5 $2,075.01
Jersey #10 $7,600
Jersey #11 $650
Jersey #12 $2,550
Jersey #15 $551
Jersey #20 $590
Jersey #21 $960
Jersey #22 $1,304
Jersey #23 $640
Jersey #25 $560
Jersey #31 $1,526
Jersey #32 $595
Jersey #34 $5,100.10
Jersey #40 $1,525
Jersey #41 $865
Jersey #50 $760
Basketballs $797, $770, $780, $760, $770
A Pattern of 20-Win Seasons
With a victory on Feb. 13th at Butler, Creighton clinched its 26th 20-win season in the 96-season history of Bluejay Basketball. This year marked the 13th time (and fourth consecutive season) CU has won 23 games or more.
This year Creighton reached 27 wins for the fifth time in school history, all in the last dozen seasons.
Creighton's 24-Win Seasons, Sorted By Wins
W-L Season Postseason?
14 League Wins
Creighton finished with 14 league wins this year.
Only six CU teams ever have won 14 or more league games, all of them since 2000-01.
Last year, Creighton went 13-5 in MVC play and won an outright Valley regular-season title.
Bono & Buffett
Creighton met U2 musician Bono at the Teterboro (N.J.) airport following its Feb. 9 game at St. John's.
Bono was at the airport on his way to Los Angeles and like the Jays, was waiting for his plane to get de-iced before taking off.
After posing for several photos with the team, the rock legend and noted humanitarian talked to Director of Basketball Operations
Jeff Vanderloo
at length about a variety of topics.
Creighton had another brush with celebrity prior to its March 8th game vs. Providence, as billionaire Warren Buffett met wth numerous student-athletes, coaches and staffers as a guest of Creighton President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J.
Buffett, who had five Creighton stickers tattooed to his face, spent more than 20 minutes on the court while posing for dozens of photos with not only Creighton's representatives, but also Providence coach Ed Cooley. The "Oracle of Omaha" resides in Omaha and hosts the annual Berkshire-Hathaway Shareholders meeting each spring at CenturyLink Center Omaha, where Creighton basketball also plays.
Creighton senior
Doug McDermott
, a Marketing major, presented Buffett with one of his own bobblehead dolls as well as a framed, autographed poster that said "Thanks a Million Billion".
Zierden Sidelined By Knee Injury
Redshirt freshman guard
Isaiah Zierden
missed Creighton's final seven games after suffering a dislocated patellar tendon in his right knee during Creighton's March 1 game at Xavier.
Zierden had seen an increased role in recent weeks and was one of two players nationally with at least 300 minutes played and fewer than five turnovers.
BCS Busters at Home
Creighton has won 24 straight regular-season home games against teams from BCS leagues (at time of game) since the start of the 1996-97 season.
Those 24 wins have been by an average of 11.88 points, with 15 coming by double-digits, and just two decided by fewer than six points.
BCS Schools at Creighton, Last 17 Years*
Date Score
03/08/14 Creighton 88, Providence 73
02/23/14 Creighton 72, Seton Hall 71
02/16/14 Creighton 101, #6 Villanova 80
02/07/14 Creighton 78, DePaul 66
01/28/14 Creighton 63, St. John's 60
01/25/14 Creighton 79, Georgetown 66
01/14/14 Creighton 88, Butler 60
01/12/14 Creighton 95, Xavier 89
12/31/13 Creighton 67, Marquette 49
12/22/13 Creighton 68, California 54
12/08/13 Creighton 82, Nebraska 67
12/22/11 Creighton 87, Northwestern 79
12/04/11 Creighton 76, Nebraska 66
12/06/09 Creighton 67, Nebraska 61
11/24/07 Creighton 74, Nebraska 62
11/09/07 Creighton 74, DePaul 62
12/11/05 Creighton 70, Nebraska 44
12/10/03 Creighton 61, Nebraska 54
12/12/01 Creighton 76, Nebraska 70
12/09/99 Creighton 89, Nebraska 72
11/27/99 Creighton 85, #23 Iowa 76
12/20/98 Creighton 66, #18 Oklahoma State 60
12/02/98 Creighton 73, Baylor 59
12/10/97 Creighton 84, Nebraska 73
*regular-season games only
Lofty Ranking
Creighton was ranked ninth in the Feb. 24th Associated Press poll. It was the 64th different week all-time the Bluejays have been ranked in the AP poll, but the best ranking ever.
Below is a listing of each time Creighton has been ranked 13th of better in the AP poll.
Creighton was 16th in the final AP poll of the season on March 17th prior to the NCAA Tourney.
Creighton's Best AP Rankings, Ever
Rank Date Coach
9 Feb. 24, 2014 McDermott
10 Jan. 20, 2003 Altman
11 Nov. 26, 2012 McDermott
11 Feb. 17, 2014 McDermott
12 Feb. 10, 2003 Altman
12 Jan. 14, 2013 McDermott
12 Feb. 3, 2014 McDermott
13 Feb. 25, 1975 Apke
13 March 4, 1975 Apke
13 Jan. 13, 2003 Altman
13 Feb. 3, 2003 Altman
13 Jan. 30, 2012 McDermott
13 Jan. 7, 2013 McDermott
13 March 3, 2014 McDermott
Consistent Challengers
This year's Creighton team finished second in the BIG EAST. Including this year, 12 of Creighton's last 17 teams have finished either first or second the regular-season race of league play. Two of the five that didn't won the MVC Tournament.
The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and 2012-13, tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07 and second this year in the BIG EAST, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament, while the 2010-11 club tied for fourth place.
Creighton's League Finishes, Last 17 Years
1st Place 2000-01, 2012-13 (won MVC Tourn.)
Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-09
2nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.),
2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.), 2011-12 (won MVC Tourn.), 2013-14
Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06
Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)
4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08; 2009-10
Tied for 4th Place 2010-11
Toughest Thing In Sports
Creighton is 24-12 in true road games the past three years, and 39-17 when you also include neutral site games.
This year's team was 7-4 in true road games and 4-4 at neutral sites. Including this season, each of Creighton's last 11 NCAA Tournament qualifiers have had 10 or more road/neutral wins.
McDermotts Up For USBWA Honors
Both Greg and
Doug McDermott
were up for some pretty major awards that were doled out by the US Basketball Writers Association.
Greg McDermott
was one of 10 coaches on the ballot for the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award. He's joined by John Beilein, Tony Bennett, Larry Brown, Jim Crews, Mick Cronin, Billy Donovan, Steve Fisher, Gregg Marshall and Jay Wright, an award eventually won by Marshall.
Doug McDermott
was one of 15 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given to the nation's best player. It's the third straight year he's been a finalist for the award, but this season was the first time McDermott won it.
Player of the Week x 8
Doug McDermott
's awards haul continued on Feb. 17th when he was named BIG EAST Player of the Week as well as National Player of the Week from NBCSports.com, CBSSports.com the Naismith Trophy and the USBWA.
He then earned it for an eighth time on March 9th after averaging 33.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games last week.
It's the eighth time this season McDermott's been named BIG EAST Player of the Year. That's a league record.
It was the third time in seven weeks CBSSports.com named McDermott the National Player of the Week.
It was also the second time this season McDermott's was named National Player of the Week by NBCSports.com and the USBWA.
Keep in mind, there's also been two other weeks that McDermott has been named ESPN.com National Player of the Week.
McDermott averaged 32.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in wins at Butler and at home over No. 6 Villanova to merit the honor.
"Off" Weeks Were Still Pretty Good
Doug McDermott
was named BIG EAST Player of the Week eight of the 17 weeks this regular-season.
In the nine weeks he has NOT been named league player of the week, his numbers were still worthy of All-American consideration. In those nine weeks, spanning 15 games, he averaged 23.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 89.1 percent at the line.
McDermott Fan Club President?
You can't be much more effusive with praise about a player than Villanova coach Jay Wright was after the Feb. 16th game when asked about
Doug McDermott
passing Larry Bird.
"I think he's as complete a player, and I do not use that term loosely, with size, as I've ever seen. With 6-8, 6-9, there's nothing he can't do. He can take you off the dribble. He guards, he's tough as hell guarding. He defends. He rebounds. He moves without the ball. He seals. He's the best post player that we've played against and he's the best perimeter player, and maybe one of the best passers, and he's 6-8, 6-9. I think he's as good a basketball player as I've seen."
Quantity & Quality
Not only is
Doug McDermott
a prolific scorer, but he's an efficient one, as well. As seen in the list below, McDermott is one of nine men in NCAA history to score at least 2,800 career points and make more than 50 percent of his shots from the field. On that list, only Danny Manning has shot more accurately than McDermott from the field.
2,800 Points & 50% FG, All-Time
(Sorted by FG%)
Rk. Name, School FG% Points
1. Danny Manning, Kansas .593 2,951
Doug McDermott
, Creighton .550 3,150
3. Otis Birdsong, Houston .547 2,832
4. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley .539 3,008
5. Elvin Hayes, Houston .5364 2,884
6. Tyler Hansbrough, N. Carolina .5360 2,872
7. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati .535 2,973
8. Larry Bird, Indiana State .533 2,850
9. Lionel Simmons, La Salle .501 3,217
Father/Son Duos
According to the website CollegeHoopedia.com,
Doug McDermott
is just the sixth man in NCAA history to be named conference player of the year while playing for his father.
Joining them on that elite list are Dick/Mark Acres (Oral Roberts), Dick/Tony Bennett (UW Green Bay), Homer/Bryce Drew (Valparaiso), Press/Pete Maravich (LSU) and Clifford/C.J. Reed (Bethune-Cookman).
Below is a list compiled by ESPN.com of most points scored by a guy playing for his dad:
Name, School Points Father
Pete Maravich,LSU 3,667 Press
Doug McDermott
, Creighton 3,150 Greg
Allan Houston, Tennessee 2,801 Wade
Tony Bennett, UWGB 2,285 Dick
Bryce Drew, Valparaiso 2,142 Homer
Father & Son
Doug McDermott
owned 3,150 career points, while his dad Greg had 1,033 career points as a student-athlete at Northern Iowa. Combined, their total of 4,183 ranks fourth most in NCAA history among father-son duo's.
The rest of the top five is 1) Dell/Stephen Curry (5,024); 2) Steve/Steve Burtt (4,568); 3) Dell/Seth Curry (4,490) and 5) Jimmy Walker/Jalen Rose (3,833).
Points & Buckets
Doug McDermott
averaged 26.7 points per game and shot 52.6 percent from the field.
Since 1997-98, the only other college man to average 26.5 points or more and shoot 52.0 percent or better for an entire season was VMI's Reggie Williams, who did it twice.
Glass Eater
Though his scoring gets much of the attention,
Doug McDermott
remained the Creighton leader in rebounding, as well.
McDermott averaged 7.0 rebounds per game and corralled at least five rebounds in 30-of-35 contests overall this year.
McDermott became the first player to ever lead the Bluejays in rebounding in four straight years, according to records that date to 1955-56.
Like A Scene Out Of A Movie
Greg McDermott
picked up his 100th victory on the Creighton sideline at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse on Feb. 13th as his son hit a game-winning shot in the final minute.
McDermott was the second-quickest in CU history to 100 wins, needing 134 games.
McDermott followed up his 100th win at Creighton with his 250th career victory as a Division I head coach three days later in the triumph over Villanova on Feb. 16th.
Games Coach 100th Win Date
133 Arthur Schabinger 2/17/30 vs. Marquette
Greg McDermott
2/13/14 at Butler
144 Tom Apke 1/3/80 at Southern Illinois
165 Eddie Hickey 1/16/42 vs. Oklahoma St.
171 "Red" McManus 2/2/66 vs. Memphis
178 Dana Altman 11/20/01 vs. Western Illinois
181 Tony Barone 3/3/91 vs. Southern Illinois
Speaking of 39
Doug McDermott
has a pair of 39 point games in BIG EAST play this season, doing it vs. St. John's (Jan. 28) and again vs. No. 6 Villanova (Feb. 16). He then scored 45 points on Senior Day vs. Providence (March 8th).
McDermott's 45 points were the most by any player in one game in the BIG EAST play since Marshon Brooks had 52 in 2011.
McDermott's 39 were the third-most ever vs. Villanova in BIG EAST play, and most since Da'Sean Butler had 43 for West Virginia in 2009.
The only other players in BIG EAST history with multiple conference games of 39+ points in the same season have been Marshon Brooks (Providence in 2010-11), Mark Tillmon (Georgetown, 1989-90), Allen Iverson (Georgetown, 1995-96), Eric Murdock (Providence, 1990-91). McDermott, however, is the first to do it three times in one year.
Key Number From 3-Point Range
Creighton's key number from three-point range seems to be 40 percent.
In the last three years under
Greg McDermott
, Creighton is 30-18 (.625) when shooting 40.00 percent or worse from three-point range. While respectable, that pales in comparison to CU's 55-4 (.932) mark the last three years when shooting better than 40.00 percent from downtown.
Lower the standards to 30%, and it's still impressive. Creighton is 74-9 in the last three years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 10-13 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
For the season, Creighton led the nation with 41.4 percent shooting from deep, a figure that ranks ahead of 43 teams overall field goal percentage nationally.
Big Margins vs. Top 5
According to ESPN.com, Creighton's 96-68 win over No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 20 was a victory for the ages.
The chart below signifies the largest margin of victory by an unranked team over a top-five team in the last 20 seasons.
Year Winner Upset Victim Won By
2011-12 Florida State #3 North Carolina 33
2008-09 Notre Dame #5 Louisville 33
2013-14 Creighton #4 Villanova 28
Endless Range
Creighton set a BIG EAST and school-record with 21 three-point baskets on Jan. 20 in a 28-point win at No. 4 Villanova.
Creighton's previous mark was 20, done vs. Chattanooga in 2005.
The previous BIG EAST mark was 20, done by Notre Dame vs. Villanova in 2011 and by West Virginia vs. Marquette in 2006.
The 21 three-pointers were the most by any college team since 2010, and according to Athlon Sports, the most in a game between major conference teams since Kentucky made 21 vs. North Carolina on Dec. 27, 1989.
Creighton's 35 three-point attempts tied the school record, done three times previously.
Creighton broke the Wells Fargo Center record for three-pointers by a Villanova opponent late in the first half (the old mark was 12), and also set a mark for most points against 'Nova at the Wells Fargo Center with 96, passing the old mark of 90.
McDermott, FTW
Doug McDermott
entered the season having never hit a game-winning shot in his life. He did it three times this season.
At Saint Joseph's on Nov. 16th, McDermott's traditional three-point play with 4.9 seconds left helped Creighton overcome a one-point deficit in an eventual 68-64 win.
Against St. John's on Jan. 28th, McDermott's three-pointer with 2.8 seconds left broke a game that was deadlocked at 60-all in CU's eventual 63-60 win.
Most recently on Feb. 13th, McDermott's three-pointer with 47.8 seconds left helped Creighton overcome a 63-61 deficit and started a game-ending 7-0 run in a 68-63 win at Butler.
In the last five minutes of games during the past two seasons, McDermott was 54-for-94 (57.4 percent) from the field, including 11-of-26 from three-point range (42.3%), and is also 62-for-75 (82.7%) at the free throw line. He also owned 57 rebounds and 10 assists in that time.
Step it up to the last minute of games and McDermott was 10-for-17 from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, and also 26-for-32 at the line. In those games, he grabbed 11 last-minute rebounds, as well.
Wragge "Balboa"
Playing in a city where "Rocky" was filmed, Creighton senior
Ethan Wragge
put one of the most impressive shooting displays in recent college basketball history on Jan. 20th.
Wragge shot 7-for-7 from three-point range in the first seven minutes at No. 4 Villanova, and would finish the first half with a career-best 24 points.
He finished the game with 27 points, and his nine three-pointers tied the previous Creighton record held by Kyle Korver.
Wragge's nine trifectas were one shy of the BIG EAST single-game record.
During the game, Wragge's name and #WraggeBombs were both trending nationally on Twitter.
In Creighton's previous trip to Philadelphia on Nov. 16 to play Saint Joseph's, Wragge drained a then-best seven three-pointers and scored 21 points.
Against Ranked Teams
All sorts of interesting numbers surround Creighton's 96-68 win over No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 20 in Philadelphia and its 101-80 victory over No. 6 Villanova on Feb. 16 in Omaha.
Creighton improved to 20-118 all-time against teams that are nationally-ranked in the Associated Press poll with the two wins.
No. 6 Villanova was the highest-ranked team to play Creighton in Omaha since No. 4 DePaul on Dec. 31, 1983.
Creighton had last beaten a top-six team at home on Jan. 29, 1970, when it toppled No. 5 New Mexico State 72-68 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.
On Feb. 16th, Creighton improved to 2-6 all-time vs. ranked teams while ranked itself, with the first such win coming on March 16, 1974 vs. No. 16 Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.
Greg McDermott
improved to 2-3 at Creighton and 9-25 overall as a Division I head coach against teams in the AP's top-25.
Creighton improved to 12-33 all-time at home against ranked teams.
Creighton improved to 7-53 all-time against top-10 foes.
Top 25 Win, And More
Creighton's 96-68 win over No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 20 rewrote the record book in numerous ways. Consider...
-The win over the No. 4 team matched the highest ranked team CU has ever beaten, previously No. 4 Arizona State on Dec. 13, 1963.
-Creighton had lost 22 straight games against top-10 teams dating to 1974.
-Creighton had lost 11 straight games against ranked teams since 2007.
-Creighton had lost 25 straight true road games against ranked teams since a 1978 win over a Larry Bird-led Indiana State team.
-It was Creighton's first win over a top-five team since Jan. 29, 1970. Creighton had been 2-25 all-time against top-five foes.
-It was the highest-ranked team ever beaten by
Greg McDermott
at the Division I level.
-It was Creighton's largest margin of victory in 137 games against a ranked team. The previous high was 12, done in a 53-41 win vs. No. 17 Illinois State in 1983.
-The 28-point loss was Villanova's largest in 13 years under Jay Wright, the largest by 'Nova since 2000-01 (93-65 at UCLA), and largest at home since the 1980-81 season when it lost to Notre Dame by a 94-65 count.
-The 96 points (and later 101) were the most allowed by Villanova since the 2009-10 season, when the Wildcats surrendered 103 points to Georgetown.
What A Start!
Creighton made a three-pointer on each of its first nine possessions in its Jan. 20 win at No. 4 Villanova. Creighton started the game 7-for-7 from deep, missed a two-pointer but turned an offensive rebound into another trey, and then sank a trifecta on its ninth trip, as well.
That brings to mind all sorts of fun stats.
-According to Ken Pomeroy, Creighton became the first team since Indiana State in 2012 to make its first nine attempts from three-point range in a game. Pomeroy found evidence of six teams in the last five years to make their first nine attempts from downtown.
-Pomeroy's research also indicates that Creighton is the only team in the last five years to make nine straight three's without any other scores to start a game.
-Pomeroy also found that Creighton was the second team in five years to score each of its first 30 points via the three-pointer. Miami (Ohio) had its first 33 points vs. Western Michigan on Jan. 28, 2012.
-The Villanova contest marked the eighth time under
Greg McDermott
that Creighton's made its first five (or more) shots (of any distance). Creighton also made its first five shots at St. John's on Feb. 9th.
Start Opponent Date
13-13 Campbell 11/25/11
8-8 Illinois State 2/1/12
8-8 Idaho State 12/18/10
7-7 at #4 Villanova 1/20/14
6-6 Oregon 3/28/11
5-5 Chicago State 12/29/13
5-5 Alcorn State 11/8/13
Winning Formulas
Below is the records for each current BIG EAST school over the last four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins.
The three newcomers to the league, Butler, Creighton and Xavier, are at the top of nearly each category.
Most Wins Since 2000-01
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 335 136 .711
Butler 335 135 .713
Xavier 330 135 .710
Marquette 314 151 .675
Villanova 304 162 .652
Georgetown 303 153 .664
Providence 236 204 .536
Seton Hall 228 209 .522
St. John's 213 221 .491
DePaul 181 251 .419
Most Wins - Last 8 Years
Team W L Pct.
Butler 209 73 .741
Creighton 196 84 .700
Xavier 193 81 .704
Marquette 188 89 .679
Georgetown 185 81 .695
Villanova 182 90 .669
Providence 136 123 .525
Seton Hall 132 125 .514
St. John's 131 128 .506
DePaul 90 165 .353
Most Wins - Last 4 Years
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 107 38 .738
Marquette 92 47 .662
Butler 91 51 .641
Georgetown 88 42 .677
Xavier 85 48 .639
Villanova 83 50 .624
Providence 72 61 .541
St. John's 71 60 .542
Seton Hall 66 66 .500
DePaul 42 85 .331
Just Win Baby
Creighton has won 18 straight home games, a streak that began on Feb. 19, 2013 vs. Southern Illinois. That's the longest streak in facility history by Creighton.
The Bluejays were 16-0 at home this year, clinching its first unbeaten home season since closing the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 with a 17-0 mark.
The school-record for longest home win streak is 28, done from 1917-1920 and again from 2002-04.
Below is a list of Creighton's longest home win streaks in the 11-year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Streak Dates Snapped By
18 Feb. 19, 2013 - Present ? ? ?
16 Feb. 9, 2005 - Jan. 31, 2006 So. Illinois
16 Jan. 19, 2010 - Dec. 22, 2011 Missouri St.
14 Feb. 2, 2008 - Dec. 28, 2008 No. Iowa
11 Nov. 22, 2003 - Feb. 4, 2004 So. Illinois
Dunking Machine?
Doug McDermott
owned 1,141 career field goals. Of those, only 19 were dunks. McDermott had nine dunks this year after four dunks last season, one as a sophomore and five jams as a freshman.
20 Wins, Again
Creighton has reached 20 or more victories for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Just five schools nationally own 20 or more wins each of the last 16 years (including 2013-14): Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse.
The only schools to win 20 or more games in 15 of the last 16 seasons are Creighton and Kentucky.
That's better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (14 each including this year) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (13 each including this year).
Most 20+ Win Seasons, Last 16 Years
Seasons School 2013-14 W-L Next Game
16 Florida 36-3
16 Syracuse 28-6
16 Gonzaga 29-7
16 Duke 26-9
16 Kansas 25-10
15 Creighton 27-9
15 Kentucky 29-11
Double-Digit League Wins, As Well
Creighton has won 10 or more conference games in each of the last 18 seasons, a mark it extended on Feb. 13 at Butler.
On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 18 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (20 straight seasons after reaching the mark earlier this season).
Since 2007-08, the only 21 teams with 10 or more league wins each season are Belmont, BYU, Creighton, Davidson, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Mercer, Middle Tennessee, Murray State, Ohio State, Oral Roberts, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Saint Mary's, UNC Asheville, VCU, Weber State and Wisconsin.
Winning Ways
Creighton owns 84 wins in the past three seasons and 107 wins during the last four years. The totals mark the best stretch in school history, as seen below:
Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
W-L Years
84 2011-Present
80 2010-13
76 2000-03
72 2001-04
72 2002-05
Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
W-L Years
107 2010-Present
99 1999-03
98 2009-13
97 2008-12
96 2000-04
Fundamentally Sound
Doug McDermott
led the nation in 2011-12 with 307 field goals made, and his 284 buckets last year once again led the nation. He finished second in the country this year with 330 hoops.
Prior to McDermott, no player had led the country in field goals made in back-to-back seasons since Wayman Tisdale in 1983-85.
According to research from ESPN, he's the nation's first player in more than 20 years to make 1,000 career field goals.
McDermott's 1,141 career field goals were 10th-most in NCAA history. A complete chart can be found on page 11.
One area that makes McDermott so unique is his ability to use his off (left) hand, and to use the backboard, as seen below:
Year FG Backboard Left-Hand
2010-11 220 64 28
2011-12 307 174 56
2012-13 284 132 26
2013-14 330 128 35
Totals 1,141 498 145
Elite Group
Doug McDermott
owned 3,150 career points and 1,088 career rebounds. He joins Lionel Simmons and Harry Kelly as the only men in NCAA history with 3,000 points and 1.000 rebounds. The complete list is on page 11.
McDermott and Simmons are also the only players to score 3,000 points and appear in three different NCAA Tournaments.
Doug Does His Share
Doug McDermott
had 39 of Creighton's 63 points in its Jan. 28 win over St. John's. In the last 20 years, it was just the fifth time that a Bluejay had scored 50 percent or more of his team's points. McDermott then had more than half the points on March 8th, as well.
The 61.9 percent of CU's points was the most by any player in those 20 years.
50% Or More of Creighton's Points,
Games Since 1993-94
Pts. Player vs. Opponent Date
63 39,
Doug McDermott
vs. St. John's 1/28/14
74 39,
Doug McDermott
at Missouri St. 1/11/13
65 40, Rodney Buford vs. Bradley 12/30/98
88 45,
Doug McDermott
vs. Providence 3/8/14
72 36, Rodney Buford vs. Illinois St. 2/5/96
50 25, Tad Ackerman at Wichita St. 2/23/95
Last Second Drama
Doug McDermott
hit a game-winning three-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to beat St. John's in Creighton's home game on Jan. 28th.
It was Creighton's first go-ahead score in the last 10 seconds of a home game since Antoine Young's bucket with 0.3 seconds in 2012 vs. Long Beach State left made him the first player in CenturyLink Center Omaha history with two game-winning scores at the facility.
Creighton is now 7-2 in games with a go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds in the 11-year old facility.
Creighton's Go-Ahead Scores in Wins, 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
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) 53-52 G. Diaz FT :2.6
01/20/07 Southern Illinois 58-57 B. Mullins FG :4.1
Poll Position
Creighton finished last season ranked 22nd in the final Associated Press poll, and made its 2013-14 debut in the top-25 poll on Nov. 18 when it was No. 23rd. The Jays then climbed to 20th the week of Nov. 25th.
The Jays dropped out of the poll for six weeks before returning on Jan. 13th with a No. 20 ranking. After one week out of the poll, CU was 20th two weeks ago before skyrocketing to 12th on Feb. 3rd, dropping to 18th on Feb. 10th, and moving up to 11th on Feb. 17th. After a best-ever ninth ranking on Feb. 24th, the Jays were 13th in the March 3rd poll and closed the regular-season 14th on March 10th. CU was 16th entering the postseason in the final AP poll.
Creighton is 84-32 all-time when ranked in the AP poll.
Including the March 17th poll result, Creighton has been ranked 39 times in 77 weeks of AP polls under
Greg McDermott
, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in nine other AP polls. The 39 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than any coach in Bluejay history.
In the April 8th USA Today Coaches poll, Creighton was ranked 20th, the program's best year-end coaches mark since 1974-75, and the Jays were also 10th in the March 17th NCAA RPI ranking.
Most Weeks in AP Top 25 at CU, By Coach
Greg McDermott
, 2010-Pres. 39 (of 77)
Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18
Tom Apke, 1974-81 5
Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5
Over .500, Again
Creighton has been better than .500 in either the first or second-half of its league season in 37 straight trips through the league, including both halves this year.
Here's how Creighton's teams have fared in the various halves of the MVC/BIG EAST season since 1995-96.
Year 1st Half 2nd Half
2013-14 8-1 6-3
2012-13 7-2 6-3
2011-12 8-1 6-3
2010-11 5-4 5-4
2009-10 5-4 5-4
2008-09 5-4 9-0
2007-08 5-4 5-4
2006-07 6-3 7-2
2005-06 7-2 5-4
2004-05 5-4 6-3
2003-04 7-2 5-4
2002-03 8-1 7-2
2001-02 8-1 6-3
2000-01 5-4 9-0
1999-00 5-4 6-3
1998-99 6-3 5-4
1997-98 5-4 7-2
1996-97 5-4 5-4
1995-96 4-5 5-4
Total 114-57 (.667) 115-56 (.673)
Wragge Earns League & National Honor
Senior forward
Ethan Wragge
was named BIG EAST Player of the Week and ESPN.com's National Player of the Week on Jan. 27 after helping Creighton to double-digit wins over No. 4 Villanova and Georgetown and averaging 19.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.
He shot a blistering 60 percent from the field (12-20), with all 20 attempts coming from behind the three-point line, and was also perfect in three attempts from the charity stripe.
Wragge opened his week with one of the best shooting displays in Creighton history while scoring a career-high 27 points. He made 9-of-14 three-point shots, tying a single-game mark first set by Kyle Korver, while adding three rebounds and three assists. Wragge made each of his first seven three-point attempts, including one in each of the game's first seven minutes, as the Bluejays surged to a 27-8 lead against one of the nation's top defenses.
Wragge's eighth trey of the first half stopped a 13-0 run that had drawn 'Nova within 15 points, and he would tie the school mark with 14:02 left in the game.
The win was Creighton's first over a ranked team in a true road game since 1978, and matched the highest-ranked club that the Jays have ever beaten.
In the Jan. 25 win over Georgetown, Wragge had 12 points and four rebounds in a 13-point victory. After Creighton fell behind 11-7 early, Wragge scored all his points during a pivotal 15-4 run in a five-minute stretch that gave CU the lead for good. His second trifecta of the day made history as he joined Korver as the second player in Creighton history with 300 or more three-pointers.
Over 800 Points, Again
Doug McDermott
led the nation with 934 points this season, his fourth straight season of 500 or more points.
McDermott is the only player in Creighton history to score 500 or more in four straight seasons, one more than the three times done by Paul Silas (1961-64), Bob Harstad (1988-91) and Rodney Buford (1996-99).
McDermott scored in double-figures in 135 of 145 career games, including 103-of-106 contests since the start of his sophomore season. McDermott's 135 games in double-figures were an NCAA record, three more than the mark once held by Kansas star Danny Manning.
McDermott now owns the only three seasons in Creighton history with 750 points or more.
Home Sweet Home
Creighton is 64-7 (.901) at CenturyLink Center Omaha under
Greg McDermott
, improving to 161-25 (.866) all-time in the 11-year-old facility.
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 180-25 (.878) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Doug McDermott
averaged 29.5 points per game at home this season in just 32.9 minutes per game. He scored 16.3 points per game in the first half at home this season, and reached double-figures before half in all but one contest.
Each of
Ethan Wragge
's last 61 field goals at home were three-pointers. He last made a two-pointer at home on Jan. 8, 2013 vs. Drake.
McDermott Rewrites Weekly History
Doug McDermott
was named BIG EAST Player of the Week eight times this season. The eight honors are most in one season in conference history, two more than the six honors won by John Wallace from Syracuse in 1995-96 and later matched by Troy Murphy of Notre Dame in 1999-2000.
Point, Counterpoint
Austin Chatman
owns 372 career assists in his first 106 career games. With seven helpers on Jan. 25th vs. Georgetown, Chatman became the 13th player in Bluejay history to 300 assists.
He is seventh on the list of fewest games played to reach 300 dimes.
Creighton's Quickest Players to 300 Assists
Games Name
53 Ralph Bobik
Grant Gibbs
59 Randy Eccker
69 Ryan Sears
85 Tyler McKinney
89 Duan Cole
Austin Chatman
92 Vernon Moore
94 Josh Dotzler
100 Antoine Young
Racing To 75
Ethan Wragge
needed just 20 games to reach 75 three-pointers made this season. He was the second-fastest player in program history to reach the milestone, trailing only Kyle Korver (16 games) in 2002-03.
Below is a list of the fewest games to 75 three-pointers in program history.
Fewest Games Before Making 75th 3-Pointer
Name Year Games to 75
Kyle Korver 2002-03 16
Ethan Wragge
2013-14 20
Tad Ackerman 1994-95 25
Kyle Korver 2000-01 26
Booker Woodfox 2008-09 27
Kyle Korver 2001-02 28
Doug McDermott
2012-13 29
Rod Mason 1987-88 32
Ethan Wragge
2012-13 35
Doug McDermott
2012-13 35
1 If By Land, 2 If By Sea, 3 If By Wragge
Ethan Wragge
owns 1,155 career points, but just 26 two-point field goals. No other player since 1997 has scored 1,100 career points with fewer than career 40 two-pointers,
Since 2006-07, Wragge owns the nation's only two seasons with at least 78 three-pointers and six or fewer two-point baskets, having done it last year (78 3's, 6 2's) and this season (110 3's, 2 2's).
Wragge's 110 treys this year are more than any other player since 1997-98 in a season with two or fewer two-point field goals.
A KenPom Delight?
Noted statistician Ken Pomeroy's website, KenPom.com has numerous ratings that break down team efficiencies. The site consistently ranks Creighton's offense among the nation's best.
Pomeroy's site ranked Creighton with the third-best mark nationwide in "Adjusted Efficiency" at 122.8 points per 100 possessions, first in "Effective Field Goal %" at 58.9 percent, first in three-point percentage at 41.5 percent and sixth in "Assists Per Field Goals Made" at 64.2 percent.
Shooting Star
Ethan Wragge
made multiple three-pointers in 16 straight games from Nov. 28 to Jan. 25th.
By comparison, Stephen Curry (in 2013) is the only NBA player in the last three years with multiple treys in 16 or more straight games, as he reached 19 games in a row.
Wragge is the first Creighton player with multiple three-pointers in 16 straight games, three more than the previous mark set by Kyle Korver, who ended his career in 2003 with 13 such games.
Shooting Towards A Triple Crown
Not only did Creighton lead the nation in three-point percentage (41.4), but the Bluejays were making three-pointers at a near-record clip, as well.
Creighton owned a nation-best 356 three-pointers, 11th-most in NCAA history for one season. CU's 10.17 three-pointers per game ranked second-most nationally in 2013-14.
Jays Earn 10 Home Wins, Again
With a win vs. Butler on Jan. 14, Creighton clinched its 10th home win this season. Creighton has now won 10 or more home games in 18 straight seasons.
The current streak is a school-record, six more than the previous standard of 12 straight seasons from the 1969-70 season to the 1980-81 campaign with 10 or more home wins.
Creighton has won 10 or more home games in 35 of the last 45 seasons.
Player of the Week, Again
Doug McDermott
was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 13th, the fifth time this year he was honored. McDermott averaged 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as Creighton posted wins over DePaul and Xavier
McDermott was also named National Player of the Week by the USBWA, NBCSports.com and CBS Sports.
Deadly From Downtown
Creighton finished the 2013-14 season leading the nation with 41.4 percent marksmanship from three-point range, a 1.80 assist/turnover ratio and 356 three-point field goals.
The Bluejays were second in assists per game (17.5) and three-pointers per game (10.2), fourth in field goal percentage (.497) and total assists (614), 10th in turnovers per game (9.8), 24th in both scoring average (78.7) and winning percentage and 29th in free throw percentage.
Doug McDermott
ranked first nationally in scoring average and total points while ranking second in field goals made and ninth in three-point percentage.
Ethan Wragge
ranked fifth in three-point percentage, eighth in three-pointers made and 16th in three-pointers per game.
Nominated For Everything, It Seems
Doug McDermott
was one of 25 men named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Watch List on Jan. 22nd. This is the third straight year McDermott has been on the midseason top 25 chart.
McDermott was one of 23 men named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Thursday, Jan. 23rd. This is the third straight year McDermott has been on the midseason top 25 list that is determined by the USBWA.
McDermott is one of 10 remaining men up for the Senior CLASS Award, it was announced on February 12th.
Last but not least, McDermott is one of 30 candidates for the Naismith Award, it was announced on February 13th.
Top Dog At The Halfway Point
Two-time All-American
Doug McDermott
is a well-known commodity among the national experts who cover the sport.
With conference play underway, numerous national publications and websites have named their Midseason Players of the Year.
Among the following individuals/organizations have named McDermott the front-runner for National Player of the Year were: Jay Bilas (ESPN), Jeff Goodman (ESPN), Andy Katz (ESPN), Jay Williams (ESPN), Dick Vitale (ESPN), Digger Phelps (ESPN), Dan Dakich (ESPN), Gary Parrish (CBS Sports), Jeff Borzello (CBS Sports), Jerry Palm (CBS Sports), Jon Rothstein (CBS Sports), CJ Moore (Bleacher Report), Kelli Anderson (Sports Illustrated), Seth Davis (Sports Illustrated), Luke Winn (Sports Illustrated) and Brian Hamilton (Sports Illustrated).
Link To Greatness
Creighton's home, CenturyLink Center Omaha, has received several rave reviews in recent weeks.
ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman ranked it as the 10th best college basketball arena.
ESPN's Dick Vitale listed the facility among six on his "Bucket List".
Stadium Journey, a site that ranks arenas, named it the 18th-best venue in North America, and fourth-best among college basketball sites. Only Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas), Rupp Arena (Kentucky), FedEx Forum (Memphis) were ranked higher.
McDermott Named Player of the Week
Creighton senior
Doug McDermott
picked up two more awards on Jan. 6 as he was named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com in addition to his BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week accolade.
McDermott averaged 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in double-digit victories over Marquette and Seton Hall.
This was his fourth BIG EAST Player of the Week accolade this season, and his second National Player of the Week Award (also Nov. 18 from ESPN.com).
In the write-up on McDermott from CBSSports.com, Gary Parrish writes "McDermott is, quite simply, having one of the greatest college careers in modern history."
Just Your Ordinary 30/10/5 Game
Doug McDermott
celebrated his first game since his 22nd birthday with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 13-point road win at Seton Hall on Jan. 4th.
McDermott was Creighton's first player with a 30 point, 10 rebound, five assist line in the same game since Benoit Benjamin had 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists on Jan. 19, 1985 vs. Indiana State.
Scoring Early & Often
Doug McDermott
scored in double-figures before the second media timeout in 16 of Creighton's 35 games this season.
In 35 games this year, McDermott has scored 292 points before checking out for the first time, logging a collective 303:06 of court time before hitting the bench.
That gives him 0.96 points per minute to start games, good for a 38.54 points per game average if he were to maintain it over the course of 40 minutes.
Looking only at the first five minutes of games this season, McDermott scored 183 points in those 175 minutes, an average of 1.05 points per minute and a per-40 minute average of 41.83 points per game at that pace.
Playing With A Lead
In the 11 year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has led wire-to-wire in 48 games, including all five December home games this season, the Jan. 14 Butler game and the Jan. 28 St. John's game. That means the Jays haven't trailed in seven of the past 11 home contests.
Creighton trailed for just 33:30 of 640:00 minutes this season at home, and just 37:43 of its last 680:00 minutes during its 18-game home win streak. Impressively, Creighton has not trailed at any point in the second half during that home win streak, winning 16 of the 18 games by six or more points (and all but three by double-digits).
Good As Gold
Not only has Creighton started games quickly this season, but the Bluejays have also done a good job maintaining those leads.
The Bluejays have won 36 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under
Greg McDermott
, Creighton is 99-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 61 of the last 62 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 5-34 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Feb. 25, 2011 at Indiana State.
Give Me Five
Creighton's win vs. Chicago State on Dec. 29th was the Jays fifth straight this season, a streak that reached 10 after a Jan. 14 win vs. Butler. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 16 of the last 17 seasons.
Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA's, NIT or CBI all 19 times (including this year) they've had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven't.
On A Roll
Since the start of 2011-12, Creighton is a remarkable 84-22. On a national basis, Creighton's 84 wins rank tied for 10th, as seen below.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School '11-12 '12-13 '13-14 W-L
Louisville 30-10 35-5 31-6 96-21
Wichita State 27-6 30-9 35-1 92-17
Syracuse 34-3 30-10 28-6 92-19
Florida 26-11 29-8 36-3 91-22
Kansas 32-7 31-6 25-10 88-23
Kentucky 38-2 21-12 29-11 88-25
Gonzaga 26-7 32-3 29-7 87-17
Ohio State 31-8 29-8 25-10 85-26
Michigan State 29-8 27-9 29-9 85-26
Creighton 29-6 28-8 27-8 84-22
New Mexico 28-7 29-6 27-7 84-20
BCS Busters
One frequent question about how Creighton would handle the move to the BIG EAST is how they'd handle the nightly rigors of playing against "BCS" competition on a regular basis.
In the past three seasons, Creighton is 28-8 against teams from those leagues, with three losses (North Carolina, Duke, Baylor) coming in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, and the others on the road at Providence, St. John's and Xavier. Twenty of the 28 wins came by double-digits, and just 13 of the games took place in Omaha.
Doug McDermott
has scored at least 19 points in all but three of those games (Alabama, Georgetown, Baylor), and in two of those he had a double-double. McDermott has averaged 26.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the 36 games.
D. McDermott
Date Opponent Score Pts Reb.
11/20/11 vs. Iowa W 82-59 25 9
12/04/11 Nebraska W 76-66 24 12
12/22/11 Northwestern W 87-79 27 5
03/16/12 vs. Alabama W 58-57 16 10
03/18/12 vs. #4 N. Carolina L 73-87 20 9
11/23/12 vs. Wisconsin W 84-74 30 8
11/24/12 vs. Arizona State W 87-73 29 9
12/06/12 at Nebraska W 64-42 27 4
12/15/12 at California W 74-64 34 9
03/22/13 vs. Cincinnati W 67-63 27 11
03/24/13 vs. #6 Duke L 50-66 21 9
11/28/13 vs. Arizona State W 88-60 27 6
12/08/13 Nebraska W 82-67 33 8
12/22/13 California W 68-54 20 11
12/31/13 Marquette W 67-49 19 7
01/04/14 at Seton Hall W 79-66 30 10
01/07/14 at DePaul W 81-62 19 5
01/12/14 Xavier W 95-89 35 7
01/14/14 Butler W 88-60 28 5
01/18/14 at Providence L 68-81 21 7
01/20/14 at #4 Villanova W 96-68 23 5
01/25/14 Georgetown W 76-63 14 10
01/28/14 St. John's W 63-60 39 6
02/07/14 DePaul W 78-66 32 9
02/09/14 at St. John's L 65-70 25 5
02/13/14 at Butler W 68-63 26 5
02/16/14 #6 Villanova W 101-80 39 7
02/19/14 at Marquette W 85-70 25 8
02/23/14 Seton Hall W 72-71 29 3
03/01/14 at Xavier L 69-75 27 10
03/04/14 at Georgetown L 63-75 22 12
03/08/14 Providence W 88-73 45 7
03/13/14 vs. DePaul W 84-62 37 5
03/14/14 vs. Xavier W 86-78 32 4
03/15/14 vs. Providence L 58-65 27 5
03/23/14 vs. Baylor L 55-85 15 2
3's vs. 2's
Creighton attempted 1,927 field goals this year, with more than 44.5 percent of those shots coming from beyond the arc.
Creighton made 601-of-1,068 two-pointers, accounting for 1,202 points (1.13 points per shot).
Creighton has made 356-of-859 three-pointers in that time, accounting for 1,068 points (1.24 points per shot).
In its Dec. 29 win vs. Chicago State, Creighton made 16-of-25 three-point attempts, good for 1.92 points per shot attempt from deep. To earn the same point total (48 points) from 25 two-point attempts, Creighton would need to shoot 24-for-25 (96 percent).
Perhaps that's why
Greg McDermott
said in the postgame press conference: "If you're going to give us an open 3-point shot, that's the best percentage shot we can get."
Chicago State head coach Tracy Dildy agreed, "We've watched every game they had played, and we knew this was the best shooting team in the country. If there is another team in the country that shoots the ball like these guys shoot, I would love to see that team."
Consistency A Key
Doug McDermott
scored 20 or more points in 30 of the 35 games he's played in this season, and 37 of his last 43 contests dating to last season. He had 19 points in two of the games where he didn't reach 20 points.
Nationally, only 26 players averaged 20 points per game or more, which gives you an idea of how hard it is to reach that mark on a nightly basis.
Full House
This year's Creighton team averaged 17,896 through 16 home dates, good for fifth-nationally, and better than 16 NBA clubs.
It's the eighth straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance.
This year marked the third straight season in the top-six nationally in attendance, as well.
2013-14 Attendance Leaders (Final)
Rk. School Average
1. Syracuse 26,253 --
2. Kentucky 22,964 --
3. Louisville 21,282 --
4. North Carolina 18,025 --
5. Creighton 17,896 --
6. Indiana 17,358 --
7. Wisconsin 17,104 --
8. Ohio State 16,474 --
9. Kansas 16,437 --
10. Memphis 16,121 --
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att. School Year
17,896 Creighton 2013-14
17,155 Creighton 2012-13
16,665 Creighton 2011-12
15,930 Creighton 2008-09
15,909 Creighton 2006-07
McDermott In Elite Company
Since the start of his sophomore year (2011-12),
Doug McDermott
has averaged 24.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 104 contests.
That makes him the only college player in the nation to average at least 24 points and seven rebounds per contest in that span.
In same time, only NBA guys to do so are Kevin Durant (29.5 & 7.7), LeBron James (27.0 & 7.6), Carmelo Anthony (26.5 & 7.2) and Kevin Love (25.1 & 13.0).
Simply No Comparison
Doug McDermott
's stats this season of 26.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 44.9 percent marksmanship from three-point range put him in even more elite company than imagined.
Since 1998-99, no college player has averaged at least 25 points, 7.0 rebounds and 43 percent or better from three-point range over the course of an entire season (min. 15 3FG's).
In NBA history, no player has ever averaged 25 points, 6.9 or more rebounds and shot 43 percent or better from three-point range (min. 15 3FG's) for a season, either.
Full House
Creighton attracted eight of its 20 largest home crowds in program history this season.
Here's a look at Creighton's top-20 home crowds all-time.
Rank Att. Opponent Date
1. 18,868 Providence 03/08/14
2. 18,859 Georgetown 01/25/14
3. 18,797 #6 Villanova 02/16/14
4. 18,742 Seton Hall 02/23/14
5. 18,735 Wichita State 02/11/12
6. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13
7. 18,525 Marquette 12/31/13
8. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
9. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
10. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
11. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
12. 18,111 Bradley 02/02/13
13. 18,078 Tulsa 11/23/13
14. 18,073 Drake 01/08/13
15. 17,954 Wichita State 12/28/08
16. 17,740 Alcorn State 11/08/13
17. 17,694 Indiana State 01/05/13
18. 17,676 Northwestern 12/22/11
19. 17,665 Missouri State 12/28/11
20. 17,607 Drexel 02/17/07
Speaking of 30
According to available school records,
Doug McDermott
owns 27 of the 133 games in Creighton history with 30 points or more. That surpasses Bob Portman for most 30-point games in program history.
In addition, McDermott's 13 games this season of 30 points or more were the most in school history for one year. He also owns fifth and seventh place on that list.
McDermott scored 30 or more points in 27 career games. By comparison, all other Creighton players since 1991-92 have combined for 17 games of 30+ points in CU's 731 games played in that period.
Most 30-Point Games, Career
30-Pt. Games Name Years
Doug McDermott
22 Bob Portman 1966-69
12 Bob Harstad 1987-91
9 Paul Silas 1961-64
6 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 68-69
6 Cyril Baptiste 1969-71
6 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
Most 30-Point Games, Season
30-Pt. Games Name Year
Doug McDermott
10 Bob Portman 1967-68
10 Bob Portman 1968-69
8 Bob Harstad 1989-90
Doug McDermott
Doug McDermott
5 Wally Anderzunas 1968-69
5 Benoit Benjamin 1984-85
4 Paul Silas 1962-63
4 Cyril Baptiste 1970-71
4 Rod Mason 1987-88
National Leaders
Doug McDermott
's career stats rank among the top-10 active players nationally in 10 of the 15 different categories tracked by the NCAA.
Rank Category Total Leader
1 Points 3,150 --
1 FG Made 1,141 --
1 FG Attempted 2,075 --
1 Scoring Average 21.7 --
2 3-Point Percentage .458 M. Johnson, .478
2 FT Made 594 D. Burton, 620
3 Rebounds 1,088 A. Rubit, 1,183
6 Double-Doubles 37 A. Rubit, 54
6 Games Played 145 J. Gollon, 154
8 FT Attempted 715 D. Burton, 826
Experienced Starters
One reason for Creighton's success is its veteran line-up. Creighton's starting line-up has a combined 22 years of college experience under their belt, including 20 seasons at Creighton.
Grant Gibbs
is a sixth-year senior who is in his fourth year with the Bluejay program. He had started every game the past three seasons and before his recent injury was on pace to challenge CU's record for career assists.
Ethan Wragge
is a fifth-year senior who medically redshirted after plantar fasciitis issues during his second year on campus. He is second in school history in three-pointers made, trailing only 11-year NBA veteran Kyle Korver.
Jahenns Manigat
Doug McDermott
are four-year seniors. McDermott has started every game of his career, while Manigat has started all but one of the last 121 games. McDermott set Creighton records for career points, field goals, three-point percentage and consecutive free throws made.
According to Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistics, Creighton's line-up averaged 2.48 years of experience, making the Bluejays the 12th-most veteran group nationally, and tops among the nation's BCS schools.
Productive Minutes
According to bbstate.com,
Doug McDermott
ranked first nationally this season with 31.6 points per 40 minutes played.
McDermott led the same category last year with 29.3 points per 40 minutes, and was second as a sophomore at 28.7 points per 40 minutes.
Quick Starts Key To Playing in Postseason
Including this year, Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 13 of the last 15 seasons. Each of Creighton's last 15 3-0 starts (including this year) have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year.
This season marks the third straight year Creighton has opened 4-0, something last done from 2002-03 to 2004-05. The only other time CU started 4-0 in three straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.
Wragge Bombs Away
Ethan Wragge
attempted 234 of his 242 shots this season from three-point range, sinking an incredible 110 of them (47.0 percent) behind the arc. He was 7-for-11 from deep in CU's 83-79 win at Saint Joseph's on Nov. 16, the most treys by a Bluejay in a game since Booker Woodfox had seven (also at Saint Joseph's) in 2008, before tying Kyle Korver's school record with nine three-pointers at No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 20th.
With four three-pointers vs. George Washington on Dec. 1, Wragge moved past Ryan Sears into second place in Creighton history for career trifectas. He now owns 334 career treys.
He also ranks fifth in CU history with 44.1 percent marksmanship from downtown.
For his career, Wragge attempted 761-of-816 shots from beyond the arc.
McDermott, For The Win
Doug McDermott
drained his first career game-winner in a Nov. 16 victory at Saint Joseph's. With Creighton trailing by one and 6.9 seconds left, McDermott caught an inbounds pass, hit a fadeaway jumper, and was fouled. He converted the three-point play in CU's eventual 83-79 win.
Said McDermott after the game "I didn't know how to celebrate…I've never hit one before."
McDermott is 10-for-17 from the field and 26-for-32 from the line in the last minute of games in the past two seasons.
Creighton had not won a game when trailing in the final minute or overtime since Feb. 21, 2012, when
Josh Jones
hit a game-winner to beat Evansville in the final 30 seconds of overtime. Creighton had also tied that same game as time expired on a
Gregory Echenique
tip-in to close regulation.
Creighton last won a road game when trailing in the final minute on Jan. 7, 2011, at Southern Illinois, taking the lead for good with 36 seconds left on two Darryl Ashford free throws. Creighton also rallied to win at Butler on Jan. 20 after trailing in the final minute.
Creighton last won a game away from home when trailing in the final five seconds on March 6, 2009, when Booker Woodfox hit a buzzer-beater to stun Wichita State in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals.
Big Deficits, Big Deal
Creighton overcame a 13-point deficit to win at Saint Joseph's on Nov. 16 before posting an 83-79 win, then overcame another 13-point deficit to beat Xavier on Jan. 12th. It was the 10th and 11th times in four seasons under
Greg McDermott
that the Jays have won a game its trailed by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home.
On the other hand, CU is 93-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 81 of the last 82 times.
Double-Digit Comebacks Under G. McDermott
Deficit Opponent Date
17 at San Diego State 11/30/11
16 at Evansville 02/16/13
14 Evansville 02/21/12
13 at Saint Joseph's 11/16/13
13 Xavier 01/12/14
12 Saint Joseph's 12/11/10
11 at Wichita State 12/31/11
11 Northern Iowa 01/10/12
11 vs. Alabama 03/16/12
10 vs. Drake 03/02/12
@McDermottAlert Has You Covered
Rather than clog up its other social media accounts with the many exploits of
Doug McDermott
, Creighton Athletics has created a Twitter account specific to him, that can be found at twitter.com/McDermottAlert.
It contains links to dozens of national profiles and stats on the senior forward, and owns more than 2,100 followers.
Martelli On McDermott
Even before
Doug McDermott
hit a three-point play to beat Saint Joseph's, Hawks coach Phil Martelli was overwhelmingly complimentary on the skills of
Doug McDermott
. Here's what he had to say about McDermott prior to the game:
"The country is gaga over these freshmen but McDermott's the best player in the country. Tell me who does more for their team. They can give the awards at the end of the year to the freshmen because of the media blitz, but that kid is a magnificent, magnificent player."
Jays Sign A Pair Of Recruits
A pair of high school basketball standouts have signed letters-of-intent to play at Creighton University. Leon Gilmore III and Ronnie Harrell will both be freshmen when they enroll in the fall of 2014 and have four years of eligibility.
Gilmore is a 6'7" wing from Manvel, Texas, who attends Manvel High School and plays for coach Greg Devers. As a high school junior, he helped his team to a 30-6 record by averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Gilmore competes for the Houston Hoops AAU program.
Harrell is a 6'7" wing from Denver (Colo.) East High School, where he plays for Rudy Carey. As a junior he averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, helping the Angels reach the state title game. On the AAU circuit, Harrell plays for Billups Elite, which is supported by his cousin, NBA veteran Chauncey Billups.
Creighton also inked 5'10 guard Maurice Watson Jr. during the spring signing period. A transfer from Boston University, Watson will have to sit the 2014-15 season and then have two years remaining. He averaged 13.3 points and ranked third nationally with 7.1 assists per game as a sophomore for the Terriers.
Hottest Ticket in Town
Creighton Basketball has proven to be a hot ticket in recent years, but the anticipation for this season took those levels up a notch.
Creighton sold more than 15,100 season tickets for the first time, a figure that doesn't factor in students. Last year's record was 13,739.
Creighton also sold more than 2,200 all-session tickets for the BIG EAST Tournament already, the most by any league school since Connecticut in 2006.
When single-game tickets went on sale on Oct. 29, seven games sold out within an hour, including less than 20 minutes for games vs. Marquette, Georgetown, Nebraska, Seton Hall and Chicago State.
Nation's Best Offense?
You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation's best offensive production this year.
Creighton was first in the country in three-point field goal percentage (41.4 percent), three-pointers made (356) and assist/turnover ratio (1.80). The Bluejays were also second in assists per game (17.5) and three-pointers per game (10.2), third in three-point field goal attempts (859) and fourth in both field goal percentage (.497) and total assists (614).
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally in the first four years of the
Greg McDermott
Category Stat NCAA Rank
FG Percentage .4897 1st
3FG Percentage .4050 1st
Assists 2,407 1st
Assists/Game 16.60 2nd
3FG Made 1,230 2nd
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.436 4th
3FG Made/Game 8.483 5th
FG Made 3,809 9th
Wins 107 15th
Winning Pct. .7379 22nd
Ask The Experts
ESPN had 20 experts predict the 2013-14 season. Nine of them (Jay Bilas, Adrian Branch, Elena Bergeron, Dan Dakich, Jimmy Dykes, Myron Medcalf, Digger Phelps, Miles Simon and Dick Vitale) predicted
Doug McDermott
would be National Player of the Year.
CBS Sports asked six experts to predict the 2013-14 season. Two of them (Doug Gottlieb and Jon Rothstein) picked McDermott would be National Player of the Year.
Sports Illustrated had four experts predict the 2014-14 season. Two of them (Seth Davis and Luke Winn) picked McDermott would be National Player of the Year.
All told, McDermott collected 13 votes, Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart 10 votes, Kansas' Andrew Wiggins three votes, Kentucky's Julius Randle three votes and Louisville's Russ Smith one vote.
Weekly Honor For McDermott
Doug McDermott
was named National Player of the Week by ESPN.com and BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 16th after averaging 25.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in three Creighton wins to start the season. McDermott made 55.8 percent from the field, 53.3 percent from three-point land, and 78.6 percent of his free throw attempts.
McDermott then earned his second consecutive BIG EAST Player of the Week honor on Nov. 23rd when he got the nod following a 33 point, 15 rebound showing in a 82-72 triumph vs. Tulsa.
McDermott earned his third BIG EAST honor on Dec. 9 after averaging 27.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in lopsided wins over Long Beach State and Nebraska.
Including his seven MVC Newcomer of the Week honors in 2010-11, 13 MVC Player of the Week honors from 2011-13, and eight BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades of 2013-14, McDermott has now won at least one conference weekly award from the MVC or BIG EAST in 28 of 66 weeks since enrolling at Creighton.
Preseason Acclaim
Doug McDermott
has garnered a ton of preseason hype you'd expect from a returning two-time consensus First Team All-American.
In addition to being named the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, McDermott was also named a Preseason First Team All-American by the Associated Press, USA Today, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Sporting News.
McDermott was also one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, one of 15 men named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List, and one of 50 players on the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Senior forward
Doug McDermott
served as a captain for Team USA last summer at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia. Playing under the direction of coaches Bob McKillop (Davidson), John Beilein (Michigan) and Frank Martin (South Carolina), McDermott led the team in scoring (14.1 ppg.), field goals (39), three-pointers (18), free throws (17), free-throw percentage (.895) and minutes (23.8) as the team went 6-2 in eight games.
On his way back from Russia, McDermott was invited to the USA Basketball Men's National Team Mini-Camp along with 28 of the NBA's rising stars and fellow collegian Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), where he received rave reviews.
Army of Iowans
Every Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season was no exception.
Creighton has five players from Iowa on this season's team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State's top preps. CU's Iowans this season includes seniors
Grant Gibbs
(Marion) and
Doug McDermott
(Ames), junior
Will Artino
(Waukee), sophomore
Alex Olsen
(Council Bluffs) and freshman
John Burns
Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale) and Nate Funk (Sioux City).
Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 656 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.
Long-Distance Streak Alive
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 680 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993.
CenturyLink Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 186 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in 11 seasons at the facility.
The Bluejays own an 161-25 (.866) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (8-0).
Creighton has outscored its opponents 14,057-11,887 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.67 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 48 different times, including five times last season and the Nebraska, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California, Chicago State, Marquette, Butler and St. John's games this year.
Creighton is also 23-15 all-time in the 38 games at CLCO in which it's fallen behind by double-figures.
Everybody's All-American
Doug McDermott
hauled in All-America honors on a regular basis last year.
He was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, NABC, USBWA, Basketball Times, CBSSports.com and ESPN.com, and a second-team selection by The Sporting News. He was also named to the 10-man John R. Wooden Award All-America team.
Prior to McDermott, the only other player honored by the USBWA with All-America status had been second-team selection Kyle Korver in 2003, and the only prior NABC selections from Creighton had been second-teamer Paul Silas (1964) and third-team selections Benoit Benjamin (1985) and Korver (2003).
Scoring In Numbers
Doug McDermott
owned 934 points in 35 games this year, an average of 26.7 per contest that ranked him first nationally in scoring.
McDermott's 26.7 points per game ranked second-most in CU single-season history, trailing only Bob Portman's 29.5 ppg. in 1967-68.
Portman, who finished fifth nationally in scoring in 1967-68 (29.5 ppg.), was the only previous Bluejay to ever rank in the top-10 of the year-end scoring leaders, before McDermott did it each of the past three seasons (3rd in 2011-12, 2nd last year, 1st this year).
Repeat All-American
Doug McDermott
joined some elite company by being named a First Team All-American by the USBWA, Associated Press and the NABC for a third consecutive season in 2013-14.
He is the 18th player to earn the honor three times from the USBWA, 12th from the NABC, and 11th in the history of the Associated Press.
McDermott became the AP's first three-time first team selection since Patrick Ewing and Wayman Tisdale from 1983-85.
Not Half Bad
Doug McDermott
's highest scoring half of his career has been 31 points, done as a sophomore in the second half at Bradley when he scored a career-best 44 points.
McDermott scored 15 points or more in a half 72 times during his career, and Creighton was 55-6 in those contests (11 times he scored 15 or more in both halves).
McDermott owns 18 halves in his career with 20 or more points, and just six scoreless halves.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott
is 107-38 on the Creighton sideline after his fourth year at the helm. The 107 wins are easily the most in Creighton history in the first four seasons.
Most Wins at CU, First Four Seasons
Coach Years W-L After 4 Yrs
Greg McDermott
2010-Pres. 107-38
Tom Apke 1974-78 79-30
Eddie Sutton 1969-73 59-43
Tony Barone 1985-89 57-62
Red McManus 1959-63 56-46
Dana Altman 1994-98 54-59
Thomas E. Mills 1916-20 53-6
Willis Reed 1981-85 52-65
A.A. Schabinger 1922-26 50-18
Rasmussen Joins to MBB Committee
Creighton Athletic Director
Bruce Rasmussen
began a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee on September 1st.
He is the only newcomer to the committee for the 2013-14 academic year, replacing last year's chair, Mike Bobinski.
Pizza Pie, Piled High = Wins
Thanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather's Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home.
History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well.
The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins.
Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is a perfect 79-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha.
In other words, Creighton is a perfect 91-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.
Home Run
Greg McDermott
took over four years ago, Creighton is averaging 78.42 points per home game (5,568 points in 71 home games).
That's a vital number since Creighton is 105-0 at home (76-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 87-0 at home (60-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000.
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