text:
Courtesy: Bill Streicher
Men's Basketball Heads To San Antonio For NCAA Tournament
By: None
Release: 03/18/2014
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2013-14 Creighton Men's Basketball
Game #34 • NCAA Tournament vs. Louisiana • Friday, March 21, 2014 • Approx. 2:05 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns vs. #16 Creighton Bluejays
AT&T Center (17,731) • San Antonio, Texas
Radio: KOZN 1620 AM, Westwood One; Sirius 92; XM 191
TV: truTV
Series History: Series tied, 2-2
Last Meeting: Creighton 63, Louisiana 58 on Nov. 17, 2010 in Omaha, Neb.
Up Next
Third-seeded and 16th-ranked Creighton (26-7, 14-4 BIG EAST) returns to the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time when it takes on 14th-seeded Louisiana (23-11, 11-7 Sun Belt) in second round action of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Friday's game will start at approximately 2:05 p.m. Central and be contested at AT&T Center (capacity 17,731) in San Antonio, Texas.
The winner will advance to a third-round game on Sunday against either Baylor or Nebraska.
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men's basketball games during the 2013-14 season. John Bishop and Nick Bahe will call the action. The broadcast will NOT be webcast on KOZN's website.
The pregame show "Bluejay Shootaround", hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, will air from 11:00 am - 1:30 pm on Friday.
Following the game, Tim Krueger and Heath Gunderson will host "Overtime" for approximately one hour, while also taking calls.
The game will also be broadcast nationwide and on Sirius/XM satellite radio on Dial Global Radio, by Brad Sham and Will Perdue. Sirius channel 92 and XM channel 191 will have the games from San Antonio.
By contract, only the Dial Global broadcast can be audio webcast. All Dial Global audio will also be streaming in the March Madness Live product and will appear on the free side of the application.
You can also listen on your smart phone, tablet or iPad via the free Tune-In Radio app. Tune-In Radio will feature a channel dedicated to play by play of all games in San Antonio.
Visit westwoodonesports.com for more details.
Broadcast Information
Friday's game will be televised by truTV and announced by Marv Albert and Steve Kerr. Craig Sager will serve as sideline reporter.
Watch On The Web
Turner Sports, CBS Sports and the NCAA announced that NCAA® March Madness® Live will now provide college basketball fans with more opportunities to watch every minute of every game of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
Produced by Turner Sports Interactive, NCAA® March Madness® Live is a suite of live products presented across multiple screens, including online and as an iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch app and on Android phones.
NCAA® March Madness® Live will be available to users across all video screens - online, mobile and tablet- and over Wi-fi and 3G.
Fans will be able to enjoy live streaming video of every broadcast for the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship as they are televised by TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV, continuing through the Men's Final Four® and National Championship Game from North Texas on April 5 & 7.
To access NCAA® March Madness Live®, visit ncaa.com/marchmadness, click on the "Select Your TV Provider" tab, select your TV provider, enter your username/password that corresponds with that account.
Satellite Coordinates
Coordinates and uplink windows for all NCAA Tournament press conferences are available at http://www.ncaa.com/media.
Creighton will meet the media from 1:35 - 1:50 pm (student-athletes) and 1:50 - 2:05 pm (coach
Greg McDermott
) before an open practice at AT&T Center from 2:15 - 2:55 pm.
Coordinates for all press conferences from San Antonio are as follows:
AMC 01, Transponder 16 B, Downlink Frequency 12029 (V) 18 MHz
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton's games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the top of the page for a link the exact URL.
Scouting Creighton
Creighton owns a 26-7 record and finished its first BIG EAST campaign with a 14-4 league mark. Highlighting Creighton's campaign was wins by 28 and 21 points over league champ Villanova.
Named by National Player of the Year five agencies already,
Doug McDermott
(26.9 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 45.4 3FG%) is the nation's leading scorer and ranks fifth in NCAA history with 3,105 career points. A model of consistency, McDermott has scored 22 points or more in 13 straight games, and has scored 19 or more points in all but two games this year. He owns 12 games of 30 or more points, and also hit three game-winning shots this year.
Austin Chatman
(7.7 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 4.5 apg.) and
Jahenns Manigat
(7.2 ppg., 41.7 3FG%) help man the Bluejay backcourt and have combined for 243 assists against just 82 turnovers this year.
Grant Gibbs
(7.2 ppg., 3.8 apg., 3.3 rpg.) suffered a dislocated kneecap on Jan. 7 at DePaul, returning a month later and improving his three-point marksmanship to 47.5 percent.
Creighton's starting '5' is
Ethan Wragge
(10.5 ppg., 4.0 rpg.), a 6-foot-7 sharpshooter who has made only two two-point baskets all season while shooting 47.3 percent from three-point range in 220 long-range attempts.
The Coaches
Greg McDermott
(Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fourth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 28-8 mark last year, and is now 106-37 with the Bluejays. 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 386-223 in his 20th season and is 255-168 in his 13th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by
Darian DeVries
Steve Lutz
Patrick Sellers
McDermott is 2-5 as a Division I head coach in the NCAA Tournament, having lost five-point games as Northern Iowa's head coach in 2004 (vs. Georgia Tech), 2005 (vs. Wisconsin) and 2006 (vs. Georgetown), and going 1-1 in each of the last two years at Creighton (wins vs. Alabama and Cincinnati, losses vs. North Carolina and Duke).
He also made two NCAA Tournament appearances as a Division II head coach at Wayne (Neb.) State in 1999 and 2000. His 2000 team reached the Sweet 16.
Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981) is in his fourth season at Louisiana with a 66-62 record. He came to ULL after 12 seasons at Sam Houston State, where he went 225-131 and had five seasons of 20 wins or more. He is 0-3 all-time in the postseason, including an 0-2 NCAA mark and a 0-1 record in the CIT. Marlin is assisted by Neil Hardin, Kevin Johnson and Gus Hauser.
Scouting Louisiana
Louisiana is 23-11 on the season, including a 12-4 record in non-conference games and a perfect 4-0 mark on neutral floors.
The Ragin' Cajuns feature a high-scoring offense, producing at an 81.4 points per game clip, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament with a one-point overtime win over Georgia State in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title game.
Elfrid Payton is one of the nation's hidden gems, averaging 19.1 points, 6.0 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game. Payton started every game last summer for USA Basketball's U19 Gold Medalist squad at the FIBA World Championships.
Shawn Long is another force for ULL, averaging 18.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per contest. Also in double-figures is Bryant Mbamalu (12.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg.).
As a team, the Ragin' Cajuns average 81.4 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting from the field, 37.0 percent three-point shooting and 67.1 percent accuracy at the line. ULL allows 75.2 points per games and outrebounds foes by 3.5 caroms per contest.
Series History vs. Louisiana
Creighton and Louisiana have met just four times previously, and only once since 1977 when ULL was known as Southwestern Louisiana.
The Ragin Cajuns won 78-77 in Omaha in 1967 in the first meeting. In January of 1977 Creighton won 90-79 in Omaha, before losing 11 months later in Lafayette, 94-87. Creighton evened the series on Nov. 17, 2010, with a 63-58 win in Omaha.
Greg McDermott
is 1-0 against both Louisiana and Bob Marlin. He is 2-0 all-time against current Sun Belt Conference teams (1-0 vs. Louisiana and 1-0 vs. Louisiana-Monroe).
Milestone Watch
-With a win on Friday, Creighton can win a postseason game for a seventh straight season, and an NCAA Tournament game for the third straight year.
-With a win, six veterans can tie a program record by playing in a third NCAA Tournament victory.
Jahenns Manigat
Grant Gibbs
Doug McDermott
Ethan Wragge
Avery Dingman
Austin Chatman
could join Paul Silas and Chuck Officer in that elite company.
Doug McDermott
is 11 points away from having 1,000 more points than any other player in Creighton history, (Rodney Buford, 2,116). He is also 11 points away from 900 this season.
Grant Gibbs
is 11 assists shy of 500 helpers at Creighton, which would make him the fourth player to do so.
Doug McDermott
owns 94 three-pointers this season and needs six for 100.
Doug McDermott
(1,121 FG) needs one field goal to move into sole possession of 12th in NCAA history for career field goals. He can pass Hank Gathers (1,127) with seven more field goals, and reach the top-10 with 10 field goals (passing Mike Olliver).
Jahenns Manigat
is nine points shy of 900 for his career.
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 Cincinnati last spring, the Creighton men's basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record six straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64.
The following five programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in six straight seasons, including 2012-13: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina, Purdue and Syracuse.
Notably, Purdue's streak is certain to end as it missed the postseason this year.
Creighton's victories the previous two years mark the only time it has won NCAA Tournament games in consecutive seasons in program history.
Common Opponents
Creighton and Louisiana share no common opponents this season.
NCAA Tournament History
Creighton is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance, and 10th in the last 16 years. The Bluejays are 11-19 all-time in NCAA action, including an 8-10 record in its first game.
Creighton's last NCAA Tournament games came last season in Philadelphia, Pa. The Jays defeated 10th-seeded Cincinnati 67-63 in the second round before falling to second-seeded Duke by a 66-50 score.
In 26 previous NCAA or NIT appearances, Creighton has never won consecutive games in the same event.
One Shining Moment
Currently an assistant to the head coach at Creighton,
Steve Merfeld
coached one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history when his 15th-seeded Hampton team defeated second-seeded Iowa State, 58-57, in Boise, Idaho, in 2001.
Merfeld's team closed the game on a 14-2 run, capped by a Tarvis Williams basket with 6.9 seconds left. ISU All-American Jamaal Tinsley's coast-to-coast lay-up attempt rolled out as time expired.
As the final horn sounded, Merfeld across the court from his bench area to the other side, where he was picked up by forward David Johnson in an enduring image as Merfeld kicked his feet in jubilation.
Coaching Experience In The Dance
Creighton's coaching staff boasts a combined 38 Division I NCAA Tournament games under their collective belts as either a player, graduate manager, assistant coach or head coach.
Greg McDermott
is 2-5 in NCAA Tournament action. He went 0-3 at Northern Iowa (0-1 in 2004, 2005 and 2006) and is 2-2 at Creighton (1-1 in 2012 & 2013).
Steve Lutz
is 2-2 in NCAA Tournament action, going 1-1 in both 2012 and 2013 as a Creighton assistant coach.
Darian DeVries
is 4-9 in NCAA Tournament action, all of it as an assistant or graduate manager with Creighton (1-1 in 1999, 2002, 2012 and 2013; 0-1 in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007).
Patrick Sellers
has been part of five NCAA Tournament teams on the staff, going 8-6. He went 0-2 (losses at 2000 and 2002 at Central Connecticut State), and 8-4 in four trips with Connecticut as an assistant (0-1 in 2008, 4-1 in 2009) or director of operations (1-1 in 2005, 3-1 in 2006).
Against NCAA Opponents
Creighton went 9-5 against teams that made the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Jays were 2-0 against Villanova, 2-1 vs. Xavier, 1-0 vs. Tulsa, Saint Joseph's, Nebraska and Arizona State. CU was also 0-1 against George Washington 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 is a No. 3 seed for the first time in history. It is 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 is the 12th BIG EAST team in the last eight NCAA Tourney's to earn a No. 3 seed. The last 11 teams went 25-10 with one national title (Connecticut) and seven Sweet 16 bids.
Since 1985, No. 3 seeds are 99-17 against No. 14 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 26-2 mark since 2007. The last No. 3 seed to lose its opening game was last year's New Mexico team that dropped a game to Harvard.
Since 1985, No. 3 seeds are 60-39 in the Round of 32.
Creighton's NCAA Tourney Seeds
(since seeding began in 1979)
Year Seed Record
2014 3rd ? ? ?
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 10 postseason games since 2008, including two in the NCAA's (2012 and 2013), two in the NIT (2008 and 2009), two in the 2010 CIT and four in the 2011 CBI.
On a national basis, Creighton's 10 postseason wins since 2008 rank tied for 15th nationally.
Most Postseason Wins, Previous 6 Years
Wins School
21 North Carolina
19 Kansas
16 Louisville
16 Ohio State
15 Baylor
15 Kentucky
15 Michigan State
14 Butler
14 Duke
14 Florida
14 Syracuse
11 Connecticut
11 Pittsburgh
10 Creighton
10 Oregon State
10 Stanford
10 Wichita State
Creighton By Region
Creighton owns a 2-3 record all-time in the West Region. That includes wins 1991 (New Mexico State) and 1941 (Wyoming), and losses in 2003 (Central Michigan), 1991 (Seton Hall) and 1941 (Washington State).
Postseason Features Last-Second Drama
Eleven of Creighton's last 12 postseason runs have included a game that was decided in the final seconds.
In fact, Creighton's postseason openers in the past 12 years have had four games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one game by four points, two by six points (including an OT finish) and three games by 11 points.
Last year Cincinnati missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final 20 seconds and Creighton guard
Austin Chatman
made 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to hold on to a 67-63 win.
Two years ago Creighton edged Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 58-57, as Trevor Releford's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
Creighton's 2011-12 campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion in the CBI title game at Oregon. Creighton had the ball in a tie game with the shot clock off, but committed a backcourt violation on Oregon's "unique" floor. The Ducks' E.J. Singler then banked in a game-winning shot with 2.0 seconds left. A desperation three-pointer by Creighton was off the mark.
In 2009, Creighton rallied from a 14-point deficit and would hang on to beat Bowling Green, 73-71 in the first round of the NIT. The Jays needed a last-second defensive stand, as BGSU's Darryl Clements' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
The following game, Creighton led Kentucky by one with 36 seconds left, only to miss two free throws and see UK All-American Jodie Meeks convert a three-point play. CU's Booker Woodfox, the nation's No. 2 three-point shooter, missed an open trey as time expired, and Creighton lost 65-63.
In 2008, Creighton rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 3:07 to top Rhode Island, 73-72, in the first round of the NIT. Cavel Witter hit the game-winner with 3.2 seconds left to give CU its first lead of the game since 3-0.
In 2007, Creighton had the ball for a final shot in a tie game against Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nate Funk's shot attempt missed, and a tip-in try was also not converted. The Jays would eventually lose 77-71 in overtime.
In second round of the 2006 NIT, Miami (Fla.) guard Guilermo Diaz drained a free throw with 2.6 seconds left to beat Creighton 53-52. A last-second shot attempt by Bluejay senior Johnny Mathies was knocked out of his hands.
In the 2005 NCAA Tourney, Nate Funk had his three-point try with seven seconds left blocked by Tyrone Sally, and Sally raced downcourt for a breakaway dunk with 2.4 seconds left to give West Virginia a 63-61 win. Funk's three-point try from the corner missed at the buzzer.
In 2004, Creighton fell 71-70 to Nebraska in the NIT. The Jays led nearly the entire second half before NU's go-ahead basket with 12 seconds left. Nate Funk's game-winning jumper from 18-feet away was blocked by Husker guard Jake Muhleisen.
In 2003 Creighton lost 79-73 to Central Michigan in the NCAA's. The Jays trailed 50-24 with 16:24 left but a furious rally got them within two points (72-70) with 1:20 left, only to turn it over the next three possessions.
In the 2002 NCAA's, Creighton beat #15 Florida, 83-82, in Chicago. Terrell Taylor hit a game-winning trey with 0.2 seconds left in double-overtime, his final three of 28 points after a scoreless first half.
About Creighton
Creighton is a private, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., with 7,736 students. The University was founded in 1878 by Mary Lucretia Creighton, who established it in memory of her husband, telegraph pioneer Edward Creighton.
Prominent alumni include J. Joseph Ricketts (Chicago Cubs owner and founder of TD Ameritrade), Bob Gibson (Hall of Fame pitcher), Kyle Korver (professional basketball player) and Timothy R. Lannon, S.J. (current Creighton President).
McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach
Greg McDermott
is making 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 6-7 record in five previous postseason appearances, including a 6-4 mark at Creighton.
McDermott's Div. I Postseason Appearances
Year Tourney Postseason W-L
Deep In The Heart of Texas
Creighton's roster owns a pair of players from the state of Texas, as junior
Austin Chatman
(The Colony) and sophomore
Geoffrey Groselle
(Plano) are both from the Lone Star State.
Another person on the CU sideline with Texas ties is fourth-year assistant coach
Steve Lutz
. Lutz is a former assistant coach at both SMU, Stephen F. Austin, and Incarnate Word. he played collegiately at both Incarnate Word and Texas Lutheran.
Creighton's game on Friday will mark its first in the state of Texas since a 2001 visit to play at TCU.
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 first 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 leads the league in three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
McDermott is Player of the Year
Doug McDermott
has been named the National Player of the Year by five different outlets already this season.
He's been honored by USA Today, Sporting News, BleacherReport.com, NBCSports.com and also by ESPN personality Dick Vitale.
This is McDermott's second year with such lofty honor. As a sophomore, McDermott was named CollegeInsider's Lute Olson Player of the Year.
BIG EAST Success
Few leagues have enjoyed the success levels that the BIG EAST Conference has in recent years.
The BIG EAST has won seven or more NCAA Tournament games in 11 straight postseasons, and 64 victories in the previous five NCAA's.
The BIG EAST has had a Sweet 16 squad in each of the past 20 years, and multiple Sweet 16 teams in each of the last eight years.
The BIG EAST Conference has won a combined 13 NCAA men's and women's basketball titles in the previous 14 years.
Wragge Chases Top 10
Ethan Wragge
can move into a tie for ninth place in NCAA history in games played when he takes the floor on Friday for his 148th carer contest.
Below is a list of the all-time leaders in games played:
Games Player, Team Last Season
157 David Lighty, Ohio State 2011
152 Deon Thompson, No. Carolina 2010
152 Darius Miller, Kentucky 2012
152 Jake Gollon, Mercer 2014
151 Wayne Turner, Kentucky 1999
151 Walter Hodge, Florida 2009
150 Antonio Anderson, Memphis 2009
149 Joey Dorsey, Memphis 2008
148 Christian Laettner, Duke 1992
148 Robert Dozier, Memphis 2009
148 Kyle Singler, Duke 2011
147 Danny Manning, Kansas 1988
147 Greg Koubek, Duke 1991
147 Willie Kemp, Memphis 2010
147 Brandon Triche, Syracuse 2013
Ethan Wragge
, Creighton 2014
147 Aaron Craft, Ohio State 2014
147 Lamar Patterson, Pitt 2014
Halftime Key
Creighton is 25-0 this year when leading at halftime, but just 1-7 when trailing at intermission.
Dating to last season, Creighton has won 32 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 four games since the SI photo was taken (also factoring in his 45 points vs. Providence on March 8th), McDermott is averaging 34.8 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 has 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 ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage, making 49.9 percent of its shots from the floor.
The Bluejays have won 58 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 57-1 when shooting 50.01 percent or better.
Track Meet In Play?
Creighton is 22-1 this season when scoring 70 points or more, compared to a 4-6 mark when being held to 69 points or less.
Move the needle to 80 or more points and Creighton is 17-1 this year and 52-2 in four seasons under
Greg McDermott
Louisiana scores 81.4 points per game this season while allowing 75.1 points per contest.
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 features 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 have gone 106-37 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 83 wins from 2011-14 the mark for a three-year span and 106 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 5877 points, 2220 rebounds and 1045 assists while shooting a combined 862-1979 (43.6%) from three-point range.
McDermott & Tisdale
Doug McDermott
owns a school-record 889 points this season. McDermott had 801 points as a sophomore and 834 points as a junior before his 889 (and counting) point effort 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 25-1 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 30.9 .576 .489 .846 7.4 23.2
Losses 33.1 .474 .387 .766 7.9 17.5
Home 30.2 .564 .448 .832 7.5 22.2
Away 32.2 .547 .481 .820 7.6 20.6
Neutral 33.7 .516 .456 .845 7.3 22.8
BCS Foes 33.4 .529 .438 .854 7.0 25.2
Non-BCS Foes 30.7 .561 .473 .820 7.7 20.3
Margin 0-9 33.3 .528 .428 .783 7.4 20.3
Margin 10-19 31.6 .541 .432 .849 7.8 21.8
Margin 20+ 27.3 .613 .571 .888 7.1 24.5
CAREER (All) 31.5 .550 .460 .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 owns 342 three-pointers this season, most in school history. Last year's club set the previous school standard with 307 in 36 games.
In addition, Creighton's 42.1 percent marksmanship from three-point range would rank second-best in school history, trailing only the 2011-12 squad that shot 42.4 percent from downtown.
All five Bluejay starters make at least 39.5 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 Scorers, Nationally
Doug McDermott
(26.9 ppg.) enters Friday's second-round NCAA Tournament game ranked first nationally in scoring at 26.9 points per game just ahead of Niagara's Antoine Mason (25.6), son of former NBA big man Anthony Mason Jr.
McDermott has had 22 or more points in each of his last 13 games, an incredible streak even by the lofty expectations bestowed on him.
Only one BCS player nationally is within 150 points of McDermott's 889 points this season, North Carolina State forward T.J. Warren (818).
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 Next Game
Doug McDermott
, Creighton 26.9 3/21
2. Antoine Mason, Niagara 25.6 Done
3. T.J. Warren, NC State 24.8 3/18
4. Billy Baron, Canisius 24.2 3/18
5. Patrick Miller, Tennessee State 23.7 Done
Scoring Leader in Postseason?
Doug McDermott
is a rare player who is leading the country in scoring while also playing for a team that is in the NCAA Tournament.
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).
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
enters Friday with 104 three-pointers this season, trailing only Kyle Korver's 129 as a senior in Bluejay history.
Wragge owns 16 career games with five three-pointers or more, including eight such contests this year.
Wragge's 104 three-pointers are the most in the BIG EAST since Kyle McAlarney (124) and Jeremy Hazell (105) in 2008-09.
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 marks the 13th time (and fourth consecutive season) CU has won 23 games or more.
With a win on Friday, Creighton would reach 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?
26-7 so far 2013-14 ? ? ?
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
is expected to miss the remainder of the season 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 is 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 16 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
McDermott's In The Top 10
Creighton senior
Doug McDermott
enters Friday's game fifth in NCAA history with 3,105 career points.
McDermott is already the all-time leading scorer of any player to appear in a BIG EAST game, passing former Boston College great Troy Bell.
McDermott has 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.
Page three of this release lists the top-15 scorers in NCAA history.
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 14th in the final AP poll of the regular-season on March 10th.
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 38-16 when you also include neutral site games.
This year's team is 7-4 in true road games and 3-3 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
are up for some pretty major awards that will be doled out by the US Basketball Writers Association.
Greg McDermott
is 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.
Doug McDermott
is 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.
The Henry Iba Award will be announced on March 24th, while the Oscar Robertson Trophy is announced on April 4th. Both will be presented at an April 14 banquet in Oklahoma City, Okla.
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 Are 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 are still worthy of All-American consideration. In those nine weeks, spanning 15 games, he's 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 3,105
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 3,105 Greg
Allan Houston, Tennessee 2,801 Wade
Tony Bennett, UWGB 2,285 Dick
Bryce Drew, Valparaiso 2,142 Homer
Father & Son
Doug McDermott
owns 3,105 career points, while his dad Greg had 1,033 career points as a student-athlete at Northern Iowa. Combined, their total of 4,138 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
averages 26.9 points per game and is shooting 52.5 percent from the field.
Since 1997-98, the only other college men 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.
According to ESPN, McDermott is on pace to be first player to average 26.0 points, shoot at least 52% from field and 45% from 3-point range since Bo Kimble in '89-90.
Glass Eater
Though his scoring gets much of the attention,
Doug McDermott
remains the Creighton leader in rebounding, as well.
McDermott averages 7.0 rebounds per game and has corralled at least five rebounds in 29-of-33 contests overall this year.
McDermott is in position to be the first player to ever lead the Bluejays in rebounding in four straight years in 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 29-17 (.630) 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 73-9 in the last three years when shooting 30 percent or better from deep, compared to 10-12 when shooting 29.99 percent or less.
For the season, Creighton leads the nation with 42.1 percent shooting from deep, a figure that ranks ahead of 71 teams overall field goal percentage nationally.
Going Gray?
Creighton has worn its new alternate gray uniforms eight times this year, winning its first seven tries before falling last Saturday vs. Providence in the BIG EAST Tournament title tilt.
Even more impressively, Creighton never trailed at any point in the five of the first seven games in gray, and were behind for all of 18 seconds against 'Nova, and for 97 seconds vs. Providence in the other two.
Last Saturday against Providence the Bluejays were behind for all but 107 seconds in a 65-58 loss.
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's now done 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 is 50-for-88 (56.8 percent) from the field, including 10-of-25 from three-point range, and is also 60-for-73 at the free throw line. He also owns 57 rebounds and nine assists in that time.
Step it up to the last minute of games and McDermott is 10-for-17 from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, and also 24-for-30 at the line. In those games, he's 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.
McDermott Rewrites Weekly History
Doug McDermott
has been 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.
Against Ranked Teams
All sorts of interesting numbers surround Creighton's 96-68 win over No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 20 in Milwaukee 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 (3/17/14)
Team W L Pct.
Butler 335 135 .713
Creighton 334 135 .712
Xavier 330 134 .711
Marquette 314 151 .675
Villanova 303 161 .653
Georgetown 302 152 .665
Providence 236 203 .538
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 195 83 .701
Xavier 193 80 .707
Marquette 188 89 .679
Georgetown 184 80 .697
Villanova 181 89 .670
Providence 136 122 .527
Seton Hall 132 125 .514
St. John's 131 127 .508
DePaul 90 165 .353
Most Wins - Last 4 Years
Team W L Pct.
Creighton 106 37 .741
Marquette 92 47 .662
Butler 91 51 .641
Georgetown 87 41 .680
Xavier 85 47 .644
Villanova 82 49 .626
Providence 72 60 .545
St. John's 71 59 .546
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
owns 1,121 career field goals. Of those, only 19 are dunks. McDermott has 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 32-2 3/20
16 Syracuse 27-5 3/20
16 Gonzaga 28-6 3/21
16 Duke 26-8 3/21
16 Kansas 24-9 3/21
15 Creighton 26-7 3/21
15 Kentucky 24-10 3/21
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 17 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 83 wins in the past three seasons and 106 wins during the last four years. The totals are among the best stretches in school history, as seen below
Most Wins, 3-Year Stretch
W-L Years
83 2011-Present
80 2010-13
76 2000-03
72 2001-04
72 2002-05
Most Wins, 4-Year Stretch
W-L Years
106 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's second in the country this year with 310.
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 1,121 career field goals were last done in 1992-93, when Mississippi Valley State's Alphonso Ford (1,121) did it, and are tied for 11th in NCAA history. A complete chart can be found on page 13.
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
2013-14 310 117 31
Totals 1,121 487 141
Elite Group
Doug McDermott
owns 3,105 career points and 1,074 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 13.
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 is currently 16th entering the postseason in the AP poll.
Creighton is 83-31 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 March 17th USA Today Coaches poll, Creighton was ranked 16th, 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
leads the nation with 889 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 has scored in double-figures in 133 of 143 career games, including 101-of-104 contests since the start of his sophomore season. McDermott's 133 games in double-figures are an NCAA record, one 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.
Point, Counterpoint
Austin Chatman
owns 365 career assists in his first 104 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 1,136 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 (104 3's, 2 2's).
Wragge's 104 treys this year are more than any other player since 1997-98 in a season with two or fewer two-point field goals. In those seasons, Butler's Bruce Horan owns the mark for most trifectas with three two-pointers with 113 (and 3 2's) in 2005-06.
Among active players, the active player with more than 1,000 career points and the second-fewest amount of two-pointers is Baylor's Brady Heslip (1,108 points; 56 two-pointers).
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 (through March 16) ranks Creighton with the best mark nationwide in "Adjusted Efficiency" at 125.7 points per 100 possessions, first in "Effective Field Goal %" at 59.3 percent, first in three-point percentage at 42.2 percent and fifth in "Assists Per Field Goals Made" at 64.5 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 is Creighton leading in the nation in three-point percentage (42.1), but the Bluejays are nearly making three-pointers at a near-record clip, as well.
Creighton owns 342 three-pointers through 33 games this season, an average of 10.36 per game.
In the NCAA Division I history, the only team to average more than 10.7 three-pointers per game was the Troy State squad (11.11) in 1995-96. It's worth noting that this season Iona is averaging 10.31 three-pointers per game, as well.
Only one team has ever led the nation in thre-point percentage and three-pointers made per game. That was the 1987-88 Princeton team.
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
Through games of March 16th, Creighton leads the nation with 42.1 percent marksmanship from deep, 10.4 three-pointers per game and with 342 three-pointers overall. Creighton was also first with a 1.78 assist/turnover ratio.
The Bluejays are second in assists per game (17.7), 12th in scoring margin (+12.5), fourth in field goal percentage (.499), 21st in scoring offense (79.5), 14th in free-throw percentage (.752), 21st in win percentage and 14th in fewest turnovers per game.
Doug McDermott
ranked first nationally in scoring average and total points while ranking second in field goals made and seventh in three-point percentage.
Ethan Wragge
ranked third in three-point percentage, 12th in three-pointers made and 14th 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
has scored in double-figures before the second media timeout in 13 of Creighton's last 25 games, and 16 of Creighton's 33 games this season.
In 33 games this year, McDermott has scored 289 points before checking out for the first time, logging a collective 285:51 of court time before hitting the bench.
That gives him 1.01 points per minute to start games, good for a 40.4 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 has scored 170 points in those 165 minutes, an average of 1.03 points per minute and a per-40 minute average of 41.21 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 has 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 35 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play.
Overall under
Greg McDermott
, Creighton is 98-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 60 of the last 61 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play.
CU is 5-33 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 83-21. On a national basis, Creighton's 83 wins since the start of last season ranks eighth, through games of March 16th as seen below.
Most Wins, Since 2011-12
School '11-12 '12-13 '13-14 W-L Next
Louisville 30-10 35-5 29-5 94-20 3/20
Wichita State 27-6 30-9 34-0 91-16 3/21
Syracuse 34-3 30-10 27-5 91-18 3/20
Kansas 32-7 31-6 24-9 88-22 3/21
Gonzaga 26-7 32-3 28-6 86-16 3/21
Ohio State 31-8 29-8 25-9 85-25 3/20
Kentucky 38-2 21-12 24-10 84-24 3/21
Creighton 29-6 28-8 26-7 83-21 3/21
Michigan State 29-8 27-9 26-8 82-25 3/20
BCS Busters
One frequent question about how Creighton will handle the move to the BIG EAST is how they'll handle the nightly rigors of playing against "BCS" competition on a regular basis.
In the past three seasons, Creighton is 28-7 against teams from those leagues, with two losses (North Carolina, Duke) 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 two of those games (Alabama & Georgetown), and in both of those he had a double-double. McDermott has averaged 27.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the 35 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
3's vs. 2's
Creighton has attempted 1,818 field goals this year, with nearly 40 percent of those shots coming from beyond the arc.
Creighton has made 565-of-1,006 two-pointers, accounting for 1,130 points (1.12 points per shot).
Creighton has made 342-of-812 three-pointers in that time, accounting for 1,026 points (1.26 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
has scored 20 or more points in 29 of the 33 games he's played in this season, and 36 of his last 41 contests dating to last season. He had 19 points in two of the games where he didn't reach 20 points.
Nationally, only 25 players average 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
Last year's Creighton team ranked sixth nationally in average home attendance, averaging 17,155 fans per game. It's the seventh straight season that CU has been among the nation's top 25 in average home attendance, and set an MVC average home attendance record. The figure ranked ahead of 14 NBA teams (76ers, Rockets, Grizzlies, Wizards, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Suns, Bobcats, Pacers, Hawks, Bucks, Pistons, Pelicans, Kings).
Creighton also ranked sixth nationally in men's soccer attendance and 10th in baseball attendance, the nation's only school in the top-10 of those three sports.
This year's Creighton team averaged 17,896 through 16 home dates, good for fifth-nationally, and better than 16 NBA clubs.
2013-14 Attendance Leaders (3/17)
Rk. School Average Next Home
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 (29.2 & 7.8), LeBron James (26.9 & 7.7), Carmelo Anthony (26.7 & 7.2) and Kevin Love (25.1 & 13.3).
Simply No Comparison
Doug McDermott
's stats this season of 26.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 45.4 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, 7.0 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 26 of the 132 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 12 games this season of 30 points or more are the most in school history for one year. He also owns fifth and seventh place on that list.
McDermott has scored 30 or more points in 26 career games. By comparison, all other Creighton players since 1991-92 have combined for 17 games of 30+ points in CU's 729 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 through games of March 16th.
Rank Category Total Leader
1 Points 3,105 --
1 FG Made 1,121 --
1 FG Attempted 2,038 --
1 Scoring Average 21.7 --
2 3-Point Percentage .460 M. Johnson, .478
2 FT Made 591 D. Burton, 620
3 Rebounds 1,041 A. Rubit, 1,158
6 Double-Doubles 35 A. Rubit, 52
8 Games Played 143 J. Gollon, 149
9 FT Attempted 711 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 has 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 119 games. McDermott already owns 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 averages 2.47 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
ranks first nationally this season with 32.1 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
has attempted 220 of his 227 shots this season from three-point range, sinking an incredible 104 of them (47.3 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 320 career treys.
He also ranks fifth in CU history with 43.9 percent marksmanship from downtown.
For his career, Wragge has attempted 747-of-801 shots from beyond the arc.
Wragge could become the ninth player since 1997-98 to shoot 49 percent or better from three-point range while making 90 or more trifectas.
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 24-for-30 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 92-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 80 of the last 81 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 2,000 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.
Hottest Ticket in Town
Creighton Basketball has proven to be a hot ticket in recent years, but the anticipation for this season has taken 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 last year.
Creighton was second in the country in field goal percentage (50.1) and three-point percentage (41.4), third in two-point field goal percentage (55.7), ninth in free-throw percentage (75.9) and 10th in three-pointers per game (8.5).
Below is where Creighton ranked nationally in the first three years of the
Greg McDermott
tenure (does not include 2013-14):
Category Stat NCAA Rank '13-14
FG Percentage .487 1st .499
3FG Percentage .401 2nd .421
Assists 1,793 4th 585
Assists/Game 16.30 5th 17.7
3FG Made 874 6th 342
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.34 10th 1.78
FG Made 2,852 13th 907
Wins 80 T-16th 26
Winning Pct. .727 26th .788
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 has also been 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 is 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 is 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 654 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 678 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 834 points in 36 games last year, an average of 23.2 per contest that ranked him second nationally in scoring.
McDermott's 23.2 points per game ranked fourth-most in CU single-season history and were the most since Bob Portman averaged 26.2 points per game in 1968-69.
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 two seasons (3rd in 2011-12, 2nd last 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 second consecutive season last spring.
He is the 70th player to repeat the honor from the USBWA, 55th from the NABC, and 51st in the history of the Associated Press.
If McDermott is named First Team All-American by the AP this year, he'll become the 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 has scored 15 points or more in a half 71 times during his career, and Creighton is 54-6 in those contests (11 times he's scored 15 or more in both halves).
McDermott owns 18 halves in his career with 20 or more points, and just six scoreless halves.
The 800 Club
Doug McDermott
led the nation with 834 points last season after owning an MVC-high (and second-most nationally) 801 as a sophomore.
McDermott, Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird are the only three players in MVC history with multiple 800-point seasons.
Nationwide, McDermott was the first player with consecutive seasons of 800 points or more since Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Lester Hudson (Tennessee-Martin) in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.
What A Start!
Greg McDermott
is 106-37 on the Creighton sideline early in his fourth year at the helm. The 106 wins are already 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. 106-37 so far
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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