2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament: #14 Akron (MAC) against #3 Creighton (Big East) Today, 1:30 PM

By Sanderson “Snuffy” Smith

GAME NOTES

https://gozips.com/documents/2024/3/19/MBB_AKRON_32124_Creighton.pdf

No. 14 Akron (24-10, 13-5 Mid-American) vs No. 3 Creighton (23-9, 14-6 BIG EAST)
Thursday, Mar. 21 – PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, Penn.
1:30 pm ET – TNT – WHLO 640

HEAD COACHES
Akron:John Groce | Overall Record: 322-212 | At Akron: 140-80
Creighton: Greg McDermott | Overall Record: 603-354| At Creighton: 323-159

ALL-TIME SERIES
Tied: Creighton Leads 3-1 (0-0 NCAA | 0-1 NIT)         Groce vs. Creighton: First Meeting
First Meeting: Creighton 71, Akron 60                       In Omaha, Neb. (Mar. 16, 2006)
Last Meeting: Creighton 82, Akron 70                        In Omaha, Neb. (Dec. 3, 2016)
At Akron: 1-0 | Neutral: 0-0 | At Creighton: 3-0 |
Current Streak: 2L

WHAT’S AHEAD
The Akron Zips battle the Creighton Bluejays in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 21 for the 5th all-time meeting. Akron and Creighton can be viewed on TNT with Andrew Catalon , Steve Lappas, and Evan Washburn on the call. Fans can listen to Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst). Live stats are also available on GoZips.com.

SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS
The Creighton men’s basketball team is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the 25th time in program history and ninth time in the past 13 years after earning an at-large bid to 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.

Creighton enters the NCAA Tournament with a 23-9 record after tying for second place in the BIG EAST Conference regular-season standings and falling in the quarterfinals of the league tournament.

This year’s club features First Team All-BIG EAST forward Baylor Scheierman (18.4 ppg., 9.0 rpg.) as well as Second Team All-BIG EAST selections Trey Alexander (17.6 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 4.8 apg.) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.1 ppg., 7.4 rpg., 3.0 bpg.). Rounding out the Bluejay starting five are Steven Ashworth (10.7 ppg., 4.2 apg.) and Mason Miller (5.7 ppg., .455 3FG%).

Kalkbrenner joins Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning as the third man in league history to be named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year three times or more. The Florissant, Mo., product has also been named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year.

He is just the third player in league history to win the recognition more than twice, joining four-time selection Patrick Ewing (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985) and three-time honoree Alonzo Mourning (1989, 1990, 1992).

Scheierman became the first Division I men’s player in NCAA history to surpass 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 three-pointers, and became the 11th men’s player in NCAA history to score at least 1,000 points at multiple Division I schools.

Scheierman authored Creighton’s first point/rebound/assist triple-double in program history on Feb. 13 vs. Georgetown, his 14 double-doubles are the most by a Bluejay in the last 40 seasons, and his 1,100 career defensive rebounds are the most by any player in the country in the last 25 seasons. He has been named to the First Team All-Conference three times, having earned First Team All-Summit League accolades in 2020-21 and 2021-22 while enrolled at South Dakota State. He was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice last year in his initial campaign at Creighton.

Creighton is coached by Greg McDermott, who owns a 323-159 record in his 14th year with the Bluejays. This year marks his 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level, including trips to the Third Round in 2012, 2013 and 2014, a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2021 and last year’s Elite Eight run as Creighton’s coach. McDermott’s nine NCAA Tournament appearances and nine NCAA Tournament victories are more than any Bluejay basketball coach in school history.

This year marks Creighton’s 25th postseason bid in the last 27 seasons, which includes 16 NCAA Tournament bids in that span. The Bluejays have won at least one game in 12 of their last 14 postseason appearances. This will be Creighton’s sixth straight trip to the NCAA’s that comes via an at-large bid. CU is 18-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton’s No. 3 seed matches the program’s best in history, as it was also a No. 3 seed in 2014.

ZIPS AT A GLANCE

2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament Champions
24-10 record, including 13-5 mark in league play
109-45 overall record over the past five seasons and a 66-25 conference record
The Zips are making their sixth appearance in the NCAA (Div. I) Tournament and fifth since joining the MAC.

The Zips finished as the No. 4 scoring team (74.0) in the MAC while ranking first in scoring margin (+8.2), and first in scoring defense (65.9). The Zips rank No. 2 in field goal percentage (.456) and third in opponent field goal percentage (.427). Akron was ranked No. 4 in 3’s made per game (8.1) and first in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (.297). The Blue and Gold is third in rebounding (38.2), first in rebound margin (+4.6), first in opponent rebounding (32.2), and second in defensive rebounding (26.4). The Zips are also fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.15).

The Zips are 96th in the nation in effective field goal percentage (.600), 45th in rebound margin (+4.6), 82nd in defensive rebounds per game (26.41), 23rd in scoring defense (65.9), 49th in scoring margin (+8.2), and 10th in 3-point percent defense (.297)

KEY PERSONNEL
Three players are averaging double-figure scoring – Enrique Freeman (Sr.) – 18.6 – All Ali (Sr.) – 15.6 – Greg Tribble (Sr.) – 10.5

ENRIQUE FREEMAN

Freeman has 30 double-doubles this season.
Ranks 1st in the NCAA in double-doubles, rebounds, and rebounds per game.
Only player in the MAC to average a double double.
1-of-15 players in Div. I to average a double-double.
Has recorded 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 15 times.
Scored 71 total points (23.7 per game), 42 total rebounds(14.0 per game), and 12 total blocks (4.0 per game) in the MAC Tournament and was named the MAC Tournament MVP.
Set a MAC Tournament record for rebounds in a game with 21 against Ohio (Mar. 15) in the Semifinals while scoring 24 points and setting a career-high in blocks with seven.
Was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year on March 12 by the conference office. He was also named to the All-MAC First Team for the second time and All-Defensive Team for the fourth time.
No. 1 in career rebounds (1,391), No. 3 in career scoring (1,822), No. 2 in career blocks (187)

ALI ALI

Named All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Tournament Team
Has scored in double-figures in 22 games and has scored 15 or more points in 15 games this season.
Has hit five or more shots from the field 18 times.
He is second on the team with 15.6 points per game and is shooting .482 (133-of-276) from the field while averaging 33.2 minutes per game.
Ali has also recorded 20 or more points six times and has made seven or more free throws six times.
Scored his 1,000th point as a Zip on March 2 against Northern Illinois.
Became the 49th player in prgram history to score at least 1,000 points at Akron and is currently 43rd in all-time scoring with 1,080 points.
An All-MAC second team award winner in 2021-22, Ali played for Butler the past season where he scored 6.5 ppg and had 2.7 rpg in 18 appearances and 12 starts.

GREG TRIBBLE

Was an All-MAC Honorable Mention.
Named to the 2024 All-MAC Defensive Team.
Averaging 10.5 points per game this season with double figure scoring in 17 games.
He set a new career-high in points score (20) and made field goals (8) at James Madison.
Tribble has scored 15+ points nine times.
He’s second among the Zips in free throw percentage with an .740 clip.
Starting every game he’s played this season, Tribble is third on the team with 29.0 minutes per game.

OTHER KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Sammy Hunter (8.8 PPG, 32 GS-32 GP, 26.3 MIN, 59-of-162 3pt, 10 blks)
Nate Johnson (7.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 23.6 MIN, 23 GP-20 GS, .433 FG%,)
Shammah Scott (5.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 18.9 MIN, 34 GP-2 GS, .377 FG%)

AKRON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Akron has made 22 postseason appearances, including the NCAA Tournament 15 times with nine of those showings coming as a Division II institution.

Akron enters its sixth NCAA Division I NCAA Tournament in 2024. Akron is 21-14 all-time in NCAA postseason play, but has yet to advance to the round of 32 in the NCAA DI Tournament. Akron first appeared in March Madness in 1986, as Bob Huggins led the Zips as a 15 seed in the Midwest Regional on March 14, 1986 at the H.H.H. Metrodome (Minneapolis,Minn.) against the second-seeded Michigan Wolverines (L, 70-64).

The Zips never went back to the Big Dance until head coach Keith Dambrot led the Zips to three NCAA appearances in five years, starting in 2009 as a 13 seed against four seed Gonzaga (L, 77-64) in the South Regional on March 19, 2009 at Rose Garden Arena (Portland, Ore.). The Zips next trip was in 2011 at the Southwest Regional on March 18, 2011 at the United Center (Chicago, Ill.) as the 15-seed Zips fell to the teo seed Notre Dame (69-56). Akron made an appearance in 2013 when the Zips earned a 12 seed and fell to fifth-seeded VCU (88-42) in the South Regional on March 21, 2011 at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Detroit, Mich.).

Akron has made the Big Dance once under coach John Groce in 2022. The No. 13 Seed Zips faced the No. 4 seed UCLA Bruins in Portland, Ore., in the East Region and fell 57-53 to UCLA.

INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be just the fifth time that Akron and Creighton will meet. It is the first ever time the two schools have met in the NCAA Tournament and just the second post season meeting. Akron and Crieghton met in the NIT Tournament in 2006 with the Bluejays winning 71-60. The Zips are 0-3 at Creighton and 1-0 in Akron against the Bluejays.

AKRON IN THE MAC TOURNAMENT
Akron is 37-21 all-time in the MAC Tournament, 30-10 in its last 40 tournament games. The Zips have won at least one game in the MAC Tournament every year since the 2004-05 season and set an unprecedented 17-of-19 semifinal appearances. The Zips’ runs of the consecutive title games (7) and semifinal appearances (13) are the longest streaks in MAC history. The Zips are 31-15 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Akron is 7-6 in opening round games, 1-0 second round, 14-4 in the quarterfinals, 11-5 semifinals, and 4-6 in title games.

LAST TIME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT (MAR. 17, 2022)
PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of Akron men’s basketball displayed for the entire nation the heart and tenacity that has defined its 2021-22 campaign before a late rally from UCLA thwarted the Zips’ bid for their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in Division I as the Bruins escaped with a 57-53 triumph in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 17 from the Moda Center.

Junior Xavier Castaneda (Chicago, Ill.) directed Akron’s offensive efforts registering a game-high 18 points, while pulling down six rebounds. Sophomore Enrique Freeman (Cleveland, Ohio) added his 18th double-double with a 14-point, 10-rebound performance.

The Zips finished the contest shooting 39.6 percent from the field, while UCLA capped its comeback connecting on 35.2 percent of its attempts on the night. The Bruins secured the win on the strength of hitting five second-half three pointers and a 18-6 run to close out the game.

Akron led for 27:06, while there was 10 lead changes and four tied scores. The Bruins held the lead for only 10:27. In addition, the rebound battle was even at 34 apiece while the Zips outscored the Bruins 26-10 in the paint.

HISTORY OF 13 VS. 4 SEEDS IN MARCH MADNESS
Thirty-two 13 seeds have upset 4 seeds since the NCAA tournament field expanded in 1985. Going into the 2024 NCAA tournament, No. 13 seeds had a 32-120 record all-time. That equated to a 21.05 winning percentage.

The Last five to do so were Furman def. Virginia, 68-67(2023), Ohio def. Virginia, 62-58 (2021),
North Texas def. Purdue, 78-69 (OT) (2021), UC Irvine def. Kansas State, 70-64 (2019), and
Marshall def. Wichita State, 81-75 (2018). The MAC has also seen Buffalo (2018), Ohio (2012), and Kent State (2001) post wins as the No. 14 seed since 2000.

Some more tidbits:

Basketball legend David Robinson was on the right side of the first 13-4 upset in 1985. Robinson’s Navy Midshipmen cruised to a 78-55 victory over fourth-seeded LSU in the opening round.
Of the 32 upset victories, six finished in the Sweet 16, starting with Richmond in 1988 and most recently with La Salle in 2013.
The No. 13 seed is 7-2 in games decided by one point.
Multiple 13 seeds have upset 4 seeds in five years: 1987, 2001, 2008, 2018 and 2021

MAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Enrique Freeman was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year on March 12 by the conference office.

Freeman becomes the fourth player in Akron history to be named the MAC Player of the Year; joining Romeo Travis (2007), Isaiah Johnson (2017), and Loren Cristian Jackson (2020). He was also a unanimous selection by the 11 opposing head coaches.

Earning All-MAC First Team honors for the second year in a row and All-Defensive Team honors for the third time in his career, Freeman led the conference in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game (12.8), total rebounds (397), defensive rebounds per game (9.16), and field goal percentage (.584). He is first in the NCAA in double-doubles (28), rebounds per game, and total rebounds.

THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Freeman has 30 double-doubles this season, ranking 1st in the NCAA, and is the only player in the MAC to average a double-double. He is 1-of-15 players in Div. I to average a double-double and has recorded 20+ points and 10+ rebounds 15 times. Freeman recorded 11 consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16 and had recorded 15-straight from Jan. 23 through March 15.

ONE BY ONE THEY FALL
Enrique Freeman became the all-time leading rebounder after recording 12 rebounds in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals against Miami to break Fred Golding’s (1956-59) record of 1,360.

NEW MAC TOURNAMENT RECORD
Recording 21 rebounds against Ohio in the MAC Tournament semifinals (Mar. 15, 2024), Freeman set a new MAC Tournament record for rebounds in a single tournament game.

THE FINAL 5
Akron senior forward Enrique Freeman was one of 5 finalists for the 2024 Karl Malone Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on March 7. The annual honor is in its tenth year and recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.

Later in March, the finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees. The Selection Committees for the Karl Malone Award are composed of top men’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

WHAT’S NEXT?
The winner of Akron-Creighton will advance to face the winner of South Carolina and Oregon in second-round play.

COURTESY AKRON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Bluejays seek NCAA win for fourth straight season

CREIGHTON GAME NOTES

https://gocreighton.com/documents/2024/3/18/33-NCAA-Round-1-notes.pdf

Next Game
Third-seeded Creighton (23-9) will make its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history on Thursday, March 21st, when it faces 14th-seeded Akron (24-10).
Tip-off at PPG Paints Arena (17,323) in Pittsburgh, Pa., will be at 12:30 p.m. Central (1:30 p.m. Eastern).

Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will broadcast all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2023-24 season. John Bishop and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. While KOZN is prevented from streaming the game on its app and website, fans can listen to Bishop & Bahe on The Varsity Network app, Powered by Learfield, which is available for free in your app store on your mobile device.
Westwood One Sports will also air the game nationwide on more than 500 terrestrial radio stations outside the Omaha market, with Scott Graham and Jordan Cornette on the call. The game can be heard on SiriusXM 210 or 203, and on the SiriusXM App.
The Westwood One feed will be available over the internet and other mobile devices. Games can be heard by selecting and then locating the audio at http://westwoodonesports.com/madness, or at https://sxm.app.link/966
A list of Westwood One affiliates can be found at http://westwoodonesports.com/stations, The Westwood One feed is also on the Varsity Network app mentioned above.
It’s also available via the free Westwood One Sports skill on Alexa (“Alexa, Open Westwood One Sports”.

Television Broadcast Information
Thursday’s game will be called by Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn and be televised on TNT.
Creighton is 2-0 under Greg McDermott on TNT, beating Ohio (72-58) in a 2021 victory that clinched the program’s first Sweet 16 win since 1974, and starting last year’s Elite Eight run with a 72-63 win vs. NC State.
Streaming video of all NCAA Tournament games is online at http://www.ncaa.com/marchmadnesslive.

Live Stats Information
Live stat links for CU’s games this week can be found via a link on the men’s basketball schedule page on http://GoCreighton.com.

Scouting No. 11 Creighton
Creighton is 23-9 this year after tying for second place in the BIG EAST with a 14-6 league record. The Bluejays have won seven of their past nine games, including an 85-66 win over No. 1 UConn on Feb. 20 and an 89-75 win vs. No. 5 Marquette on March 2. The Jays are second nationally among Power 6 teams with eight road wins and also own eight Quad 1 wins.
The nucleus of the team is formed by three returning starters as senior forward Baylor Scheierman (18.4 ppg., 9.0 rpg., 4.0 apg), senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.1 ppg., 7.4 rpg., 3.0 bpg., 65.0 FG%), and junior guard Trey Alexander (17.6 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 4.8 apg.) all put their professional aspirations on hold and came back.
Add in senior transfer Steven Ashworth (10.7 ppg,. 4.2 apg.), the USBWA District VII Player of the Year last year at Utah State, and it’s easy to see why CU was one of three BIG EAST teams picked in the top-10 nationally in the preseason.
The Bluejays boast an offense that shoots 48.6 percent from the floor, 78.1 percent at the line and 36.1 percent from three-point land while draining 10.6 three-pointers per contest (sixth-best nationally), which contributes to CU’s 80.5 points per game. The Jays also outrebound foes by 4.4 caroms per contest.
The Bluejay defense has held teams to 69.7 points per game and allowed opponents to make just 185 three-pointers all year. Creighton’s 11.31 fouls per game are the fewest in the nation, and the Bluejays are the nation’s only team to not have a player foul out this season.

Scouting Akron
Akron is 24-10 overall and earned an automatic bid after defeating Kent State in the final seconds on Saturday.
The Zips are led by unanimous Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Enrique Freeman (18.6 ppg., 12.9 rpg.). Freeman’s 30 double-doubles are one behind North Carolina’s Armando Bacot’s 31 (in 2020-21) for the most by one player in a season since 2005-06.
Butler transfer Ali Ali (15.6 ppg.) and Greg Tribble (10.5 ppg.) also score in double-figures.
The Zips average 74.0 points per game and shoot 45.6 percent from the field, 32.8 percent from three-point range and 72.8 percent from the line. Akron outrebounds teams by 4.6 rebounds per contest and allows just 6.3 three-pointers per game.

Series History vs. Akron
Creighton is 3-1 all-time against Akron. The home team has won every meeting, and the teams have never met on a neutral floor.
The series began with Creighton’s 71-60 NIT victory over the Zips in 2006.
Five years later, Akron defeated Greg McDermott‘s first Creighton team (76-67) in a Bracket Busters game played in Akron.
The rematch came in December of 2012, when Creighton won 77-61 in Omaha.
The teams met most recently on Dec. 3, 2016 when Creighton topped the Zips 82-70 in Omaha.
McDermott is 2-1 in his career against Akron. He has never coached against John Groce.

The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 323-159 record in his 14th season with the Bluejays. He ranks 16th among active coaches in victories with a career mark of 603-354 in his 30th season, and is 472-290 in his 23rd Division I campaign.
McDermott led Creighton to its first BIG EAST regular-season title in 2019-20, taking a Bluejay team that was picked seventh in the league’s preseason poll and ending the year ranked seventh nationally. The Cascade, Iowa native has coached Creighton to a share of its first regular-season BIG EAST title in 2019-20 its first Sweet 16 since 1974 in 2020-21 and first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23. His 600th career win was a memorable one, as Creighton knocked off No. 1 UConn on Feb. 20, 2024.
McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
He is assisted by Ryan Miller, Jalen Courtney-Williams and Derek Kellogg.

With A Win…
– Creighton would advance to Saturday’s Second Round game against the winner of South Carolina and Oregon.
– Creighton would improve to 19-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Creighton would improve to 13-12 in its first NCAA Tournament game of an appearance.
– Improve to 2-1 as a No. 3 seed and 2-0 against a No. 14 seed.
– Creighton would win an NCAA Tournament game for the fourth straight season, something it’s never done before.
– Greg McDermott would improve to 10-8 as Creighton’s head coach in the NCAA Tournament, giving him more NCAA Tournament wins than all other Bluejay coaches combined (9).
– Creighton would win its 24th game for the second straight season, doing it in back-to-back campaigns for just the second time ever (also 2011/2012/2013).

Milestone Watch
– Ryan Kalkbrenner can become Creighton’s second player ever to appear in four different NCAA Tournaments, joining Kyle Korver.
– Ryan Kalkbrenner is three blocks shy of 100 this season and four swats shy of 300 in his career.
– Baylor Scheierman owns 99 three-pointers and is one trifecta shy of joining Kyle Korver (twice) and Ethan Wragge as the third player in CU history with 100 or more in a season.
– Baylor Scheierman has attempted 266 three-pointers this season, three attempts shy of Kyle Korver’s school record from 2002-03.
– Baylor Scheierman is 13 rebounds away from 300 this season, which would make him Creighton’s first player with multiple seasons of 300 rebounds since Bob Portman in 1967-68 and 1968-69.
– Steven Ashworth is one steal away from 100 in his career.
– Creighton has attempted 939 three-pointers this season. The program record is 961, done over the course of 35 games in 2018-19.
– Creighton is also within reach of the program’s single-season record for team free throw percentage. This year’s squad is shooting 78.1 percent (366-471), while last year’s team broke the record at 78.3 percent (481-614).
– Thursday’s game will mark Creighton’s 200th under Greg McDermott while in the Associated Press poll. The Jays enter the game 139-60 in such contests.

About Creighton
Creighton is a private, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., with 8,255 students (which includes 4,262 undergraduates). 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 Bob Gibson (Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals), Paul Silas (former NBA player and head coach), Kyle Korver (former NBA player), Doug McDermott (Indiana Pacers), Pat Venditte (former ambidextrous MLB pitcher) and J. Joseph Ricketts (Chicago Cubs owner and founder of TD Ameritrade),
Creighton picked up the Bluejays moniker in 1924 after a newspaper coordinated a public contest to select a nickname and mascot.
Creighton officially joined the BIG EAST on July 1, 2013.

Storylines
There’s numerous storylines as it relates to Creighton’s trip to Pittsburgh.
– Creighton is the host institution for the NCAA Tournament games in Omaha this week, which includes Duquesne. Duquesne is the host institution for the NCAA Tournament games in Pittsburgh this week, which includes Creighton. Both Creighton and Duquesne will play at the same time on Thursday. Akron’s former coach, Keith Dambrot, now coaches at Duquesne.
– Creighton’s BIG EAST champion volleyball team made the Sweet 16 this fall, where it played in Pittsburgh.
– Creighton head coach Greg McDermott is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, as is Bluejay point guard Steven Ashworth.
– Creighton is 1-0 in the state of Pennsylvania this year, defeating Villanova 69-67 on March 9th on a game-winning shot by Trey Alexander with 0.2 seconds left.

NCAA Tournament History
Creighton is making its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time, and 16th in the last 26 years. The Bluejays are 18-25 all-time in NCAA action, including a 12-12 record in its first game.
Last season Creighton defeated NC State, Baylor and Princeton to reach the Elite Eight, where it fell by one point to eventual runner-up San Diego State.
Creighton owns a 9-13 record all-time in the Midwest Region.
Creighton has had at least one sport reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 37 academic calendar years, as the Bluejays also have gone dancing in volleyball and women’s basketball this academic year.
Including the NCAA’s, NIT, CBI and CIT, Creighton will be making its 25th postseason appearance in the last 27 seasons on Thursday. The 2019-20 team was one of those exceptions, but was likely headed for a 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA’s before COVID-19 canceled the event.

Let’s Go On A Run
Creighton has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in 2021, 2022 and 2023. That makes CU one of seven teams in the country to have a win in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments, joining Arkansas, Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and UCLA. Both Arkansas and UCLA missed the tourney this year.
The only other time that Creighton has won an NCAA Tournament game in consecutive seasons came in 2012, 2013 and 2014, also under Greg McDermott.
Creighton is one of just eight teams to have reached at least two of the last three Sweet 16s. Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA have done it each of the last three seasons, while Alabama, Creighton, Michigan and Villanova have done it twice each.

How Sweet It Is
Creighton is one of just eight teams to have reached at least two of the previous three Sweet 16s.
Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA have done it each of the last three seasons, while Alabama, Creighton, Michigan and Villanova have done it twice each.
Of note, UCLA, Michigan and Villanova all missed the NCAA Tournament this year, meaning only Gonzaga, Houston, Alabama and Creighton can do it (at least) three out of four years with two wins this weekend.

Common Opponents
Creighton and Akron share just one common opponent this season, as both teams lost to UNLV.
Team CU Result Akron Result
UNLV L 79-64 L 72-70

Merfeld’s One Shining Moment Turns 23
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 Travis 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 raced 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.
That video clip is still shown annually in March Madness intros and highlights worldwide.

Postseason Wins In 12 of Last 14 Openers
Creighton has won at least one game in 12 of its last 14 postseason appearances. The stretch began in 2007-08.
Creighton’s Last 14 Postseason Openers
Year   Tourney   First Game
2007-08   NIT   Beat Rhode Island, 74-73
2008-09   NIT   Beat Bowling Green, 73-71
2009-10   CIT   Beat South Dakota, 89-78
2010-11   CBI   Beat San Jose State, 85-74
2011-12   NCAA   Beat Alabama, 58-57
2012-13   NCAA   Beat Cincinnati, 67-63
2013-14   NCAA   Beat Louisiana, 76-66
2015-16   NIT   Beat Alabama, 72-54
2016-17   NCAA   Lost to Rhode Island, 84-72
2017-18   NCAA   Lost to Kansas State, 69-59
2018-19   NIT   Beat Loyola (Chicago), 70-61
2020-21   NCAA   Beat UCSB, 63-62
2021-22   NCAA   Beat San Diego St., 72-69 (OT)
2022-23   NCAA   Beat NC State, 72-63

Nine Is Divine
Greg McDermott has guided his team to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time at Creighton. That put him in the company of some of the greatest coaches in CU Athletics history, and most among basketball coaches.
McDermott is one of three head coaches in Creighton history to lead eight or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name   Sport   NCAA’s @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth   Volleyball   13
Bob Warming   Men’s Soccer   11
Greg McDermott   Men’s Basketball   9
Dana Altman   Men’s Basketball   7
Brent Vigness   Softball   7
Jim Flanery   Women’s Basketball   7

McDermott In The Postseason
Creighton coach Greg McDermott is making his 12th postseason appearance at Creighton, and 15th overall as a Division I head coach when you include his time at Northern Iowa.
McDermott’s Division I teams own an 17-15 record in 14 previous postseason appearances, including a 17-12 mark in 11 previous appearances at Creighton.
McDermott’s Division I Postseason Appearances
Year (School)   Tourney   Postseason W-L
2003-04 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2004-05 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2005-06 (UNI)   NCAA   0-1
2010-11 (CU)   CBI   4-2
2011-12 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2012-13 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2013-14 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2015-16 (CU)   NIT   2-1
2016-17 (CU)   NCAA   0-1
2017-18 (CU)   NCAA   0-1
2018-19 (CU)   NIT   2-1
2020-21 (CU)   NCAA   2-1
2021-22 (CU)   NCAA   1-1
2022-23 (CU)   NCAA   3-1
2023-24 (CU)   NCAA   ? ? ?

Most Postseason Bids By CU Coaches
This year’s bid to the NCAA Tournament is the 12th postseason bid for Greg McDermott at Creighton. Only Dana Altman (13) has taken the Bluejays to more postseason appearances in men’s basketball.
McDermott’s nine NCAA Tournament wins are a school record, three times as many as second-place John J. “Red” McManus.
McDermott’s nine NCAA Tournament trips are the most in program history as well, two more than what Altman did.
McDermott’s 17 postseason wins at Creighton are the most in school history, 10 more than Altman’s seven.
McDermott (17-12) is one of two coaches in program history with a winning record in postseason play, joining Eddie Sutton (2-1).
Coach (Bids)   NCAA   NIT   CBI   CIT   NCIT   Total
Hickey (3)   1-1   2-2   0-0   0-0   0-0   3-3
Belford (1)   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-1   0-1
McManus (3)   3-3   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-1   4-4
Sutton (1)   2-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-0   2-1
Apke (4)   0-3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0-4
Barone (3)   1-2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1-3
Altman (13)   2-7   3-5   0-0   2-1   0-0   7-13
McDermott (12*)   9-8   4-2   4-2   0-0   0-0   17-12
*The 2024 NCAA Tournament is McDermott’s 12th appearance

Both Sides Now
Creighton is one of just 14 teams that had both its men’s and women’s basketball teams earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. That list consists of Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Only 22 schools placed men’s and women’s basketball teams in both NCAA Tournaments this year (Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Drake, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and UConn).

Coaching Experience In The Dance
Creighton’s full-time coaching staff boasts a combined 72 Division I NCAA Tournament games under their collective belts as either a player (10-7), assistant coach (21-12) or head coach (9-13), winning 40 of those games.
Greg McDermott is 9-11 in NCAA Tournament action as a Division head coach. He went 0-3 at Northern Iowa (0-1 in 2004, 2005 and 2006) and is 9-8 at Creighton (3-1 in 2023, 2-1 in 2021, 1-1 in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2022 and 0-1 in 2017 and 2018). In 2021, he led the Bluejays to their first Sweet 16 since 1974, while last year he guided CU to its first Elite Eight since 1941.
Ryan Miller has been a part of five NCAA Tournaments as an assistant coach, going 1-2 in two appearances (0-1 in 2010, 1-1 in 2012) with New Mexico, 0-1 in 2018 with TCU, 1-1 in 2022 at Creighton and 3-1 last year with Creighton. He was also part of three tournaments as a player at Division II Northern State, going 2-1 to reach the Elite Eight in 1998, 1-1 in 1996 and 0-1 in 1997.
Jalen Courtney-Williams is 4-2 as an assistant coach at Creighton in two NCAA Tournament appearances. CU went 1-1 in 2022 and 3-1 in 2023.
Derek Kellogg is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, He went 7-4 while playing in four NCAA Tournaments at UMass (2-1 in 1992; 1-1 in 1993 & 1994; 3-1 in 1995). As an assistant coach, Kellogg helped Kentucky to a 12-5 record in five appearances (0-1 in 2003; 1-1 in 2004; 3-1 in 2006 and 2007 and 5-1 in 2008 [though those games were later vacated]). As a head coach, he went 0-1 with both LIU in 2018 and UMass in 2014.

NCAA Experience
Twelve players on the Creighton team have been a part of an NCAA Tournament squad before, and nine of them have appeared for the Bluejays in the Big Dance.
Ryan Kalkbrenner and Sami Osmani were part of CU’s 2021 team that went 2-1 in the Bubble in Indianapolis. Kalkbrenner played in all three games, and Osmani played in the loss vs. Gonzaga.
In 2022, Trey Alexander played in both games, while Kalkbrenner (1-0) and Osmani (0-1) played in one game. Mason Miller was also on that roster as a redshirt.
Additionally, Baylor Scheierman was in the 2022 NCAA Tournament for South Dakota State (going 0-1), while Francisco Farabello played in the 2022 NCAA’s for TCU (going 1-1).
From last year’s Elite Eight team that went 3-1, Kalkbrenner, Alexander, Farabello, Fredrick King and Baylor Scheierman played in all four games, Miller played in three games (going 2-1), while Osmani participated in one contest (going 1-0). Jasen Green was a redshirt on that team.
Additionally, Steven Ashworth played in one 2023 NCAA Tournament game (a loss) last year for Utah State, Johnathan Lawson played in an NCAA Tournament loss with Memphis last year, and Isaac Traudt redshirted on Virginia’s 2023 team that lost in the First Round.
In other words, only sophomore transfer Josh Townley-Thomas and true freshmen Josiah Dotzler, Sterling Knox, Shane Thomas and Brock Vice have not been part of an NCAA Tournament team in some capacity. Even then, Dotzler is no stranger to March Madness. His brother Josh Dotzler played in the NCAA Tournament for Creighton in 2007, while Josiah himself served as a ball boy the last time the city of Omaha hosted the NCAA Tournament in 2018.

Nothing But NET
Creighton’s men enter the NCAA Tournament with a NET of 11, while its women have a NET of 25.
That makes Creighton one of seven schools with both its men and women’s programs with a top-25 NET, joining Baylor, Colorado, Creighton, Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan State and UConn.

Top Six Seeds
Creighton is one of nine teams to own a top-seven seed in both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament this year.
School   Men   Women
Baylor   3   5
Creighton   3   7
Duke   4   7
Gonzaga   5   4
Iowa State   2   7
South Carolina   6   1
Tennessee   2   6
Texas   7   1
UConn   1   3

Against NCAA Tournament Opponents
Creighton is 4-3 against teams that made the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Jays were 1-1 against UConn and Marquette, 1-0 vs. Alabama and Nebraska, and 0-1 vs. Colorado State.
Baylor Scheierman led Creighton with 18.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in those contests, while Ryan Kalkbrenner averaged 13.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game and shot 70.2 percent from the floor. The Jays shot 45.4 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from deep and 77.1 percent at the line while holding foes to 69.4 points per game and 23.4 percent shooting from deep.
Akron is 1-1 against teams that are in the NCAA Tournament field, beating South Dakota State and losing to Utah State.

BIG EAST Success
Creighton is one of three BIG EAST teams to make the NCAA Tournament this season, joining Connecticut and Marquette.
The BIG EAST has had a Sweet 16 squad in 27 of the past 29 tournaments, and multiple Sweet 16 teams in 16 of the last 21 tournaments.
Even when you remove Louisville’s vacated 2013 men’s title, the BIG EAST Conference has won a combined 15 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball titles in the previous 23 tournaments.
This is the first time in over 10 years that three Big East teams will play in the NCAA Tournament as a regional No. 3 seed or better. Last time was in 2013 (Louisville-1, Georgetown-2, Marquette-3). That year Louisville won the whole thing, Marquette made it to the Elite 8 and Georgetown got upset in the first round by Florida Gulf Coast University.

Mac vs. the MAC
Greg McDermott is 7-1 in his career against teams from the Mid-American Conference, going 2-1 vs. Akron, 2-0 vs. Western Michigan and 1-0 vs. Buffalo, Ohio and Central Michigan.
From the list above, all but the two wins against Western Michigan have come while he’s been Creighton coach.

History As A No. 6 Seed
Since the NCAA began seeding all the teams in 1979, this year marks the second time Creighton has been a No. 3 seed, which matches its best mark ever.
Creighton has now been a better seed and played in its “home whites” for its initial NCAA Tournament game in eight of its past nine appearances.
Since 1985, No. 3 seeds are 130-22 (.855) against No. 14 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, including a 23-1 mark in the past six years. The only setback came in 2021, when Texas was beaten by Abilene Christian.
Since 1985, No. 6 seeds are 80-51 in the Second Round, 39-41 in the Regional Semifinal and 17-22 in the Regional Final.
The last No. 3 seed to reach the Final Four was Texas Tech in 2019 and the last No. 3 seed to win the national title was UConn in 2011. Other No. 3 seeds since 1979 to win the NCAA title include 2006 Florida, 2003 Syracuse, 1989 Michigan and 1981 Indiana.
Creighton’s NCAA Tourney Seeds
(since seeding began in 1979)
Year   Seed   Record
1981   8th   0-1
1989   14th   0-1
1991   11th   1-1
1999   10th   1-1
2000   10th   0-1
2001   10th   0-1
2002   12th   1-1
2003   6th   0-1
2005   10th   0-1
2007   10th   0-1
2012   8th   1-1
2013   7th   1-1
2014   3rd   1-1
2017   6th   0-1
2018   8th   0-1
2021   5th   2-1
2022   9th   1-1
2023   6th   3-1
2024   3rd   ? ? ?

Postseason Features Last-Second Drama
Fourteen of Creighton’s previous 19 postseason runs (all but 2010, 2014 and 2016, 2017 and 2019) have included a game that was decided in the final seconds, including each of its last three trips.
In fact, Creighton’s past 19 postseason openers have been decided by an average of 6.32 points and feature five games decided by one point (including a double-OT finish), two by two points, one by three points (including an OT finish), one game by four points, two by six points (including an OT finish), one game by nine points, two games by 10 points, three games by 11 points, one by 12 points, and one decided by 18 points.
Last year in the Elite Eight, the game was tied before Creighton was called for a hand-check foul with 1.2 seconds left against San Diego State. Darrion Trammell then made the second of two free throws in SDSU’s 57-56 win.
In 2022, Creighton trailed 62-53 with under three minutes remaining in regulation against San Diego State before an epic 9-0 rally to force overtime. CU took the lead back with 1:08 left to eventually earn a 72-69 win.
In 2021, Christian Bishop made two go-ahead free throws with 16.0 seconds left and UC Santa Barbara’s Amadou Sow missed a point-bank lay-up with two seconds left as Creighton won, 63-62.
In 2013 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.
In 2012 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 2010-11 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, 74-73, 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.

On This Date
Creighton is 2-2 on March 21st in history, winning in the 2014 NCAA Tournament over Louisiana (76-66) in the NCAA Tournament and in 2011 over Davidson in the CBI (102-92).
CU also lost in the 2008 NIT to Florida (82-54) and in its first NCAA Tournament game ever vs. Washington State (48-39).

Kalkbrenner A Top Defender
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named 2024 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season.
Kalkbrenner is just the third player in league history to win the recognition three times or more, joining Georgetown greats Patrick Ewing (4x) and Alonzo Mourning (3x).
Between Kalkbrenner and 2017 & 2018 winner Khyri Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in five of the last eight seasons.
Most BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Honors
Honors   Name, School   Years (*ties)
4   Patrick Ewing, Georgetown   1982, 83, 84, 85
3   Alonzo Mourning, Georgetown   1989, 90*, 92
3   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2022, 23, ’24
2   Dikembe Mutombo, Georgetown   1990*, 91
2   Allen Iverson, Georgetown   1995, 96
2   Etan Thomas, Syracuse   1999, 00
2   John Linehan, Providence   2001, 02
2   Emeka Okafor, Connecticut   2003, 04
2   Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut   2008, 09
2   Kris Dunn, Providence   2015*, 16
2   Khyri Thomas, Creighton   2017*, 18

Accomplished, To Say The Least
Few Creighton players have put up career totals at the BIG EAST Tournament like Ryan Kalkbrenner.
He owns the following program records as well for NCAA Tournament play:
Single-Game
Points   31 vs. NC State, 3/17/23
Single-Tournament
Points   80 in 2023
Field Goals Made   32 in 2023
Blocks   7 in 2023
Career
Blocked Shots   8
Games Played In   8
Wins Played In   6

Scheierman Makes NCAA History
Baylor Scheierman owns 2,175 points, 1,228 rebounds, 571 assists and 345 career three-pointers. He is the nation’s first Division I men’s player in history with career totals of at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 three-pointers.
Scheierman is one of 30 players since 1992-93 with 500 or more assists and 300 or more three-pointers. Scheierman’s 1,228 rebounds are more than 570 ahead of the next-most (658 by ASU/Toledo guard Marreon Jackson).
Among the nation’s active players Scheierman is sixth in rebounds, trailing only Armando Bacot (North Carolina), Fardaws Aimaq (California), Norchad Omier (Miami Fla.), Enrique Freeman (Akron) and Zach Edey (Purdue).

A True Unicorn
Just how good are Baylor Scheierman’s career numbers?    Here’s where the fifth-year senior would rank in Creighton history if all his stats were attained with the Bluejays:
Category   CU Career Rank*   Baylor’s Totals
Games Played   1st   159
3-Point Field Goals Att.   1st   889
Assists   1st   571
Rebounds   2nd   1,228
3-Point Field Goals   2nd   345
Points   2nd   2,175
Field Goals Attempted   4th   1,609
Free Throw Percentage   5th   .817
Field Goals Made   6th   743
Steals   8th   153
*if all of Scheierman’s stats had come at Creighton

24 of 26 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 24 of the last 26 seasons (1998-99 to 2023-24), a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
Entering this year, just two schools have had 20 or more wins each of the last 25 years: Gonzaga and Kansas. Duke has done it 24 times, Creighton and Kentucky 23 times each.
Creighton is one of five teams (including 2023-24) to post 22 or more wins in each of the last five seasons, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston and San Diego State. Liberty and Southern California can still get there.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Previous 25 Seasons
Entering 2023-24
Team   20-Win Seasons   2023-24 W-L if <>
Gonzaga   25*   —
Kansas   25*   —
Duke   24*   —
Creighton   23*   —
Kentucky   23*   —
Arizona   21*   —
Florida   21*   —
Ohio State   21*   —
Michigan State   21   19-14
BYU   20*   —
Memphis   20*   —
North Carolina   20*   —
Kent State   20   17-17
Xavier   20   16-17
Wisconsin   20*   —
Syracuse   19*   —
Texas   19*   —
Vermont   19*   —
*already have 20+ wins

Most Consecutive 22-Win Seasons
Entering 2023-24
Team   Consec. 22-Win Years     2023-24 W-L if <>
Gonzaga   26*   —
Houston   6*   —
Liberty   6   18-14
Creighton   4*   —
San Diego State   4*   —
Baylor   4*   —
Southern California   4   15-18
*already have 22+ wins

KenPom Predicts The Future
Since 2002, every national champion has finished the season ranked Top-40 in KenPom adjusted offense and Top-25 in KenPom adjusted defense.
Through games of Sunday, the following nine teams met this criteria: Arizona, Auburn, Connecticut, Creighton, Houston, Marquette, North Carolina, Purdue and Tennessee.

Firing On All Cylinders
Creighton finished last season ranked 12th overall by KenPom.com. That included the nation’s No. 23 offense, and No. 14 defense. Creighton’s No. 14 defense was its best mark in the 21 seasons of the KenPom era.
Creighton has had a top-25 offense per KenPom seven times in 13 seasons under Greg McDermott and a top-25 defense twice.
Year   Off. Rating   Def. Rating   Overall Rank
2010-11   66   174   98
2011-12   5   166   28
2012-13   5   66   15
2013-14   2   124   17
2014-15   59   138   79
2015-16   43   76   40
2016-17   32   46   28
2017-18   25   58   30
2018-19   47   83   55
2019-20   3   78   12
2020-21   25   32   22
2021-22   112   19   50
2022-23   23   14   12
2023-24   12   24   11

Hires Go Higher
Greg McDermott‘s coaching tree will be well-represented in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Former Creighton assistants Darian DeVries (Drake) and Steve Lutz (Western Kentucky) won conference tournament titles. Additionally, TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) was an assistant for him at Iowa State, while Eric Henderson (South Dakota State) played for McDermott at Wayne State.
That list doesn’t include two other former Bluejay assistant coaches under McDermott who won their league regular-season titles but were upset in the conference tournament in Patrick Sellers (Central Connecticut State) and Alan Huss (High Point).

Big Things Ahead?
Baylor Scheierman (589 points, 287 rebounds) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (548 points, 237 rebounds) are just the third Power 6 teammates in the last 10 seasons to have at least 540 points and 230 rebounds in the same season.
Joining them are the 2021-22 duo of Brady Manek (589/237) and Armando Bacot (635/511) from North Carolina as well as the 2018-19 tandem of RJ Barrett (860/289) and Zion Williamson (746/293) from Duke.
To find the last BIG EAST pair of teammates with 540 points and 230 rebounds at the same time, you’d have to find Syracuse’s Derrick Coleman (591/398) and Billy Owens (602/276) in 1989-90. Boston College’s John Garris (629/248) and Jay Murphy (565/260) also did it in 1982-83.

A Dozen Will Do
Creighton scored the first 12 points in its March 9 win at Villanova as it never trailed in the win.
Since Greg McDermott was hired in 2010, it was the 12th time that Creighton has opened a game by scoring the first 10 points (or more).
The 12-0 start was CU’s third-best start under McDermott, and best in a road game.
Best Game Starting Runs Under Greg McDermott
Run   School   Final Score   Date
19-0   Georgetown   CU 99-59   03/01/23
13-0   Maryland-Eastern Shore   CU 87-36   12/15/17
12-0   at Villanova   CU 69-67   03/09/24
11-0   North Carolina A&T   CU 97-65   11/11/11
11-0   Drake   CU 76-69   01/03/12
11-0   at DePaul   CU 91-80   01/17/16
11-0   St. John’s   CU 82-68   02/.28/17
10-0   Houston Christian   CU 97-62   12/17/11
10-0   UCF   CU 82-64   03/23/11
10-0   Chicago State   CU 84-66   11/16/14
10-0   at Providence   CU 78-64   01/07/17
10-0   Nebraska   CU 95-76   12/07/19

Fool Me Once…But 10 Times?
Creighton has met or exceeded its preseason BIG EAST prognostication all but one year since joining the league in 2013, as seen below.
This year marks the eighth straight year that Creighton has finished in fourth place or better.
Creighton’s BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year    Preseason    Actual    Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14    3rd    2nd    Doug McDermott (1st)
2014-15    9th    T-9th    –
2015-16    9th    6th    –
2016-17    3rd    T-3rd    Maurice Watson Jr. (1st); Marcus Foster (HM)
2017-18    5th    T-3rd    Marcus Foster (1st); Khyri Thomas (HM)
2018-19    9th    T-3rd    Martin Krampelj (HM)
2019-20    7th    T-1st   Ty-Shon Alexander (1st)
2020-21    2nd    2nd   Marcus Zegarowski (1st); Mitch Ballock (2nd)
2021-22   8th   4th   –
2022-23   1st   3rd   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Arthur Kaluma (2nd)
Ryan Nembhard (2nd); Baylor Scheierman (HM)
2023-24   2nd   T-2nd   Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
Baylor Scheierman (2nd)

Among The Best
Creighton owns more BIG EAST wins (67) than any other school in the last five seasons, seven more than Villanova’s 60.
Since the league’s 2013 realignment, Villanova has 150 league wins to lead the BIG EAST by a wide margin, but Creighton’s 123 league victories are second-most.
Most Men’s Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2019-20 to 2023-24)
Team   W   L   Pct.
Creighton   67   30   .691
Villanova   60   33   .645
Providence   58   36   .617
Marquette   58   38   .604
Seton Hall   57   39   .594
UConn   55   21   .724
Xavier   46   44   .511
St. John’s   41   55   .427
Butler   39   59   .398
Georgetown   16   77   .172
DePaul   14   79   .151

Most Men’s Basketball BIG EAST Wins
(2013-14 to 2023-24)
Team   W   L   Pct.
Villanova   150   51   .746
Creighton   123   82   .600
Providence   116   86   .574
Xavier   112   86   .566
Marquette   110   94   .539
Seton Hall   110   94   .539
Butler   93   113   .451
St. John’s   81   123   .397
Georgetown   62   139   .308
UConn   55   21   .724
DePaul   39   162   .194

Seeing Three’s
Creighton has made 13 or more three-pointers in 12 different games this year, tied for second-most nationally behind BYU’s 15. It’s the most games of 13 three-pointers in any season under Greg McDermott.
Creighton owns seven different games this season in which it has made 10 or more three-pointers than its opponent, which leads the nation.
The Bluejays have had three different games this season in which they’ve made 10 or more triples before halftime.
Creighton has made three or more three-pointers in all but five halves this season.

Let It Fly
Creighton tied the BIG EAST single-season record for league play by making 206 three-pointers and broke the single-season record by taking 585 three-point attempts.
The previous record was 206 three-pointers made by Villanova’s 2017-18 national champion team, while the previous mark for triple tries in league play was 557 by Villanova in 2018-19.

Best BIG EAST Years
Creighton’s 14 league wins tied a program record for most conference wins in any of its 11 seasons in the BIG EAST. Each of the previous teams that played in an NCAA Tournament game won, and two of them advanced to the second weekened.
Creighton’s most wins ever in any league was the 15 it picked up in 2002-03 when it was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Creighton’s Most BIG EAST Wins, Season
W-L   Year   NCAA Tourney
14-4   2013-14   1-1
14-6   2020-21   2-1
14-6   2022-23   3-1
14-6   2023-24   TBA
13-5   2019-20   Tourney Cancelled
12-7   2021-22   1-1

Baylor The Beast
Baylor Scheierman’s performance of 26 points and 16 rebounds vs. No. 5 Marquette was just the third Creighton performance in the last 20 years with at least 25 points and 15 rebounds.
The only other men to do it were Doug McDermott (33 & 15) vs. Tulsa on Nov. 23, 2013 and Kenny Lawson Jr. (30 & 18) vs. Saint Joseph’s on Dec. 11, 2010.
Scheierman’s 16 rebounds were the most by a Bluejay since Arthur Kaluma at Connecticut on Jan. 7, 2023.

Earning A Bid
Even though a certain NCAA bid was wiped away in 2020 by COVID-19, Creighton has still appeared in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).
The only previous time that Creighton has appeared four straight NCAA Tournaments was a run of five straight from 1999-2003.
Creighton has made 24 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, including eight under Greg McDermott, and was one of the final eight teams remaining in both 1941 and 2023.

Free Throw Defense Needs Work
Creighton doesn’t foul much, allowing just 10.72 free throw attempts per game, but it’s a good thing since its opponents are converting free throws at an ungodly rate.
After making 100 percent of its free throw attempts just 10 times in Greg McDermott‘s first 13 seasons on the Bluejay sideline, it’s happened seven times this year. No other team has had its opponents make all its foul shots more than four times this year.
Creighton’s last two opponents have not had a single miss at the charity stripe.
This season Creighton opponents are shooting 78.7 percent at the line. Since 2010-11, the only teams to allow better foul shooting against it are the 2020-21 South Dakota State team (.793) and the 2022-23 Wyoming club (.788). The program record for CU opponent free throw shooting for an entire season is 75.0 in 1983-84 (384-512).

Trey Dishes, Too
Trey Alexander had back-to-back career-high assist totals, following up his 10 dimes vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 28 with 11 helpers vs. No. 5 Marquette on March 2nd.
Alexander joined Maurice Watson Jr. (Dec. 9 & Dec. 17, 2016) as Creighton’s only players with back-to-back points/assists double-doubles since 1978-79.
Besides Watson (twice in 2016-17) and Grant Gibbs (once in 2011-12), Creighton had not had another player with two straight games of 10 or more assists since at least 1979-80, and none of them extended the streak to three in a row either.
The only other BIG EAST player since 2020 with back-to-back points/assists double-doubles is Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, who did it twice.

Trouble With The Top 10
Creighton beat No. 1 UConn (Feb. 20) and No. 5 Marquette (March 2), becoming the fifth BIG EAST team ever to earn back-to-back Top 5 wins without losing in between.
Nationally, Creighton, Iowa State, Kansas, Mississippi State, Purdue and Wisconsin are the only five schools with multiple Top 5 wins this season.
BIG EAST History, Consecutive Top 5 Wins
Year   Team   Game 1   Game 2
2023-24   Creighton   #1 UConn   #5 Marquette
2017-18   Villanova   #4 Xavier   #4 Kansas
2002-03   Syracuse   #3 Oklahoma   #5 Texas
1984-85   Georgetown   #1 St. John’s   #3 St. John’s
1981-82   Georgetown   #4 Missouri   #4 Oregon St.

Kalkbrenner Chases 100 Rejections
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 97 blocked shots this season and is three away from 100. Kalkbrenner, who has had 72, 89 and now 97 blocks the past three seasons, joins Benoit Benjamin (who had 92, 157 and 162 swats) as the only players in CU history with more than 70 rejections in a season.
Kalkbrenner’s 97 blocks this year are 27 more than the previous CU record by a senior, a mark that had been set by Chad Gallagher in 1990-91.
Kalkbrenner (97/14) is one of just six men since 1992-93 to play for a Top 25 team (entering the postseason) and own at least 97 blocks and 14 three-pointers made. He’s joined by Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren (117/41 in 2021-22), Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson (106/38 in 2017-18), Oregon’s Chris Boucher (110/39 in 2015-16), Baylor’s Isaiah Austin (118/18 in 2013-14) and UConn’s Donyell Marshall (111/41 in 1993-94).
Kalkbrenner is also the nation’s only player in the last 30 seasons to have at least 200 two-point field goals, 10 three-point field goals and 95 blocked shots.
Kalkbrenner owns 40 blocks in Creighton’s last 10 games. Since 2005-06, no other Bluejay has had more than Anthony Tolliver’s 24 (in 2007) blocks in a 10-game span.
Kalkbrenner’s 24 blocks in the last five games are the most by any Bluejay in a five-game span since at least 2005-06. Next-most by someone besides Kalkbrenner is Gregory Echenique’s 16 in 2013.
Most Blocked Shots, Season
Blk.   Name (Class)   Year
162   Benoit Benjamin (Jr.)   1984-85
157   Benoit Benjamin (So.)   1983-84
97   Ryan Kalkbrenner (Sr.)   2023-24
92   Benoit Benjamin (Fr.)   1982-83
89   Ryan Kalkbrenner (So.)   2021-22
72   Ryan Kalkbrenner (Jr.)   2022-23
70   Chad Gallagher (Sr.)   1990-91
62   Chad Gallagher (Jr.)   1989-90
62   Gregory Echenique (Sr.)   2012-13
57   Doug Swenson (Jr.)   1997-98
57   Anthony Tolliver (Sr.)   2006-07
57   Gregory Echenique (Jr.)   2011-12

Scheierman Eyes Century Club
Already one of three players in Creighton history with multiple seasons of 87 three-pointers (joining Kyle Korver and Mitch Ballock), Baylor Scheierman is just one three-pointer shy of 100 for the season.
He’d be the third different player to reach the century mark, joining Kyle Korver (who did it twice) and Ethan Wragge.
Most 3-Pointers Made, Season
3FG   Name (Class)   Year
129   Kyle Korver (Sr.)   2002-03
110   Ethan Wragge (Sr.)   2013-14
100   Kyle Korver (So.)   2000-01
99   Baylor Scheierman (Sr.)   2023-24
97   Ty-Shon Alexander (So.)   2018-19
96   Doug McDermott (Sr.)   2013-14
95   Marcus Foster (Sr.)   2017-18
95   Mitch Ballock (So.)   2018-19
93   Mitch Ballock (Jr.)   2019-20
91   Booker Woodfox (Sr.)   2008-09
87   Baylor Scheierman (Sr.)   2022-23

The Chairman From Aurora
Baylor Scheierman is averaging 8.97 rebounds per game, which puts him on pace for CU’s best single-season average since Nate King averaged 8.96 rebounds per game in 1993-94.
The last Creighton player to average more than Scheierman’s 8.97 rebounds per game was Bob Harstad’s 9.35 in 1988-89.

He’s Done It Again
Baylor Scheierman owns 287 rebounds and 99 three-pointers this year. Since 1992-93, Scheierman is just the third player in the country with a season like that, joining Brandon Miller and Dylan Windler.
Scheierman’s Senior Day performance on March 2 vs. No. 5 Marquette made him the first Power 6 player with at least 16 rebounds and six three-pointers in a game since Marquette’s Steve Novak vs. Connecticut on Jan. 3, 2006.
287 Rebounds & 99 3-Pointers – Since 1992-93
Name   REB   3FG   Year
Brandon Miller, Alabama   305   106   2022-23
Dylan Windler, Belmont   357   100   2018-19
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton   287   99   2023-24

Leading The Way?
Creighton had three men lead the league in a statistical category for league play only, which requires participation in at least 75 percent of conference games.
Ryan Kalkbrenner shot 64.7 percent from the field in league play, becoming CU’s sixth player in 11 years to lead that BIG EAST category and joining Doug McDermott (.541 in 2013-14), Geoffrey Groselle (.656 in 2015-16), Justin Patton (.663 in 2016-17), Christian Bishop (.654 in 2020-21) and Kalkbrenner himself (.675 in 2022-23). Kalkbrenner is the first player to lead the league in that category in back-to-back years since UConn’s Emeka Okafor in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Kalkbrenner also led the league with 3.4 blocked shots per game. Kalkbrenner (last year) is the only previous Bluejay to lead the BIG EAST in blocks per game. Kalkbrenner’s 67 blocks this year in conference contests are the most by any BIG EAST player since Rutgers’ Hamady Ndiaye had 69 in 2009-10.
Baylor Scheierman owned the BIG EAST lead with 8.9 defensive rebounds per game in league play, becoming Creighton’s first player to lead the BIG EAST in defensive rebounds per game.
Scheierman also led the conference with 9.8 rebounds per league game. He’s CU’s first player to do that since joining the BIG EAST.
Last but not least, Trey Alexander (38.2) led the BIG EAST in minutes per game, CU’s first minutes per game leader since joining the BIG EAST.

Keep An Eye On
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns the league record for career field goal percentage in BIG EAST play at 64.2 percent, well ahead of runner-up Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing (.608). The list requires five field goals made per game, and Kalkbrenner qualifies thanks to his 392 hoops in 78 games.
Kalkbrenner also owns 193 career blocked shots in league play. That ranks seventh-most all-time, trailing only Patrick Ewing (247), Hasheem Thabeet (243), Etan Thomas (232), Alonzo Mourning (224), Jason Lawson (216) and Emeka Okafor (207) and just ahead of Dikembe Mutombo (184).

Why Creighton Will Win The National Title
We’ve come up with three reasons why Creighton is a lock to win the 2024 NCAA title.
Each of the last three times that Villanova hosted their final game of the regular-season, the winner of that game went on to win the NCAA title. The Wildcats beat Georgetown 84-71 in 2016, then beat the Hoyas 97-73 in 2018. Last year, UConn defeated the Wildcats 71-59. All three of those games took place at Wells Fargo Center. This year, Creighton defeated Villanova 69-67 on March 9th.
Secondly, since 2010-11, the only two BIG EAST teams to finish a season making 150 three-pointers or more than the opposition have been Villanova (+192 in 2018) and Connecticut (+159 in 2023). Both the Wildcats and Huskies went on to win the NCAA title. Creighton is currently +154.
Additionally, Creighton’s 22-point win at Butler on Feb. 17th was tied for the 14th-largest home loss suffered inside HInkle Fieldhouse, which opened in 1928. In the past 32 seasons, the only two teams to beat Butler there by 22 points or more both went on to win the NCAA title.
Butler’s Home Losses By 22+ Points Since 1992-93
Score   Opponent   Date
103-56   North Carolina   12/20/1992
68-46   Connecticut   12/17/2022
79-57   Creighton   02/17/2024

McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 323 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU’s all-time wins list.
McDermott’s .672 winning percentage is Creighton’s best since Arthur A. Schabinger’s .714 win rate more than 85 years ago.
Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk.   W-L   Name   Years
1.   327-176   Dana Altman   1994-2010
2.   323-158   Greg McDermott   2010-Pres.
3.   165-66   Arthur A. Schabinger    1922-1935
4.   138-118   John J. “Red” McManus    1959-1969
5.   130-64   Tom Apke   1974-1981

Top 10 Wins Under McDermott
Creighton owns 14 Top 10 victories under Greg McDermott, which includes the 85-66 win over No. 1 UConn on Feb. 20 and an 89-75 triumph vs. No. 5 Marquette on March 2nd.
Here’s a list of all 19 Top 10 wins in program history, which includes two Top 10 wins in 2013-14 (No. 4 Villanova; No. 6 Villanova) and three Top 10 wins in 2019-20 (No. 8 Villanova, No. 10 Seton Hall and No. 8 Seton Hall).
This year is the first time Creighton has beaten two Top 5 teams in the same season.
Creighton’s Top 10 Wins All-Time
Date   Opponent   Score   Head Coach
12/13/63   #4 Arizona State   W 84-83   McManus
12/01/65   #10 Kansas State   W 83-75   McManus
01/29/70   #5 New Mexico State   W 72-68   Sutton
02/17/73   #7 Houston   W 78-77   Sutton
02/09/74   at #6 Marquette   W 75-69   Sutton
01/20/14   at #4 Villanova   W 96-68   McDermott
02/16/14   #6 Villanova   W 101-80   McDermott
02/09/16   #5 Xavier   W 70-56   McDermott
11/15/16   #9 Wisconsin   W 79-67   McDermott
02/24/18   #3 Villanova   W 89-83 (OT)   McDermott
03/03/19   at #10 Marquette   W 66-60   McDermott
02/01/20   at #8 Villanova   W 76-61   McDermott
02/12/20   at #10 Seton Hall   W 87-82   McDermott
03/07/20   #8 Seton Hall   W 77-60   McDermott
02/13/21   #5 Villanova   W 86-70   McDermott
12/17/21   #9 Villanova   W 79-59   McDermott
11/22/22   vs. #9 Arkansas   W 90-87   McDermott
02/20/24   #1 Connecticut   W 85-66   McDermott
03/02/24   #5 Marquette   W 89-74   McDermott

Top 25 Victims
This is Creighton’s ninth straight season with multiple Top 25 wins, and 13th time overall (and 10th time under Greg McDermott).
This year is also the seventh time in the last eight seasons with three or more Top 25 wins, something that had never happened prior to 2016-17.
Creighton’s Most Top-25 Wins, Season
Wins   Season   Top-25 Victims
6   2019-20   #8 Villanova, #10 Seton Hall,
#12 Texas Tech, #19 Marquette,
#21 Butler, #8 Seton Hall
6   2022-23   #9 Arkansas, #11 Baylor, #13 Xavier,
#19 Providence, #21 Texas Tech,                #21 Connecticut
5   2021-22   #9 Villanova, #11 Providence,
#17 UConn, #18 UConn, #24 BYU
4   2016-17   #9 Wisconsin, #12 Butler,
#16 Butler, #22 Xavier
4   2017-18   #3 Villanova, #19 Seton Hall,
#20 Northwestern, #23 UCLA
3   2020-21   #5 Villanova, #22 Xavier, #23 UConn
3   2023-24   #1 UConn, #5 Marquette, #23 Providence
2   1973-74   #6 Marquette, #16 Louisville
2   2001-02   #15 Florida, #17 Western Kentucky
2   2006-07   #11 Southern Illinois, #24 Xavier
2   2013-14   #4 Villanova, #6 Villanova
2   2015-16   #5 Xavier, #18 Butler
2   2018-19   #10 Marquette, #16 Clemson

More Than Just Being Tall
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 228 dunks in his career, including six on Feb. 28 vs. Seton Hall. He has more than 100 career dunks more than any other Bluejay player since Greg McDermott‘s arrival in 2010.
Here’s a look at the Creighton student-athletes with 20 or more dunks in a season, and 25 or more dunks in a career, under McDermott:
Most Creighton Dunks, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Year
74   Martin Krampelj   2018-19
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
69   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2021-22
67   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2023-24
63   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2022-23
50   Christian Bishop   2020-21
38   Christian Bishop   2019-20
36   Gregory Echenique   2012-13
33   Martin Krampelj   2017-18
30   Gregory Echenique   2011-12
29   Marcus Foster   2017-18
29   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-21
25   Fredrick King   2022-23
24   Gregory Echenique   2010-11
23   Marcus Foster   2016-17
22   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2010-11
22   Arthur Kaluma   2022-23
21   Alex O’Connell   2021-22
21   Arthur Kaluma   2021-22
20   Khyri Thomas   2017-18

Most Creighton Dunks, Career, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Name   Years
228   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
121   Martin Krampelj   2015-19
103   Christian Bishop   2018-21
90   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
72   Justin Patton   2016-17
52   Marcus Foster   2016-18
51   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
43   Arthur Kaluma   2021-23
38   Will Artino   2011-15
36   Fredrick King   2022-Pres.
33   Zach Hanson   2013-17
25   Geoffrey Groselle   2012-16
25   Damien Jefferson   2018-21

Most Creighton Dunks, Team, Season, Since 2010-11
Dunks   Year   Team W-L
144   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
132   2021-22   23-12 (NCAA)
115   2022-23   24-13 (NCAA)
107   2017-18   21-12 (NCAA)
106   2018-19   20-15 (NIT)
94   2023-24   23-9 so far
90   2020-21   22-9 (NCAA)
60   2019-20   24-7 (Postseason Canceled)
58   2015-16   20-15 (NIT)
56   2010-11   23-16 (CBI)
54   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
42   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)

Dime Time For Alexander
Trey Alexander dished a career-high 10 assists on Feb. 28 vs. Seton Hall as the junior produced his first career points/assists double-double when you consider his 15 points. He earned his second such contest just three days later when he had 18 points and established a new career-high with 11 assists.
Alexander has also had two points/rebounds double-doubles this season, finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds vs. Iowa on Nov. 14 and 16 points and 15 rebounds vs. Villanova on Dec. 20th.
Alexander, Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth are the first trio in BIG EAST history to each have 129 assists in the same season, per Elias.

Taking Away The Three
Not only does Creighton have three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner patrolling the paint, but the Jays have been remarkably effective in running opponents off the three-point line as well.
Creighton has allowed opponents to make just 31-of-105 three-pointers over the past six games, while the Jays have drained 65 three-pointers in that same time.
For the year, Creighton has made 339 three-pointers while surrendering just 185 triples. That +154 differential is third-best in the country, behind only North Florida (+183) and BYU (+159). Since 2010-11, the only two BIG EAST teams to finish a season at +150 or better were Villanova (+192 in 2018) and Connecticut (+159 in 2023). Both the Wildcats and Huskies went on to win the NCAA title.
Creighton’s 5.78 three-pointers allowed per game is fourth-fewest in the nation among Power 6 schools, trailing only Maryland (5.45), Penn State (5.70) and Washington State (5.70).

Sold Out in Omaha
Creighton sold out six home games this season: Iowa, Alabama, DePaul, Butler, UConn and Marquette.
Creighton has also played in front of six sell out crowds on the road this year, doing so at Nebraska, Marquette, UConn, Xavier, Butler and Seton Hall this season.
CU’s neutral-site BIG EAST Tournament game at Madison Square Garden was also sold out.
Creighton ranks sixth nationally this season with 17,269 fans per home game.
2023-24 NCAA Home Attendance Per Game Leaders
Through 3/17/24
Rank   School   Average
1.   North Carolina   20,593
2.   Syracuse   20,288
3.   Kentucky   19,928
4.   Tennessee   19,664
5.   Arkansas   19,106
6.   Creighton   17,269
7.   Indiana   16,468
8.   Marquette   16,307
9.   Kansas   16,300
10.   BYU   15,689

Some Loyal Fans
Creighton’s average home crowd of 17,269 this year ranked fourth-most in program history.
Creighton had never attracted more than 141,000 home fans in any season prior to the opening of CHI Health Center Omaha, and now has done it each of the last 20 non-COVID seasons.
Creighton has led its conference in average home attendance every year (except the 2020-21 COVID season) since moving into CHI Health Center Omaha, which is in its 21st season.
Highest Average Attendance, Creighton History
Avg. Att.   School   Year
17,896   Creighton   2013-14
17,413   Creighton   2016-17
17,314   Creighton   2019-20
17,269   Creighton   2023-24
17,163   Creighton   2022-23
17,155   Creighton   2012-13
17,048   Creighton   2014-15
17,000   Creighton   2017-18

Terrific Trio
The trio of Baylor Scheierman (18.4 ppg.), Trey Alexander (17.6) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.1) have accounted for 66.0 percent of Creighton’s points this season.
They are the first Creighton trio with 500+ points in the same season since 1953-54 (Ray Yost, Eddie Cole, Elton Tuttle).
Scheierman and Kalkbrenner are the BIG EAST’s only tandem in the last 30 seasons to both have 540 points and 230 rebounds.
Creighton has not had three men finish a season averaging 14 points per game or more in the same year since 1983-84, when Benoit Benjamin (16.2), Vernon Moore (15.0) and Gregory Brandon (14.5) did it.
Creighton has not had three men finish a season averaging 15 points per game or more in the same year since 1966-67, when Bob Portman (18.3), Tim Powers (17.5) and Wally Anderzunas (15.5) did it.
Creighton has not had three men finish a season averaging 16 points per game or more in the same year since 1953-54, when Ray Yost (19.9), Eddie Cole (19.6) and Elton Tuttle (18.5) did it.
Per Elias Sports Bureau, no “Power 6” team has finished a season with three men averaging 16 points per game since LSU in 2020-21 (Ja’Vonte Smart, Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford). Going a step further, no “Power 6” team has finished a season with three men averaging 17 points per game since Duke in 2009-10 (Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith). No BIG EAST team has done it since Syracuse in 1989-90 (Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens and Stephen Thompson).
Scheierman, Alexander and Kalkbrenner could become the nation’s first trio to average 17.0 points per game since 2017-18 (Oakland and Charleston).

Give Me 10
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander own three of the BIG EAST’s five longest active streaks for games with 10 or more points, as seen below.
Kalkbrenner has also scored eight points or more in 55 straight games, tied for the nation’s fourth-longest active streak.
Consecutive Games With 10+ Points
Active Streaks – BIG EAST Players (through 3/18)
Streak   Name, School   Next Game
34   Devin Carter, Providence   3/19
30   Quincy Olivari, Xavier   3/19
19   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   3/21
17   Baylor Scheierman, Creighton   3/21
14   Trey Alexander, Creighton   3/21

Consecutive Games With 8+ Points
Active Streaks – Nationally (through 3/17)
Streak   Name, School   Next Game
83   Zach Edey, Purdue   3/22
59   Dillon Jones, Weber State   Done
56   Mervin James, Rider   Done
55   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   3/21
55   Tristan Enaruna, Cleveland State   3/24

Scheierman Passes 1,000 Points at Creighton
With 20 points on Feb. 28th vs. Seton Hall, Baylor Scheierman became the 47th player to score 1,000 points in a Bluejay uniform. He accomplished the feat in his 66th game at CU, becoming the first Bluejay to reach 1,000 points in fewer than 75 games at CU since Marcus Foster needed just 54 in 2018.
Scheierman is the third Bluejay transfer from a four-year school to reach 1,000 career points at CU, joining Gregory Echenique (Rutgers) and Marcus Foster (Kansas State). Two other junior college transfers (Rod Mason and Johnny Mathies) have also scored 1,000 points after joining the Bluejays but starting elsewhere.
Here’s a list of Creighton’s top scorers ever, as well as how long it took CU’s last 23 men to reach 1,000 points.
Most Career Points, Creighton History
Rank   Pts.   Name   Years
1.   3,150   Doug McDermott   2010-14
2.   2,116   Rodney Buford   1995-99
3.   2,110   Bob Harstad    1987-91
4.   1,983   Chad Gallagher    1987-91
5.   1,876   Bob Portman    1966-69
6.   1,801   Kyle Korver   1999-03
7.   1,754   Nate Funk   2002-07
8.   1,715   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
9.   1,682   Rick Apke    1974-78
10.   1,661   Paul Silas   1961-64
11.   1,654   Vernon Moore    1981-85
12.   1,575   Benoit Benjamin    1982-85
13.   1,526   John C. Johnson   1975-79
14.   1,500   Kevin McKenna   1977-81
15.   1,437   Eddie Cole   1951-55
16.   1,369   Gene Harmon   1971-74
17.   1,361   Duan Cole   1987-92
18.   1,342   Antoine Young   2008-12
19.   1,324   Trey Alexander   2021-Pres.
20.   1,313   Kenny Lawson Jr.   2006-11
21.   1,309   Ryan Sears   1997-01
22.   1,304   Mitch Ballock   2017-21
23.   1,303   Elton Tuttle   1951-54
24.   1,293   Marcus Zegarowski   2018-21
25.   1,292   Marcus Foster   2016-18
26.   1,272   Bob Gibson   1954-57
27.   1,267   Wally Anderzunas   1965-67, 1968-69
28.   1,254   Gary Swain   1983-87
29.   1,241   Ty-Shon Alexander   2017-20
30.   1,238   Ben Walker   1997-01
31.   1,196   Ray Yost   1951-54
32.   1,172   Dick Harvey   1956-59
33.   1,155   Ethan Wragge   2009-14
34.   1,152   Dane Watts   2004-08
35.   1,140   Khyri Thomas   2015-18
36.   1,116   Kenny Evans   1982-87
37.   1,115   Doug Brookins   1972-75
1,115   Daryl Stovall   1978-82
39.   1,093   Tim Powers   1964-67
40.   1,061   Baylor Scheierman   2022-Present
41.   1,050   Reggie Morris   1982-86
42.   1,031   Johnny Mathies   2003-06
43.   1,024   P’Allen Stinnett   2007-10
44.   1,023   Rod Mason   1986-88
45.   1,013   Austin Chatman   2011-15
46.   1,006   Gregory Echenique   2010-13
47.   1,004   Anthony Tolliver   2003-07

Games To 1,000 Points, Last 23 Bluejays
Name   CU Games to 1,000 pts.    Date
Baylor Scheierman   66   02/28/24
Trey Alexander   87   01/06/24
Ryan Kalkbrenner   91   02/25/23
Marcus Zegarowski   75   01/20/21
Mitch Ballock   100   11/29/20
Ty-Shon Alexander   85   01/15/20
Khyri Thomas   94   02/10/18
Marcus Foster   54   01/17/18
Austin Chatman   138   03/11/15
Ethan Wragge   132   01/18/14
Gregory Echenique   101   03/24/13
Doug McDermott   57   01/15/12
Antoine Young   115   12/10/11
Kenny Lawson Jr.   108   11/21/10
P’Allen Stinnett   86   01/16/10
Dane Watts   115   01/22/08
Anthony Tolliver   124   03/16/07
Johnny Mathies   91   03/03/06
Nate Funk   92   02/28/05
Kyle Korver   81   01/30/02
Ben Walker   105   01/06/01
Ryan Sears   97   12/01/00
Rodney Buford   59   03/01/97

More History For Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman also became the 11th player in NCAA history to score 1,000 points at multiple Division I schools.
Player   School 1   School 2
Jon Manning   Oklahoma City 1039   N. Texas 1090
Kenny Battle   N. Illinois 1072   Illinois 1112
Jalen Pickett   Siena 1139   Penn State 1068
Gary Neal   La Salle 1041   Towson 1254
Andrew Rowsey   UNC Asheville 1244   Marquette 1087
Juanya Green   Niagara 1131   Hofstra 1186
Matt Bradley   California 1289   San Diego St. 1033
Tyler Thomas*   Sacred Heart 1001   Hofstra 1320
Antonio Reeves*   Illinois St. 1195   Kentucky 1128
Jahmir Young*   Charlotte 1421   Maryland 1205
Baylor Scheierman*   So. Dakota St. 1114   Creighton 1061
*active player

Getting Defensive
Baylor Scheierman owns 1,113 career defensive rebounds. That’s more than any other player in the country since 1999-2000, just ahead of Morehead State great Kenneth Faried (1,071) and current North Carolina star Armando Bacot (1,102).

One Of The Best Q Ratings
Through games of Sunday, Creighton owns a combined 15-9 record in Quad 1 (8-5) and Quad 2 (7-4) games this season.
Creighton’s combined 15 Quad 1 or 2 wins this year trailed only UConn (21), Purdue (20), Houston (19), Iowa State (16) and North Carolina (16) through games of Sunday, and were tied for sixth-most nationally.
Creighton is 8-5 in Quad 1 games this season and entered this season 30-28 in Quad 1 contests since 2019-20. Creighton, Baylor and Kansas are the only three schools to have posted at least six Quad 1 wins in each of the previous four seasons.
Creighton’s eight Quad 1 victories are tied for sixth-most in the country this season.
Most Combined Q1 & Q2 Wins (through 3/17)
Rk.   Total   Q1   Q2   Team
1.   21   13   8   Connecticut
2.   20   12   8   Purdue
3.   19   16   3   Houston
4.   16   10   6   Iowa State
16   9   7   North Carolina
6.   15   8   7   Creighton
15   8   7   Arizona
15   9   6   Marquette

NET Gains
Creighton, Tennessee, North Carolina and UConn are the nation’s only teams with eight or more true road wins and eight or more Quad 1 wins.
Creighton, Tennessee, Connecticut, South Carolina and North Carolina are the nation’s only “Power 6” teams with eight or more true road wins this season.
Creighton, UConn, Tennessee, North Carolina, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are the nation’s only teams in the top 25 of the NET with eight or more true road wins this season.
Creighton, UConn and South Carolina are the nation’s only teams from a “Power 6” conference with eight road wins in both men’s and women’s basketball this season.
Creighton’s five true road wins by 14 points or more are tied for the most among all Power 6 schools. Auburn (5), Duke (4), Arizona (4) are the only other “Power 6” schools with more than three against “Power 6” foes.

23 Going On 24
Creighton is one of 12 teams in the nation with 23 or more wins in both men’s basketball and women’s basketball this season. That list consists of Baylor, Creighton, Drake, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, James Madison, Marquette, Princeton, Richmond, South Carolina, UC Irvine and UConn.
Creighton is one of eight schools to have men’s and women’s basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous two seasons, a list that included Creighton, Gonzaga, Liberty, Princeton, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo and UConn. Of those clubs, Creighton, Gonzaga, Princeton and UConn have done it yet again, while Liberty, Tennessee, Texas and Toledo are trying to join them.
22+ Wins, Each of 2 Previous MBB & WBB Years
Team   23-24 MBB Wins   23-24 WBB Wins
Creighton   22+   22+
Gonzaga   22+   22+
Princeton   22+   22+
UConn   22+   22+
Texas   20   22+
Toledo   20   22+
Tennessee   22+   19
Liberty   18   18

McDermott Earns 600th Win
Greg McDermott picked up his 600th career win on Feb. 20 vs. No. 1 Connecticut. McDermott now owns 603 victories, has won 50 or more games at four different schools, and owns a .630 career winning percentage in 30 seasons and 957 games as a head coach. Only 17 active Division I men’s coaches, and only 28 active men’s coaches across all levels, own 600 or more career victories.
Greg McDermott‘s Milestone Victories
Date   W-L   Opponent & Site   Score
11/19/94   1-0   York at Wayne State   137-38
01/14/00   100-50   Moorhead St. at Wayne St.   92-59
11/23/05   200-117   UNI at Western Michigan   69-63
03/15/11   300-209   San Jose State at Creighton   85-74
02/24/15   400-248   Creighton at DePaul   75-62
01/11/20   500-308   Creighton at Xavier   77-65
02/20/24   600-352   #1 Connecticut   85-66

Twenty, Again
Creighton is one of six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the last nine seasons (including 2023-24), joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
Longest 20-Win Season Streaks (Includes 2023-24)
Streak   Team
35   Kansas
27   Gonzaga
14   Belmont
14   Oregon
9   Creighton
9   Houston

20/20 Vision
Creighton has won 20 or more games 35 times in program history, including a program-record 13 times under Greg McDermott.
Creighton’s 20 Win Seasons
Total Wins   How Often   Last Time
29   2 times   2011-12
28   1 time   2012-13
27   2 times   2013-14
25   1 time   2016-17
24   4 times   2022-23
23   7 times   2023-24
22   5 times   2020-21
21   6 times   2017-18
20   7 times   2018-19

Most 20-Win MBB Seasons at Creighton, Coaches
How Often   Head Coach
13   Greg McDermott
11   Dana Altman
3   Tom Apke
3   Tony Barone
2   Red McManus
1   Charles Kearney
1   Eddie Sutton
1   Willis Reed

A Dozen Will Do
Creighton has owned a .500 mark or better in league play 28 times in the last 29 seasons (including 2023-24), a figure it extended with its Feb. 17 win at Butler. Creighton is one of seven schools with a non-losing conference record in 28 of the last 29 seasons.
The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the last nine seasons (including 2023-24) are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.
Creighton finished 14-6 in the BIG EAST last season and with 13 years already is assured a fifth straight season with 12 or more league wins. Among the other “Power 6” Conference schools, only Virginia (7 straight years) also has an active streak of five years or longer after 2023-24.
Most Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Last 29 Seasons (includes 2023-24)
Seasons   Team
29   Duke
29   Kansas
29   Gonzaga
28   Kentucky
28   Michigan State
28   Creighton
28   Murray State

Consecutive Seasons .500 or Better League Record
Power 6 Schools (includes 2023-24)
Seasons   Team
35   Kansas
29   Duke
13   Virginia
13   Oregon
12   Villanova
9   Creighton
9   Houston
9   Seton Hall
9   Florida

Consecutive Seasons 12+ League Wins
Power 6 Schools (includes 2023-24)
Seasons   Team
7   Virginia
5   Creighton

Getting Hot In Here
Creighton went 4-3 in its first seven BIG EAST games this season, when it averaged 68.1 points per contest.
The Jays have turned it up a notch or two since then, averaging 83.6 points in the past 14 games. That includes 85+ points nine times, and 69, 73, 78 and 79 in four of the exceptions (each wins).
In those 14 games, Trey Alexander (20.0 ppg.), Baylor Scheierman (19.4) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (19.0) are all on a scoring terror. That makes them the nation’s first Power 6 trio since Arizona in 2008-09 (Nic Wise, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger) with three men to average 19 points per game or more over a 14-game stretch. In all leagues, it hadn’t been done since VMI in 2013-14 (Rodney Glasgow, D.J. Covington, QJ Peterson).
Scheierman has averaged 19.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the past 14 games. He joins Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) and Ben Simmons (LSU) as the only Power 6 players since with those averages in any single-season 14-game span since 2005-06.
Category   First 7 in BE   Last 14 Games
Creighton W-L   4-3   10-4
Points Per Game   68.1   83.6
Scoring Margin/Game   +4.6   +8.3
Alexander PPG   15.9   20.0
Scheierman PPG   16.4   19.4
Kalkbrenner PPG   15.0   19.0
Ashworth PPG   8.6   13.5
Ashworth 3FG/Game   1.57   2.64
Ashworth 3FG%   .256   .339
Green Points Scored   0   23
Team FG%   .444   .491
Team 3FG%   .296   .370
Team FT%   .761   .810
Team A/TO Ratio   1.12   1.88

The Road Difference
Creighton outscored teams by 68 points in its 13 true road games this season. That’s the 14th-best mark in the nation, with Duke’s +85, UConn’s +75 and Auburn’s +70 are the only better figures among “Power 6” schools.
Best Point Differential, True Road Games (3/17)
Rk.   Team   Road W-L   Differential
1.   McNeese State   11-3   +163
2.   Saint Mary’s   9-0   +153
3.   Gonzaga   8-2   +143
4.   James Madison   12-2   +113
5.   Princeton   11-3   +111
6.   Charleston   10-2   +91
7.   UNC Wilmington   10-6   +86
8.   Duke   7-4   +85
9.   Grand Canyon   8-3   +78
10.   UMass-Lowell   10-7   +76
11.   UConn   9-3   +75
12.   Auburn   5-5   +70
13.   Louisiana Tech   8-7   +69
14.   Creighton   8-5   +68
15.   Arizona   7-4   +63

Storm Season
Creighton’s Feb. 20 win over No. 1 Connecticut was just the third time in the 21-year history of CHI Health Center Omaha that fans stormed the court following a Bluejay game.
The first time it happened came on Feb. 18, 2012 in a last-second 81-79 win vs. Long Beach State. Ironically, fans stormed twice on that late-night evening, once when Antoine Young’s shot at the buzzer went through the net, and again moments later after the court was cleared and time was put back on the clock and the final 0.3 seconds were played.
It also happened on March 7, 2020, when Creighton defeated No. 8 Seton Hall to clinch a share of its first BIG EAST regular-season title.

Down Goes No. 1
Creighton defeated No. 1 UConn, 85-66, on Feb. 20th. It was the largest win over a top-ranked team since 2018, when UMBC upset Virginia 74-54 in the NCAA Tournament.
Per Elias, here is a list of the 18 times in history that a No. 1 team has lost by 19 points or more.
Top-Ranked Losses by 19+ Points
Date   Winner   Loser   Score
12/17/51   #2 Kentucky   #1 St. John’s   81-40
03/03/62   Wisconsin   #1 Ohio State   86-67
12/11/65   #6 Duke   #1 UCLA   94-75
03/22/68*   #2 UCLA   #1 Houston   101-69
01/26/74   #2 UCLA   #1 Notre Dame   94-75
03/07/81   #5 Arizona State   #1 Oregon State   87-67
01/18/89   #13 N. Carolina   #1 Duke   91-71
01/06/90   Villanova   #1 Syracuse   93-74
02/27/90   #5 Oklahoma   #1 Kansas   100-78
01/12/94   #17 Ga. Tech   #1 N. Carolina   89-69
11/25/94   #3 UMass   #1 Arkansas   104-80
02/18/95   #15 Villanova   #1 UConn   96-73
02/05/98   #2 N. Carolina   #1 Duke   97-73
03/11/04#   Xavier   #1 St. Joseph’s   87-67
01/23/13   #25 Miami Fla.   #1 Duke   90-63
01/10/17   #10 West Virginia   #1 Baylor   89-68
03/16/18*   UMBC   #1 Virginia   74-54
02/20/24   #15 Creighton   #1 UConn   85-66
* NCAA Tournament   #Conference Tournament

Jays Beat No. 1 UConn
Creighton had been 0-6 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams before its Feb. 20 win vs. UConn.
Creighton vs. #1 Teams
Date   Opponent   Final Score
1/28/1980   #1 DePaul   L 73-84
12/31/2016   #1 Villanova   L 70-80
2/1/2018   at #1 Villanova   L 78-98
12/1/2018   #1 Gonzaga   L 92-103
3/28/2021   vs. #1 Gonzaga   L 65-83
1/17/2024   at #1 Connecticut   L 48-62
2/20/2024   #1 Connecticut   W 85-66

State Of The Nation
Both Creighton (UConn) and Nebraska (Purdue) have beaten No. 1-ranked teams this season.
Per Sports Radar, the last time two teams from the same state beat No. 1’s in the same season was 2019-20, when Stephen F. Austin beat Duke and Texas Tech topped Louisville.
According to college basketball stats extraordinaire Jared Berson, it’s the first time ever that two different schools from the same state beat the No. 1 team by 15+ points in the same season.
This year marks just the second time that Creighton and Nebraska will both finish with 23 wins in the same season, as it also previously happened in 1990-91.

Working Overtime
Creighton has played in three different overtime games this season, losing to Villanova (Dec. 20), winning at Seton Hall in triple-overtime (Jan. 20) and losing at Providence (Feb. 7).
It was just the second triple-overtime game in history for Creighton, joining a Feb. 1, 1978 loss (85-82) in Omaha to No. 13 DePaul in a non-conference contest.
Creighton’s last overtime win had been its 72-69 win over San Diego State during the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Creighton is 62-53 all-time in all games with at least one overtime, including a 12-9 mark under Greg McDermott. The Jays are 11-10 in the next game after an overtime battle.

You Can’t Spell McDermott Without OT
Greg McDermott is 17-14 in single-overtime games (9-8 at Creighton), 6-3 in double-overtime games (2-1 at Creighton) and 1-0 in triple-overtime games (1-0 at Creighton).
McDermott’s first overtime game as a Division I head coach was a 2002 Northern Iowa win over Creighton. His first double-overtime game as a Division I coach was a 2004 victory over Missouri State in the MVC Tournament title game, which clinched his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a Division I head coach.

Extra, Extra, Extra!
Creighton has played five overtime sessions this season. That’s already third-most in program history, trailing only the 1989-90 team (7 OTs) and the 2001-02 squad (6 OTs).
This is the sixth time that Creighton’s played an overtime game in three consecutive months, something also done in 1988-89, 1989-90, 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2014-15.
This season also marks the 12th time in Creighton history that the Bluejays have played three or more overtime games in the same season. The program record is four such contests, done in 1989-90, 1993-94, 2001-02 and 2018-19.
This is the third time that Creighton’s played three or more conference games to go overtime in the same campaign, joining 1994-95 (4) and 2018-19 (4).
Lastly, this is the third time in program history that Creighton has played an overtime road game in back-to-back seasons against the same team. It also happened in 1989 & 1990 at Wichita State (CU won both) as well as in 2010 & 2011 at Southern Illinois (CU won both).
Most Overtime Sessions, Creighton Season
OT’s   Year
7   1989-90
6   2001-02
5   2023-24

Most Overtime Games, Creighton Season
OT’s   Year
4   1989-90
4   1993-94
4   2001-02
4   2018-19
3   1983-84
3   1988-89
3   1995-96
3   1999-00
3   2005-06
3   2007-08
3   2014-15
3   2023-24

On The Triple
The Jan. 20th triple-overtime thriller was the first BIG EAST game to go three overtimes or longer since No. 11 Providence beat Xavier 99-92 on Feb. 23, 2022.
In fact, that’s the only other triple-overtime game since the BIG EAST reconfigured on July 1, 2013.
This season, there’s only been nine games nationally to go three overtimes or longer, as seen below:
Date   Winner   Loser   Score
11/16/23   Nicholls   at South Alabama   102-97
11/29/23   at Temple   La Salle   106-99
01/03/24   Fordham   at George Washington   119-113
01/13/24   at Winthrop   Radford   92-88
01/20/24   Creighton   at Seton Hall   97-94
01/27/24   TCU   at Baylor   105-102
02/08/24   Arizona   at Utah   105-99
02/28/24   Drake   at UIC   108-106
03/06/24   Texas A&M-Commerce   Northwestern St.   83-80

Scheierman Makes Triple-Double History
Before Baylor Scheierman had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists on Feb. 13th against Georgetown, Creighton had never had a player earn a triple-double in points/rebounds/assists.
Benoit Benjamin attained the only three previous triple-doubles in Creighton history, but each one consisted of 10 or more points, rebounds and blocks.
Here’s a look at games this season when a Creighton player has had at least six points, six rebounds and six assists.
6+ Points, 6+ Rebounds, 6+ Assists This Season
Name   Opponent   Pts.   Reb.   Ast.
Alexander   Iowa   23   11   9
Scheierman   Texas Southern   23   9   6
Alexander   Texas Southern   20   7   8
Scheierman   Central Michigan   13   6   9
Alexander   Central Michigan   15   7   8
Scheierman   at UNLV   16   7   7
Scheierman   Alabama   20   6   9
Alexander   at #10 Marquette   18   6   6
Alexander   at Seton Hall   23   8   7
Scheierman   at Seton Hall   20   10   6
Kalkbrenner   at Seton Hall   28   9   7 blk
Scheierman   at Xavier   16   12   8
Scheierman   Georgetown   15   11   11
Scheierman   #1 Connecticut   12   7   6
Kalkbrenner   at St. John’s   12   10   8 blk
Scheierman   at Villanova   18   8   6
Ashworth   at Villanova   8   7   8

Baylor On The Boards
Baylor Scheierman recently became Creighton’s first player to snare 10 or more rebounds in six straight games since Benoit Benjamin in 1984-85. The streak was snapped on Feb. 20 when he had a team-leading seven in the win vs. No. 1 UConn.
Consecutive Games, 10+ Rebounds
Creighton Players Since 1984-85
Streak   Player       Dates
28   Benoit Benjamin   03/15/84-02/16/85
6   Baylor Scheierman   01/27/24-02/17/24
4   Bob Harstad   11/29/89-12/08/89
4   Bob Harstad   02/23/91-03/03/91
4   Mike Amos       12/07/92-12/23/92
4   Nate King       12/29/93-01/08/94
4   Doug McDermott   11/25/11-12/10/11
4   Gregory Echenique   01/07/12-01/15/12
4   Baylor Scheierman   11/23/22-12/10/22

Double Time
Speaking of double-doubles, Baylor Scheierman is up to a BIG EAST-leading 15 double-doubles this season, and 28 in his Creighton career (not including his 25 at South Dakota State). Both put him among the Creighton leaders since 1985-86.
Most Double-Doubles, Season Since 1985-86
D-D   Player       Year
15   Baylor Scheierman, Sr.   2023-24
13   Bob Harstad, So.   1988-89
13   Baylor Scheierman, Sr.   2022-23
12   Bob Harstad, Jr.   1989-90
11   Bob Harstad, Sr.   1990-91
11   Doug McDermott, So.   2011-12
11   Ryan Hawkins, Sr.   2021-22
10   Chad Gallagher, Sr.   1990-91
10   Doug McDermott, Jr.   2012-13

Most Double-Doubles, Career Since 1985-87
D-D   Player       Year
42   Bob Harstad   1987-91
37   Doug McDermott   2010-14
28   Baylor Scheierman   2022-Present
24   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
15   Kenny Evans   1985-87
15   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Present
13   Martin Krampelj   2015-19

On The Double
Baylor Scheierman also had a stretch of six straight double-doubles snapped on Feb. 20 vs. UConn, Creighton’s longest streak since Benoit Benjamin had 28 in a row 1984-85.
Consecutive Double-Doubles
Creighton Players Since 1984-85
Streak   Player       Dates
28   Benoit Benjamin   03/15/84-02/16/85
6   Baylor Scheierman   01/27/24-02/17/24
4   Bob Harstad   11/29/89-12/08/89
4   Nate King       12/29/93-01/08/94
4   Doug McDermott   11/25/11-12/10/11
4   Baylor Scheierman   11/23/22-12/10/22

Long Distance Marksmen
Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth own two of the BIG EAST’s longest active streaks for games with a three-point field goal, as seen below:
Consecutive Games With A 3FG
Active Streaks – BIG EAST Players
Streak   Name, School   Next Game
35   Kam Jones, Marquette   3/22
26   Devin Carter, Providence   3/19
21   Quincy Oivari, Xavier   3/19
20   Baylor Scheierman, Creighton   3/21
20   Jalen Terry, DePaul   Done
16   Steven Ashworth, Creighton   3/21

Doing It All
Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman and Providence’s Devin Carter are the only men in the BIG EAST to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season.
Prior to this year, only five BIG EAST players have ever accomplished that feat over the course of a full season, and none since Providence’s Ryan Gomes in 2004-05.
Up the average to 3.5 assists per game and prior to Scheierman and Carter, no one’s done it since Syracuse’s Billy Owens in 1989-90.
BIG EAST Players To Average 17 PPG, 8 RPG, 3 APG
Season   Name, School   PPG   RPG   APG
1989-90   Billy Owens, Syracuse   18.2   8.4   4.6
1990-91   Billy Owens, Syracuse   23.3   11.6   3.46
1995-96   Adrian Griffin, Seton Hall   19.5   8.3   3.1
1999-00   Ricardo Greer, Pitt   18.1   9.8   3.2
2004-05   Ryan Gomes, Providence   21.6   8.2   3.2
2023-24   Baylor Scheierman, CU   18.4   9.0   4.1
2023-24   Devin Carter, PC   19.7   8.7   3.6

Kalk Of The Walk
In a league that features two of the five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award (Kalkbrenner and Clingan), Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner has performed at a high level as he’s averaging 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game.
Prior to this year, only four BIG EAST players since 1992-93 have averaged 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks over the course of a full season, and none since UConn’s Emeka Okafor in 2003-04.
BIG EAST Players To Average 16 PPG, 7 RPG, 3 BPG
Season   Name, School   PPG   RPG   BPG
1993-94   Donyell Marshall, UConn   25.1   8.9   3.3
2000-01   Eddie Griffin, Seton Hall   17.8   10.8   4.4
2002-03   Mike Sweetney, Georgetown   22.8   10.4   3.2
2003-04   Emeka Okafor, UConn   17.6   11.5   4.1
2023-24   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   17.1   7.4   3.0

Block Party
Ryan Kalkbrenner owned a career-high eight blocked shots on Feb. 25 at St. John’s. That made him the first Bluejay with eight rejections since Doug Swenson at UMKC on Nov. 18, 1998, and the first BIG EAST player with eight swats in a game since DePaul’s Nick Ongenda vs. St. John’s on Feb. 14, 2023.
Benoit Benjamin dominates Creighton’s single-game blocked shot list, as seen below:
Blk.   Name, Opponent   Date
12   Benoit Benjamin at Bradley   02/02/85
11   Benoit Benjamin vs. Tulsa   02/16/84
10   Benoit Benjamin vs. Omaha   12/22/83
Benoit Benjamin at Illinois State   03/08/84
Benoit Benjamin vs. Southern Illinois   01/17/85
9   Benoit Benjamin vs. West Texas A&M   01/21/84
8   Benoit Benjamin vs. Iowa State   12/10/83
Benoit Benjamin at Chaminade   12/19/84
Benoit Benjamin at Tulsa   01/12/85
Doug Swenson at UMKC   11/18/98
Ryan Kalkbrenner at St. John’s   02/25/24

More Fun With Numbers
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s just the third player in the last eight years to have eight or more blocks while playing 39 or more minutes of a regulation game.
The other two also have a Creighton connection.
One was LIU’s Ty Flowers (coached by current Creighton assistant Derek Kellogg) vs. UMass-Lowell on Nov. 8, 2019.
The other was Memphis’ Dedric Lawson (brother of current Creighton guard Johnathan Lawson) vs. UAB on Dec. 10, 2016.

A Look Back To Newark
Ryan Kalkbrenner played 53:34 on Jan. 20th at Seton Hall, including the final 45:57 without a break. Since 2005-06, the only other 7-footer to play 53 minutes or more in any college game was former Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet. The 7-foot-3 UConn big man played 53 minutes in a memorable six-overtime loss to Syracuse that started on March 12, 2009 at the BIG EAST Tournament.
Speaking of Kalkbrenner, his seven blocked shots that day tied the most ever by one of Greg McDermott‘s players in 23 seasons as a Division I head coach. Gregory Echenique also had seven vs. Missouri State on Jan. 22, 2011.
Kalkbrenner became the first player from a “Power 6” conference with at least 28 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in a game since Providence’s Herbert Hill (29/15/8) vs. Syracuse on Feb. 24, 2007.
Baylor Scheierman (20/10/6/0) became the first BIG EAST player since Georgetown’s Jessie Govan (20/10/6/0) vs. UNC Greensboro on Dec. 22, 2016) to finish with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and no turnovers.
Kadary Richmond attempted 32 field goals were the most against Creighton by a single player in at least 40 seasons, four more than the 28 by Western Michigan’s Jim Havrilla on Dec. 8, 1990.
Creighton had 82 field goal attempts at Seton Hall, its most in a game in at least 35 years. Seton Hall had 86 field goal attempts, the most by a Creighton opponent in at least 35 years. It was the first BIG EAST game since at least 2010 in which both teams attempted 80 or more shots.
Creighton made 13 three-pointers and blocked 10 shots in that game vs. Seton Hall. It was its first time with 10 or more in both categories since Feb. 17, 2002 vs. Wichita State.

55 Minutes For Number 55
Baylor Scheierman played all 55 minutes on Jan. 20th at Seton Hall, setting a Creighton single-game record.
He’s the first BIG EAST player to play 55 minutes or more in a game since four men 60 by Eric Atkins; 56 each by Pat Connaughton, Chane Behanan and Russ Smith) did in a five-overtime Louisville/Notre Dame game on Feb. 9, 2013.
He’s the first BIG EAST player to play 55 minutes or more without leaving the floor since DePaul’s Will Walker played all 55 minutes vs. St. John’s on March 5, 2010.
Scheierman is the second player in the country to play 55 minutes or more this season in a game, joining La Salle’s Khalil Brantley at Temple on Nov. 29th.
Scheierman finished second in the BIG EAST with 38.0 minutes per game in conference action this winter. Take out two lopsided wins against DePaul and Georgetown when he played only 129 of a possible 160 minutes, and he averaged 39.6 minutes per league game.

Road Work
Creighton’s 79-57 win at Butler on Feb. 17th was its third road victory by 20 points or more this season, as the Jays have also dominated Nebraska (89-60) and DePaul (84-58) away from home.
It’s the fifth time in program history that Creighton’s had three such wins in a season, but just the second time in the last 30 years.
Most 20+ Point Road Wins, Season, CU History
Games   Year   Opponents
3   1917-18   Trinity (IA), South Dakota, Parsons
3   1963-64   Nevada, South Dakota, Miami (Fla.)
3   1990-91   Cleveland St., Drake, Notre Dame
3   2012-13   Nebraska, Missouri St., So. Illinois
3   2023-24   Nebraska, DePaul, Butler

Bench Provides A Boost
Creighton has won 36 straight games when scoring 17 or more bench points. That’s the nation’s longest streak since Baylor’s streak of 48 games in a row from Nov. 5, 2019 – Jan. 8, 2022.

Stability Is Key
One reason for Creighton’s extended run of success has been the continuity within its coaching staff. The Bluejays have had just two head coaches in the last 30 years, Dana Altman (1994-2010) and Greg McDermott (2010-Present).
With help from Elias Sports Bureau, here’s a list of current “Power 6” schools to have a coach with 300 wins at that school, and their predecessor also had 300 wins at the school:
School   Former Coach   Current Coach
Creighton   Dana Altman   Greg McDermott
Kansas   Roy Williams   Bill Self
Michigan State   Jud Heathcote   Tom Izzo
Purdue   Gene Keady   Matt Painter

Not Tired Yet
Senior Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks 142nd nationally in minutes per game, averaging 33:57 per contest.
That ranks tops nationally among 7-footers, way ahead of Kansas All-American Hunter Dickinson (32:12).
Last year while at Michigan, Dickinson (32:42) was narrowly ahead of Kalkbrenner (32:15) among minutes per game among 7-footers.
No player as tall as 7-foot-1 has averaged more than Kalkbrenner’s current 33:57 average since at least 2011-12, with USC’s Evan Mobley (33:53) in 2020-21 being closest.

Making History
Baylor Scheierman (26), Steven Ashworth (26), Trey Alexander (22) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (20) all scored 20 or more points against Butler on Feb. 2.
It was the first time since at least 1980 that Creighton has had four men score 20 or more points in the same game.
The 26 points were Creighton-highs for both Ashworth and Scheierman, though Scheierman scored 27 his next time out at Providence.
Creighton was the first team nationally with four men to score 20 in the same game since March 5th, 2022 when North Carolina did it vs. Duke (Armando Bacot 23; Caleb Love 22; RJ Davis 21; Brady Manek 20).
Creighton was the first BIG EAST school with four players with 20+ points since Syracuse vs. UConn in their famous six-OT thriller on March 12, 2009 (Jonny Flynn 34; Paul Harris 29; Eric Devendorf 22; Andy Rautins 20).
It was just the fifth time in 14 seasons under Greg McDermott that Creighton’s had three men score 20+ in the same game, but second time in two weeks (also Jan. 20th at Seton Hall).
It was the first time that Creighton’s had two men score 25 or more in the same game since Booker Woodfox (26) and P’Allen Stinnett (30) vs. New Mexico on Nov. 16, 2008.

Twenty Is Plenty
Trey Alexander owns 14 games this season with 20 points or more, while Baylor Scheierman has done it 14 times and Ryan Kalkbrenner on 10 occasions.
In 14 seasons under Greg McDermott, only Doug McDermott (3x), Marcus Foster (2x), Ryan Kalkbrenner and Marcus Zegarowski have also done that 10 or more times in an entire season.
Most Games With 20+ Points, Season, Since 2005-06
20+ Pts.   Name   Season
30   Doug McDermott, Sr.   2013-14
26   Doug McDermott, Jr.   2012-13
24   Doug McDermott, So.   2011-12
18   Marcus Foster, Sr.   2017-18
14   Trey Alexander, Jr.   2023-24
14   Baylor Scheierman, Sr.   2023-24
12   Marcus Foster, Jr.   2016-17
11   Nate Funk   2006-07
10   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sr.   2023-24

Give Me Twenty
Creighton has had 41 individual scoring performances of 20 or more points this season, including 22 such outings in the past 13 games alone.
Creighton is 20-3 all-time when Ryan Kalkbrenner scores 20 points or more.
Creighton is 13-4 when Baylor Scheierman scores 20 points or more.
Creighton is also 17-2 all-time when Trey Alexander scores 20 points or more.
Nationally, when Alexander scores 20 or more points (min. 15 games of 20+ points) Creighton does almost as well as anyone, as seen below in this list from Elias Sports Bureau:
Best Team Record When Scoring 20+ Points
(Min. 15 games of 20+ points, active players only, thru 3/16)
Win Pct.   W-L   Player, Team
.941   16-1   Ja’Monta Black, Austin Peay
.917   22-2   LJ Cryer, Houston/Baylor
.903   28-3   Graham Ike, Gonzaga/Wyoming
.895   17-2   Trey Alexander, Creighton
.895   17-2   Justin Wright, Loyola Marymount

Best Team Record When Scoring 20+ Points
(Min. 20 games of 20+ points, active players only, thru 3/16)
Win Pct.   W-L   Player, Team
.917   22-2   LJ Cryer, Houston/Baylor
.903   28-3   Graham Ike, Gonzaga/Wyoming
.875   35-5   Tucker DeVries, Drake
.870   20-3   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
.846   22-4   Blake Hinson, Ole Miss/Iowa St./Pitt

Watch This
Two Bluejays are finalists for being the best in the nation at their position.
Baylor Scheierman is one of five men up for the Julius Erving Award, given to the nation’s top small forward.
Ryan Kalkbrenner is one of five men in the running for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the nation’s top center.

Give Me 10
Creighton went 14-2 inside CHI Health Center Omaha and earned at least 10 home wins for the 27th time in the last 28 seasons in 2023-24. The only exception in that time came in 2014-15, when the Jays won nine times at home.
Creighton also surpassed 200,000 total home fans for the season. It is the 18th time in the last 19 years that’s happened. The only exception was the 2020-21 season that was impacted by COVID-19, which restricted crowds nationwide.

Yearly Pink Out Totals
Creighton has raised $605,089.18 since the start of the 2011-12 season during its annual men’s basketball Pink Out auctions, plus additional money collected on gameday, underwriting or matching donations.
2011-12:   $20,600
2012-13:   $24,444
2013-14:   $48,247.11
2014-15:   $16,384.03
2015-16:   $16,527.90
2016-17:   $26,361.64
2017-18:   $28,796
2018-19:   $19,595
2019-20:   $31,803.18
2020-21:   $40,381
2021-22:   $24,165
2022-23:   $27,432
2023-24:   $36,002.46
Additional Donations:   $244,349.86
13-Year Totals: $605,089.18

Pink Out Auction Raises $36,002.46
When Creighton hosted DePaul on January 27th in its 14th Annual Pink Out game, Bluejay players wore pink shooting shirts and pink-trimmed jerseys for the game.
Fans had the opportunity to honor a friend or family member who has battled cancer or is currently battling cancer by purchasing the apparel via auction.
All funds raised went to benefit American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Omaha, which provides a free home away from home for cancer patients and their caregivers who must travel to Omaha to receive their lifesaving treatment. More than just a roof over their heads, it’s a nurturing community that helps patients access the care they need. This year Nebraska Cancer Specialists generously agreed to match all donations to Hope Lodge raised at the game, up to $30,000.
The annual Creighton Men’s Basketball Pink Out game has raised over $605,089.18 (including the 2023-24 auction) benefiting the Hope Lodge facility in Omaha and the guests it serves.
This year’s auction ran from Jan. 11-21 and raised $36,002.46, while the matching donation and in-game donations generated an additional $72,119.54.
Below is the final numbers for each jersey/item in the auction this year.
#0   $945   #1   $2025   #2   $1050
#4   $887   #5   $1725   #10   $870
#11   $3600   #12   $847.46   #13   $2000
#14   $872   #15   $2250   #23   $3650
#32   $1005   #33   $1675   #41   $1825
#55   $3150   Golf:   $3250
Greg McDermott‘s Shoes   $935   Ball 1: $710
Ball 2: $710 Ball 3: $680 Ball 4: $655   Ball 5: $686

McDermott Among The Best
Greg McDermott ranks tied for eighth in league history with 123 regular-season league wins.
McDermott, along with Ed Cooley and Pitino, are the only three active coaches with 100 regular-season BIG EAST wins. The list contains six different coaches who have won at least one national title.
McDermott has been at his current job (14 seasons) longer than any active BIG EAST coach, but since his first three years were as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Cooley’s 13 years in the BIG EAST lead all active league coaches.
Most League Wins, BIG EAST MBB Coaches
Rk.   Wins   Name, School
1.   366   Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
2.   274   Jim Calhoun, UConn
3.   244   Jay Wright, Villanova
4.   198   John Thompson Sr., Georgetown
5.   136   Mike Brey, Notre Dame
6.   131   John Thompson III, Georgetown
7.   127   Lou Carnesecca, St. John’s
8.   123   Greg McDermott, Creighton
123   Ed Cooley, Providence/G’Town
123   Rick Pitino, Prov./Louisville/SJU
11.   115   Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh

Overtime Is Trey’s Time
Trey Alexander’s three-pointer with 28.4 seconds left in triple-overtime gave Creighton a 93-91 lead it would not surrender at Seton Hall, but it’s not the first time he’s provided overtime heroics. He had also given CU a 90-89 lead with 55.6 left on a jumper.
Alexander has been on the court for all 40 overtime minutes of each of Creighton’s last five games to go beyond 40 minutes, and he’s been excellent almost every time.
He’s shot 10-for-18 from the field (.556), including 1-for-3 from three-point range (.333) while making 7-of-8 free throws (.875). Alexander also has two assists, two blocked shots and two steals in that span.
Alexander has scored 28 of Creighton’s 70 overtime points in those five contests.

Sultan of Swat
Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 296.
Kalkbrenner has joined Benoit Benjamin as the only Bluejays with three different seasons of 60 or more blocks.
Kalkbrenner is just the seventh BIG EAST player since 1992-93 with three campaigns of 72 or more swats, joining Jason Lawson (4x) and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (3x), Chris Obekpa (3x), Emeka Okafor (3x), Hasheem Thabeet (3x) and Etan Thomas (3x).
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
Blk.   Name   Years
411   Benoit Benjamin   1982-85
296   Ryan Kalkbrenner   2020-Pres.
183   Chad Gallagher   1987-91
174   Gregory Echenique   2010-13

Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
Blk.   Name (Class)   Year
162   Benoit Benjamin (Jr.)   1984-85
157   Benoit Benjamin (So.)   1983-84
97   Ryan Kalkbrenner (Sr.)   2023-24
92   Benoit Benjamin (Fr.)   1982-83
89   Ryan Kalkbrenner (So.)   2021-22
72   Ryan Kalkbrenner (Jr.)   2022-23
70   Chad Gallagher (Sr.)   1990-91

Baylor Ball
Of the 1,228 career rebounds that Baylor Scheierman has snared, only 115 of them (9.4 percent) have come on the offensive glass.
Scheierman leads all BIG EAST players with 262 defensive rebounds this season, but is tied for 48th with 25 offensive rebounds.
Last year Scheierman became the only “Power 6” player in the last 25 seasons with at least 270 defensive rebounds and less than 40 offensive rebounds.
Scheierman owns 25 career games of 10 or more rebounds without snaring an offensive board. Per Basketball-Reference.com, that makes him one of just two players nationally since 2010-11 with more than 10 such contests, joining Weber State’s Dillon Jones (25).
One other quirky stat about Scheierman? He owned 1,088 career rebounds in his first 145 career games. Those are the exact same numbers that Doug McDermott finished his college career with.

Meet The Alexander’s
Though they’re not related, the stats of Ty-Shon Alexander (2017-20) and Trey Alexander (2021-Present) are pretty similar. Ty-Shon played 98 games, while Trey has played in 104 contests.
That’s a positive development considering that Ty-Shon was a First Team All-BIG EAST choice who helped Creighton to a share of the 2020 BIG EAST title and later played for the 2021 NBA runner-up Phoenix Suns.
Career Statistics
Name   PTS   REB   AST   BLK   STL   FG%   3FG%   FT%
Ty-Shon   1241   360   222   22   91   .418   .372   .813
Trey   1324   469   335   42   101   .446   .354   .817

Scheierman The Scorer?
Baylor Scheierman is fourth in the BIG EAST Conference in scoring at 18.4 points per game, and has scored in double-figures every game but one this season.
Before being held to nine points on Jan. 6 vs. Providence, Scheierman had become just the third Creighton player in the last 25 seasons to score in double-figures each of the first 14 games of a year, joining Doug McDermott (all 35 games in 2011-12) and Marcus Foster (first 15 in 2017-18).
The fifth-year senior is aiming to become the first Creighton player to lead the BIG EAST in scoring since Doug McDermott in 2013-14. McDermott led the nation with 26.7 points per game en route to National Player of the Year accolades.
Keep in mind that Scheierman has proven he can do way more than score. Two years ago at South Dakota State, Scheierman led the Summit League in the rare combination of both rebounds and assists.

Biggest in the BIG EAST
Creighton’s average height of 78.56 inches puts the Bluejays as the nation’s 11th-tallest team, and the biggest in the BIG EAST.
The second-tallest team in the BIG EAST is Connecticut, which ranks tied for 24th-biggest at 78.29 inches per player.

Jays Don’t Foul…Do You Follow?
Creighton leads the nation with just 11.3 fouls per game…let’s take a minute to appreciate just how few that is.
Lipscomb is second-best at avoiding fouls, committing 12.9 per game.
Creighton is the only team nationally that has not had a player foul out this season. Per Elias, Creighton’s streak of 51 straight games without a foul out is the nation’s longest since Colgate’s 51-game streak (Nov. 16, 2021 – Jan. 11, 2023) being the only other streak of 51+ since 2005-06.
Only two teams total (Nebraska and Alabama), have gotten into the bonus in the first half this season against Creighton.
Creighton has committed three fouls or less in 15 different halves this year.
Creighton has had more than nine fouls in just five halves (including OT) this season, which means its opponents have been in the double-bonus just four times.
Creighton has allowed just 39 made free throws in a 1-and-1 situation all year, and just 12 made free throws in the double bonus all season (6 of those came in an overtime session). Only two of those free throws in a 1-and-1 situation came in the first half (vs. Alabama).
Here’s a look at how many fouls Creighton has been called for this season by half:
Creighton Fouls By Half
Opponent   First Half   Second Half
Florida A&M   4   5
North Dakota State   1   3
Iowa   6   8
Texas Southern   1   6
Loyola (Chicago)   3   7
Colorado State   2   5
Oklahoma State   6   7
Nebraska   7   7
Central Michigan   3   2
UNLV   5   5
Alabama   9   7
Villanova   5   4 (4 more in OT)
#10 Marquette   5   11
Georgetown   4   6
#23 Providence   5   6
St. John’s   3   5
DePaul   6   10
#1 Connecticut   5   9
Seton Hall   3   5 (6 more in 3 OT’s)
Xavier   6   8
DePaul   5   4
Butler   3   8
at Providence   5   3 (6 more in OT)
at Xavier   6   7
Georgetown   5   7
at Butler   3   5
#1 Connecticut   4   9
at St. John’s   2   10
Seton Hall   6   10
#5 Marquette   2   8
at Villanova   3   3
Providence   4   9
Total   137   209 (16 more in OT)

Kalkbrenner’s A Handful
Ryan Kalkbrenner swatted five shots on Dec. 16 at UNLV, then did it again on Jan. 17 at No. 1 UConn. He notched a career-high eight rejections on Feb. 25 at St. John’s.
Fourteen times in his Bluejay career that he’s had five or more rejections. During his four years at Creighton, all his teammates have combined for one such game, a five-swat effort by Fredrick King last year in Las Vegas. Kalkbrenner is the only Creighton player with multiple games of five or more swats since the Bluejays joined the BIG EAST in 2013 as King, Jacob Epperson and Justin Patton have each done it once.
Kalkbrenner’s 296 career blocked shots rank third among the nation’s active players.
In January, Kalkbrenner had four or more blocks in four straight games, Creighton’s longest such streak since Benoit Benjamin did it in an incredible 12 straight games from Jan. 12-, Feb. 20, 1985. The streak featured games of 8, 10, 5, 4, 7, 12, 6, 5, 5, 6, 4 and 4 blocks.

Among The Nation’s Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to 3/17/24
Category   CU Stat   CU Rank
3FG Made   4282   2nd
2FG Percentage   .550   3rd
FG Percentage   .477   4th
Assists   7,709   5th
3FG Percentage   .374   6th
FG Made   13,189   8th
Points   36,857   9th
Wins   323   24th
Winning Percentage   .670   30th

Don’t Forget The Two’s
While attention tends to focus on Creighton’s proficiency from three-point range, the Bluejays are also pretty efficient from inside the arc.
Through games of March 17, CU ranks third in the country in two-point percentage (.606) in 2023-24 and third-best nationally (.550) among Division I schools to have played 100 or more games since Greg McDermott‘s arrival in 2010-11.
Creighton shot 26-for-32 (.813) from two-point range on Dec. 9 vs. Central Michigan, just the third time in Greg McDermott‘s 14 seasons at CU its converted on better than 80 percent of its two-point shots. The only better game was when it shot 22-for-26 (.846) in a March 2, 2013 win over Wichita State in CU’s final regular-season game as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Century Mark
Creighton’s 109 point effort on Dec. 9 vs. Central Michigan was the 25th time under Greg McDermott that Creighton has scored 100 or more points.
That ranks third-most among all Power 5/BIG EAST teams nationally in that span, trailing only North Carolina (37) and Iowa (26).
No other BIG EAST team has cracked the century mark more than 13 times since 2010-11.
Greg McDermott‘s teams at Northern Iowa (153 games) and Iowa State (127 games) never scored more than 100 points in any game.

Road Dubs
Before its Dec. 13 loss at UNLV, Creighton had started 2-0 on the road this season, doing so in impressive fashion in both games.
On Nov. 30 Creighton beat Oklahoma State 79-65, its second-biggest non-conference home loss since 1978.
Four days later on Dec. 3, Creighton won 89-60 at Nebraska, handing the Cornhuskers their largest non-conference home loss since 1938.
It’s the first time that Creighton has won its first two true road games since 2016-17, when the Jays won their first five road contests.
It’s also just the 12th time in the last 50 seasons that CU has won each of its first two true road games. Ten of the 11 most recent teams to do so made the NCAA Tournament, and each won 20 or more games.
Started 2-0 Or Better On The Road, Last 50 Years
Road W’s to Start   Season   Final W-L (Postseason)
2   1976-77   21-7 (NCAA)
2   1980-81   21-9 (NCAA)
2   1998-99   22-9 (NCAA)
3   1999-00   23-10 (NCAA)
2   2002-03   29-5 (NCAA)
4   2003-04   20-9 (NIT)
2   2004-05   23-11 (NCAA)
2   2011-12   29-6 (NCAA)
4   2012-13   28-8 (NCAA)
4   2013-14   27-8 (NCAA)
5   2016-17   25-10 (NCAA)
2   2023-24   TBD

He Does It All
Baylor Scheierman owns 2,175 points, 1,228 rebounds, 571 assists and has made 345 career three-pointers in 159 total games when you combine his Creighton and South Dakota State stats.
Creighton’s only other players to reach 1,000 career rebounds (only at Creighton) have been Paul Silas (1,751), Bob Harstad (1,126), Doug McDermott (1,088) and Benoit Benjamin (1,005).
If you’re curious, how many games it took to get to 1,000 rebounds for each man, we’ve got you covered:
Games to 1,000 Rebounds
Name   GP   Opponent, Date
Paul Silas   47   at Utah State, 2/23/63
Benoit Benjamin   89   at Bradley, 3/5/85
Bob Harstad   115   Siena, 2/3/91
Doug McDermott   132   DePaul, 2/7/14
Baylor Scheierman*   135   at Nebraska, 12/3/23
*includes games at South Dakota State

1,000+ Rebounds, 274+ 3FG Nationally, Since 1992-93
**Stats earned at Division I schools only**
Name, School(s)   REB   3FG
Baylor Scheierman, SDSU/Creighton   1,228   345
Doug McDermott, Creighton   1,088   274

1,100+ Rebounds, 500 Assists Nationally, Since 1992-93
**Stats earned at Division I schools only**
Name, School(s)   REB   AST
Baylor Scheierman, SDSU/Creighton   1,228   571
Brian Voelkel, Vermont   1,168   679
John Konchar, IPFW   1,149   553
Max Fiedler, Rice   1,144   571

Can’t Stop Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman made a three-point basket in all 37 games he played last season and each of his first 11 contests this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to 58 in a row if you include his final 10 games at South Dakota State in 2021-22. The streak ended on Dec. 20, 2023 vs. Villanova, when Scheierman went 0-for-7 from deep.
Scheierman’s streak of 48 straight as a Bluejay was the longest streak in Creighton history, 15 more than Ty-Shon Alexander’s 33.
Since Scheierman’s streak was snapped, he’s made a three-ball in 20 straight games, meaning he’s drained at least one triple in 78 of his past 79 contests and all but one of his 69 games in a Bluejay uniform.
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer, Creighton History
Streak   Name   Dates of Streak
48   Baylor Scheierman   Nov. 7, 2022 – Dec. 16, 2023
33   Ty-Shon Alexander   Feb. 27, 2018-March 6, 2019
31   Booker Woodfox   Nov. 25, 2008-March 23, 2009
28   Kyle Korver   Feb. 4, 2001-Feb. 6, 2002
27   Kyle Korver   Feb. 13, 2002-Jan. 20, 2003

Road Openers
Creighton is 7-7 under Greg McDermott in its first true road game of the season.
The road opener has been the barometer for Creighton’s postseason plans in the last 14 years (including 2023-24). Creighton has made the NCAA Tournament all seven times (including 2023-24) it has won the road opener, and missed the NCAA Tournament four of the other six years where a postseason was contested.
That’s encouraging since CU defeated Oklahoma State 79-65 in its road opener this winter.
CU would have made the 2020 NCAA Tournament that was canceled even though it lost its road opener that year.
Creighton in Road Openers, Last 14 Years
Year   Opponent   Score   CU in NCAA’s?
2010-11   Northwestern   L 52-65   No (CBI)
2011-12   UAB   W 70-60   Yes
2012-13   Nebraska   W 64-42   Yes
2013-14   Saint Joseph’s   W 83-79   Yes
2014-15   Tulsa   L 64-77   No
2015-16   #14 Indiana   L 65-86   No (NIT)
2016-17   Nebraska   W 77-62   Yes
2017-18   #20 Northwestern   W 92-88   Yes
2018-19   Nebraska   L 75-94   No (NIT)
2019-20   Michigan   L 69-79   No (Postseason CCD)
2020-21   #5 Kansas   L 72-73   Yes
2021-22   Nebraska   W 77-69   Yes
2022-23   #2 Texas   L 67-72   Yes
2023-24   Oklahoma State   W 79-65   Yes

Among The Best…EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 691 of 1,044 career shots, putting him at 66.2 percent overall. That places the senior center fifth in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 500 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.
However, Kalkbrenner is first among all such players who have ever attempted 50 or more three-point field goal attempts.
Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 500 FG, 4FG/game)
Pct. (FG-FGA)   Name, School   Years
.678 (828-1222)   Steve Johnson, Oregon State   1976-81
.668 (566-847)   Murray Brown, Florida State   1976-80
.667 (740-1109)   Evan Bradds, Belmont   2013-17
.664 (702-1058)   Todd MacCulloch, Washington   1995-99
.662 (691-1044)   Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   2020-Pres.
.658 (601-914)   Max Fiedler, Rice   2020-24
.656 (552-841)   Kevin Magee UC Irvine   1980-82

Trey’s Bien
Trey Alexander has made the leap in his junior season. Here’s how this year compares to his first two years combined.
Category   2023-24   2021-23
Games Played   32   72
20-Point Games   14   5
Dunks   5   2
Double-Doubles   4   0
Points Per Game   17.6   10.6
Rebounds Per Game   5.7   4.0
Assists Per Game   4.8   2.5

Nationally Speaking
Through games of March 17th, Creighton is all over the NCAA stat leaders. The Bluejays rank in the top 20 of 10 different team and nine individual categories.
Rank   Category   Stat
1   Fouls Per Game   11.3
2   Blocks Per Game (Kalkbrenner)   3.03
2   Blocks (Kalkbrenner)   97
4   Effective FG%   .575
4   Defensive Rebounds Per Game   29.62
5   Def. Rebounds/Game (Scheierman)   8.19
6   Field Goal Pct. (Kalkbrenner)   .650
6   Average Home Attendance   17,269
6   Three-Pointers Per Game   10.6
7   Triple-Doubles (Scheierman)   1
8   Three-Point Attempts Per Game   29.3
9   Total Home Attendance   276,300
10   Minutes Per Game (Alexander)   36:48
11   Free Throw Percentage   .781
15   Assist/Turnover Ratio   1.62
19   3FG Attempts (Scheierman)   266
17   Assists Per Game   17.1
20   Field Goal Percentage   .486
20   Double-Doubles (Scheierman)   15

This Is 20/20
Trey Alexander started his junior season with 20 points vs. Florida A&M, 21 points vs. North Dakota State, 23 points vs. Iowa and 20 points vs. Texas Southern
That made him just the second Bluejay in the last 25 years to score 20 or more in each of CU’s first four games, joining Doug McDermott in 2013-14. McDermott did it the first six games of his senior season in 2013-14 and went on to be named National Player of the Year that season.
Alexander is the first Bluejay to score 20 points or more in four consecutive games at any time of year since Marcus Foster did it in seven consecutive contests from Jan. 16-Feb. 10, 2018.

Bahamas Bounce
Creighton got a jump start on the season with nine practices in July before heading to the Bahamas to play in three games during the first week of August.
Creighton won all three games by 14 points or more, averaged 98.3 points, and outrebounded foes by 21.3 caroms per contest.
Trey Alexander led CU by averaging 20.0 points before missing the final contest, but Ryan Kalkbrenner (11.0 ppg.), Baylor Scheierman (10.0 ppg.) and Fredrick King (10.0 ppg.) also scored at a double-digit clip.
Steven Ashworth led CU with 15 assists, King and Brock Vice had a team-high 18 rebounds and Kalkbrenner topped the team with 10 swats.
A 2019 trip to Australia helped the Bluejays open the year 12-2.
A 2015 trip to Italy helped the Bluejays start the season 5-1.
A 2011 trip to the Bahamas helped get the Bluejays ready for a 7-0 start.
A 2007 trip to Canada paid dividends as Creighton started 5-0.
In 2003, the Bluejays also went to Canada and started the subsequent season 12-0.

Who’s Back?
With Creighton returning seven of the 13 men who appeared in a game last season, it’s no surprise that a similar ratio of the production from 2022-23 is also gone. Below is a breakdown of what is back:
Stat   Returners   Departures
Blocks   126 (82.9%)   26 (17.1%)
Rebounds   860 (67.9%)   411 (32.1%)
3FG Made   207 (64.9%)   112 (35.1%)
Points   1833 (64.8%)   995 (35.2%)
Steals   119 (64.3%)   66 (35.7%)
Minutes   4693 (63.0%)   2757 (37.0%)
Starts   111 (60.0%)   74 (40.0%)
Charges Taken   16 (59.3%)   11 (40.7%)
Assists   308 (53.0%)   273 (47.0%)

Preseason Top 10
The Creighton men’s basketball team was ranked eighth in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, its highest preseason AP ranking ever. That’s one spot better than the previous best, done last year, when the Bluejays started the season ranked ninth. CU was ranked 11th in the March 18th AP poll.
The announcement marks just the sixth time in program history the writers have voted CU to the top-25 in the preseason, joining 2006-07 (No. 19), 2012-13 (No. 16) and 2016-17 (No. 22), 2020-21 (No. 11) and 2022-23 (No. 9). All five of those teams would end up in the NCAA Tournament, with the last two making the Sweet 16 and last year’s club reaching the Elite Eight.
Creighton has been ranked in the Top 10 on 29 different occasions in program history, with all but one of those occasions happening under head coach Greg McDermott. Creighton’s best ranking in program history is seventh, done five times (Jan. 16, 2017, March 10, 2020, March 18, 2020, Jan. 7, 2021 and Nov. 28, 2022).
Creighton has now been ranked 140 times in program history, with 113 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 173-72 all-time as a ranked team, including a 139-60 mark under McDermott. Creighton has now been ranked at least one week in 10 of McDermott’s 14 seasons on The Hilltop after doing it just five different seasons in program history before his 2010 arrival.
Creighton is one of four schools to be ranked in the preseason top-10 each of the past two seasons, joining Kansas, Duke and Houston.
Along with No. 5 Marquette, No. 6 Connecticut and No. 8 Creighton, this year marked the first time since 2011-12 that the BIG EAST had three Preseason Top-10 teams.
Creighton was also eighth in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll, its best preseason mark ever. CU was 11th in the March 17th Coaches poll.

Downtown Duo
Only two players nationally that are returning in 2023-24 had 120+ assists, 87+ three-pointers and 38+ steals in 2022-23.
Baylor Scheierman and Steven Ashworth.
Both are playing for Creighton this season.

Big Deficits, No Big Deal
Creighton owns 27 victories since the start of the 2010-11 season after trailing by double-figures at some point. Thirteen of those 27 comebacks have come away from home.
If you’re curious, CU’s largest comeback win since 2000 came on Jan. 28, 2006, when the Jays trailed 25-6 early before rallying to beat Wichita State on a buzzer-beater by Anthony Tolliver.
CU’s Double-Digit Comebacks Under McDermott
Deficit   Opponent   Date
18   #18 Oklahoma   11/19/14
17   at San Diego State   11/30/11
16   at Evansville   02/16/13
16   at Seton Hall   01/27/21
16   SIU Edwardsville   11/27/21
15   Arkansas-Pine Bluff   11/09/21
14   Evansville   02/21/12
14   vs. San Diego State   03/17/22
13   at Saint Joseph’s   11/16/13
13   Xavier   01/12/14
13   #22 Xavier   12/23/20
12   Saint Joseph’s   12/11/10
12   at DePaul   01/17/16
12   East Tennessee State   11/11/18
11   at Wichita State   12/31/11
11   Northern Iowa   01/10/12
11   vs. Alabama   03/16/12
11   vs. Ole Miss   11/21/16
11   vs. Connecticut   03/12/21
11   DePaul   01/22/22
10   UAB   11/14/12
10   vs. Drake   03/02/12
10   at Nebraska   12/07/14
10   South Dakota   12/09/14
10   St. John’s   01/03/18
10   at DePaul   02/07/18
10   Bemidji State   02/13/18

Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 1,017 straight games. The streak is the nation’s 10th-longest active streak.
Creighton’s last game without a three-pointer came at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993, when the Jays were 0-for-5. Creighton’s last win without making a three-point basket came on March 3, 1991 when the Jays went 0-for-2 from three-point range in a 71-66 win over Southern Illinois in the championship game of the MVC Tournament.
Below is a list of the nation’s longest active three-point streaks.
Longest Active 3-Point Streaks (3/17)
Rk.   Streak   School   Next Game
1.   1,225   UNLV   3/20
2.   1,221   Duke   3/22
3.   1,158   East Tennessee State   Season Over
4.   1,131   Oakland   3/21
5.   1,128   Pacific   Season Over
6.   1,126   Texas   3/21
7.   1,067   Marshall   Season Over
8.   1,054   Gonzaga   3/21
9.   1,049   Princeton   3/20
10.   1,017   Creighton   3/21
11.   1,013   Long Island   Season Over
12.   1,006   Mount St. Mary’s   Season Over

Dynamic Duo
Creighton is one of eight schools to have men’s and women’s basketball programs to both own 22 wins or more each of the previous two seasons, a list that includes Creighton, Gonzaga, Liberty, Princeton, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo and UConn.
This season, Creighton was one of eight teams with a preseason top-25 squad on both the men’s and women’s side, joining Baylor, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Southern California, Tennessee and Texas.
The only five schools to be ranked in the preseason men’s and women’s basketball Top 25 of the AP Poll both this season and last season were Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Creighton is one of eight schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men’s and women’s basketball each of the last three seasons (including 2023-24), a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Tennessee, Texas and UConn.
The only schools with at-large bids in each of the last three years (including 2023-24) in both men’s and women’s basketball are Baylor and Creighton.

Triple Trouble
During Creighton’s current streak of 1,017 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 8,124 trifectas, an average of 7.99 treys per game.
That’s not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly seven three-pointers 149 times, more than any figure.
Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 301 occasions the Bluejays have made 10 or more trifectas, including three games of 20 or more.
Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Bluejays are 82-19 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 32-30 mark when making seven treys or fewer.
Team 3FG Made During Creighton’s 3-Point Streak
1:    5 times   2: 19 times   3: 36 times
4:    75 times   5:   104 times   6: 107 times
7:   149 times   8:   127 times   9: 94 times
10: 84 times   11: 58 times   12: 60 times
13: 49 times   14: 24 times   15: 8 times
16: 8 times   17: 4 times   18: 1 time
19: 2 times   20: 1 time   21: 1 time   22: 1 time

CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 354 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 21-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 292-62 (.825) record all-time at the facility, and is 22-1 there on Friday’s.
Creighton’s Nov. 25, 2017 win over SIU Edwardsville was the program’s 200th at the facility, coming in its 242nd home game. CU’s 100th win came on Nov. 17, 2010, a 63-58 win over Louisiana.
Creighton has outscored its opponents 27,802-23,230 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.92 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 91 different times.
Incredibly, Creighton hasn’t trailed in its home opener in 10 of the past 23 seasons (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2019-20).
Creighton is also 32-36 all-time in the 68 games at the arena in which it’s fallen behind by double-figures at any point, 8-11 when down by 10+ points at halftime in the facility, and 41-29 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 195-44 (.816) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn’t trailed in 65 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 101-9 home record (.918) vs. non-conference teams.
Factor in a 17-0 home mark at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in 2002-03 and two wins at the Civic in the 2010 CIT, and the Bluejays are 311-62 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.79 points per home game (19,308 points in 239 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.37 points in non-conference home games (9,281 points in 110 home games).
Creighton is 147-7 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.

Creighton Retires McDermott’s No. 3 Jersey
Creighton Men’s Basketball retired Doug McDermott’s No. 3 jersey prior to its Dec. 20 game vs. Villanova. McDermott was a three-time All-American (2012, 2013, 2014) and consensus National Player of the Year (2014) during an incredible four-year career spanning from 2010-14.
McDermott finished his career with an NCAA-record 135 double-figure scoring games and wrapped up his time on The Hilltop with 3,150 points, which was fifth in NCAA history. He was named winner of the Oscar Robertson, John R. Wooden and Naismith trophies as the National Player of the Year in 2013-14, when he led the country in scoring and helped Creighton to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The son of current Bluejay head coach Greg McDermott, Doug McDermott was a three-time Conference Player of the Year and remains the sport’s only three-time Associated Press First Team All-American since 1985.
McDermott received his Marketing degree from Creighton in 2014 and is currently in his 10th year in the NBA, as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
McDermott’s number hangs in the rafters on the west side of the arena alongside five other Bluejay greats (#25 Kyle Korver, #30 Bob Harstad, #33 Bob Portman, #35 Paul Silas, #45 Bob Gibson).

McDermott In The NBA
Doug McDermott is in his 10th year in an NBA career that saw him selected 11th overall by Denver, with stops in Chicago, Oklahoma City, New York, Dallas, Indiana and San Antonio. He was traded from San Antonio back to Indiana in the final hours of the trade deadline on Feb. 8th.
Overall, he is averaging 5.7 points per game this season and shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range.
In his career, McDermott has played in 643 games and averaged 9.0 points per game. He ranks 24th in NBA history with 41.0 percent marksmanship from three-point range in his career.
The 10-year NBA vet gives Creighton at least one NBA player in 40 of the last 41 seasons. Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver.

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