Game #5: Loyola Chicago Ramblers (2-2) vs. #8 Creighton Bluejays (4-0)
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023 • 3 p.m. • Kansas City, Mo. • T-Mobile Center
| LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | CU NOTES |
Next Game
No. 8 Creighton (4-0) ventures outside of Omaha for the first time this season when it heads to Kansas City, Mo., for a pair of games at the 2023 Hall of Fame Classic.
The first game of the event features Colorado State (4-0) and Boston College (4-0) squaring off on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 12:30 p.m. Creighton then takes the floor at 3 p.m. to meet Loyola Chicago (2-2).
On Thursday the consolation game will take place at 12:30 p.m., followed by the championship game at 3 p.m.
All the action will take place inside T-Mobile Center (18,000).
Radio Broadcast Information
KOZN (1620 AM) and KOOO (101.9 FM) will carry all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2023-24 season. John Bishop and Tyler Clement will call the action.
The audio is webcast at 1620thezone.com and can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 119 or 204.
Telecast Information
Wednesday’s game will be called by Jason Knapp and Steve Lappas and be televised on CBS Sports Network. The game will also be video webcast at https://www.cbssports.com/cbs-sports-network/. Cable authorization may be required.
Live Stats Information
All of Creighton’s games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the small bar graph icon on the scoreboard at the top of the page for the event of your choosing.
Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.
Scouting #8 Creighton
Ranked eighth nationally in the Associated Press poll and seventh in the USA Today Coaches polls, Creighton has lofty expectations after coming one possession shy of the program’s first Final Four last March. Wins over Florida A&M (105-54), North Dakota State (89-60), Iowa (92-84) and Texas Southern (82-50) have done nothing to diminish those hopes.
The nucleus of the team is formed by three returning starters as senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner (12.8 ppg., 71.0 FG%), senior forward Baylor Scheierman (18.0, 6.0 rpg., 4.5 apg) and junior guard Trey Alexander (21.0 ppg., 7.3 rpg., 6.5 apg.) all put their professional aspirations on hold and came back.
Add in senior transfer Steven Ashworth (7.5 ppg,. 3.5 apg., 38.1 3FG%), the USBWA District VII Player of the Year last year at Utah State, and it’s easy to see why CU is one of three BIG EAST teams picked in the top-10 nationally.
Creighton’s bench has provided 25.8 points per game to date, a group led by Francisco Farabello (8.0 ppg.; 53.8 3FG%), Fredrick King (6.8 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) and Isaac Traudt (7.5 ppg., 44.4 3FG%) leading the way.
Creighton was picked to finish second of 11 teams in a preseason poll of BIG EAST coaches. It’s No. 8 spot in the polls was its best preseason rank in program history.
Scouting Loyola Chicago
Loyola Chicago is 2-2 on the young season, alternating wins and losses thus far against Florida Atlantic (75-62 loss), Eastern Illinois (89-65 win), UIC (72-67 loss) and New Orleans (73-70 win).
Des Watson leads the Ramblers with 15.8 points per game and has drained a team-high nine three-pointers, while Phillip Alston (10.3 ppg.) joins him in double-figures. Braden Norris (7.0 ppg., 4.8 apg.) is a talented playmaker for a Loyola offense averaging 72.8 points per game.
After going 10-21 last season and finishing last in the Atlantic 10 with a 4-14 league mark. This year’s Ramblers squad was picked eighth in the league’s preseason poll.
The Series vs. Loyola Chicago
Loyola leads the all-time series with Creighton by a 12-7 margin, but the teams have never met on a neutral floor. The Ramblers won eight of the first nine meetings, but more recently the teams have alternated wins and losses in the past seven meetings.
The teams have met just three times since 1982, including Creighton’s 70-61 NIT win in 2019 in the most recent meeting.
Greg McDermott is 3-1 against Loyola. He won twice as head coach at UNI and is 1-1 as Creighton’s coach against the Ramblers. He has never coached against Drew Valentine.
The Creighton Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) owns a 304-150 record in his 14th season with the Bluejays. He owns a career mark of 584-345 in his 30th season, and is 453-281 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 its first Elite Eight since 1941 in 2022-23.
McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000).
He is assisted by Ryan Miller, Jalen Courtney-Williams and Derek Kellogg.
With A Win…
– Creighton would improve to 5-0 on the season, and for the seventh time in 14 seasons under Greg McDermott.
– Creighton would improve to 8-12 all-time against Loyola Chicago, and 3-1 under Greg McDermott.
– Creighton would improve to 12-1 all-time in the Hall of Fame or Guardians Classic.
Moser Played at Creighton
Former Loyola (Chicago) head coach Porter Moser played four years at Creighton from 1986-90, scoring 469 points and grabbing 133 rebounds in 107 games for CU.
He was a member of Creighton’s 1989 squad that won the Missouri Valley Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Among Moser’s college teammates was current Creighton women’s basketball coach Jim Flanery.
Realignment Central
In 2013 when Creighton announced it would be leaving the Missouri Valley Conference to join the BIG EAST, the Bluejays were replaced in the MVC by Loyola Chicago, who has since moved on to the Atlantic 10.
The move should be no surprise…it seems like every team these teams square off they’re in a different conference.
When the teams met in 2015 and 2019, Creighton was in the BIG EAST and Loyola in the Missouri Valley Conference.
When the teams squared off in 2010, Creighton was in the Missouri Valley and Loyola Chicago in the Horizon League.
When the teams faced off in 1980, Creighton was in the Missouri Valley while Loyola Chicago was part of the Midwestern City Conference.
Tournament Success
Creighton has had some great success in tournament play in recent seasons, especially under Greg McDermott. In McDermott’s tenure, CU is 36-8 in regular-season tournament action with five titles in 12 completed events.
Since 2002-03, Creighton is 49-12 (23-0 at home) with eight titles in 17 preseason tournaments, as seen below. Creighton last lost at home in a regular-season tournament in 1975.
Preseason Tournament Performances, Since 2002-03
Year Tourney (Site) W-L (Home W-L)
2002-03 Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC) 4-0 (2-0)
2004-05 Guardians Classic (Omaha/KC) 4-0 (2-0)
2006-07 Rainbow Classic (Honolulu) 2-1
2008-09 Las Vegas Classic (Omaha/Las Vegas) 4-0 (2-0)
2009-10 Old Spice Classic (Orlando) 0-3
2010-11 Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines) 3-1 (3-0)
2011-12 Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines) 4-0 (3-0)
2012-13 Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas) 4-0 (2-0)
2013-14 Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim) 1-2
2014-15 Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville) 3-1 (2-0)
2015-16 MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas) 4-0 (2-0)
2016-17 Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) 3-0
2017-18 Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City) 3-1 (2-0)
2018-19 Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands) 4-0 (1-0)
2019-20 Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas) 3-1 (2-0)
2021-22 Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) 2-1
2022-23 Maui Invitational (Maui) 2-1
Tournament Trifectas
One reason for Creighton’s success in multi-team events over the years has been its proficiency with the three-ball.
In 44 MTE games under Greg McDermott, the Bluejays have made 434-of-1,049 three-point attempts, connecting at a 41.4 percent clip while making 9.86 treys per contest.
3FG Made In Preseason Tournaments Under Greg McDermott
Year Tourney (Site) 3FG-3FGA (Games)
2010-11 Hy-Vee Challenge (Omaha/Des Moines) 45-95 (4)
2011-12 Dale Howard Classic (Omaha/Des Moines) 40-117 (4)
2012-13 Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas) 44-81 (4)
2013-14 Wooden Legacy (Fullerton/Anaheim) 45-112 (3)
2014-15 Emerald Coast Classic (Omaha/Niceville) 31-86 (4)
2015-16 MGM Grand Main Event (Omaha/Las Vegas) 32-77 (4)
2016-17 Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) 35-82 (3)
2017-18 Hall of Fame Classic (Omaha/Kansas City) 50-105 (4)
2018-19 Cayman Islands Classic (Omaha/Cayman Islands) 35-89 (4)
2019-20 Las Vegas Invite (Omaha/Las Vegas) 33-96 (4)
2021-22 Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) 18-50 (3)
2022-23 Maui Invitational (Maui) 26-59 (3)
Hall of Fame Classic History
This is Creighton’s fourth appearance in the Hall of Fame Classic (2002, 2004, 2017), with the first two showings taking place when the event was known as the Guardians Classic and it was played at the Municipal Auditorium.
The Bluejays are 1-1 in the event all-time, and were the first team to win the event twice. Other teams to win the event twice include Missouri (2001, 2011), Texas (2005, 2009) and Kansas (2012, 2016). CU is trying to become the first team to win it three times.
In 2002 Creighton defeated UT Arlington (106-50) and Furman (82-57) to start the final season at the Omaha Civic Auditorium before heading to the venerable Municipal Auditorium and defeating IUPUI (99-52) and Notre Dame (80-75). Kyle Korver was honored as the MVP.
In 2004, Creighton beat Alcorn State (74-40) and Iona (68-62) in Omaha. The Jays then trekked to Kansas City and beat Missouri (78-54) and Ohio State (65-63 in overtime). Tyler McKinney was named Tournament MVP after setting an event record with 30 assists and draining a game-winning shot with 4.2 seconds left in the final.
In 2017 Creighton defeated No. 23 UCLA 100-89 behind 23 points from Marcus Foster and 22 points from current graduate assistant Mitch Ballock. One night later CU lost to No. 22 Baylor despite 15 points from Khyri Thomas.
Hall of Fame Bluejays
There are five people with Creighton connections who have entered the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Eddie Hickey, a 2006 inductee into the coaches wing, won 126 games as head coach at Creighton from 1935-43 and 1946-47.
Willis Reed, a 2006 inductee as a player (at Grambling State), won 52 games as head coach at Creighton from 1981-85.
Arthur A. Schabinger, a 2006 inductee as a contributor, won 165 games as head coach at Creighton from 1922-35.
Eddie Sutton, a 2011 inductee into the coaches wing, won 82 games as head coach at Creighton from 1969-74.
Most recently in 2017, Paul Silas was inducted as one of the most dominant rebounders in college basketball history. Following a season with the freshman team, Silas pulled down 1,751 rebounds for Creighton from 1961 to 1964 – a number that remains ranks sixth in Division I history and first among three-year players.
Milestone Watch
Creighton has made 3,997 three-pointers in 454 games under Greg McDermott, putting it just three triples away from 4,000. Since McDermott’s hiring in 2010, the only team nationally with more than 4,000 three-pointers (through games of Nov. 19) was Belmont (4,144).
Automatic Alexander
Trey Alexander is a perfect 14-for-14 at the free throw line this season, stretching his streak of makes to 23 in a row dating to late last season.
Alexander has made 175-for-210 (83.3 percent) of his career attempts at the charity stripe, a figure that ranks third-best in program history.
Here’s a look at Creighton’s longest free throw streaks since 1980, a list that includes a pair of some of the most illustrious names in Bluejay history.
Most Consecutive Free Throws Made (Since 1980)
FT Name Dates of Streak
45 Doug McDermott Dec. 1, 2013-Jan. 4, 2014
36 Booker Woodfox Dec. 6, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009
35 Bob Portman 1967-68
32 Michael Lindeman Jan. 23-Nov. 29, 2003
28 Kyle Korver Jan. 27-March 15, 2001
28 Doug McDermott March 10-Nov. 8, 2013
27 Matt West Nov. 27, 1999-Jan. 15, 2000
27 Kyle Korver Jan. 29-Nov. 20, 2000
27 Nate Funk Dec. 30, 2006-Jan. 12, 2007
26 Isaiah Zierden Jan. 4-March 9, 2017
Best Free Throw Percentage, (Min. 200 Attempts)
Pct. Name, Years FTM-FTA
.891 Kyle Korver, 1999-03 312-350
.844 Mike Caruso, 1968-71 276-327
.833 Trey Alexander, 2021-Pres. 175-210
.831 Doug McDermott, 2010-14 594-715
.826 Cavel Witter, 2007-10 246-298
.817 Nate Funk, 2002-07 312-382
.813 Ty-Shon Alexander, 2017-20 231-284
.807 Ryan Sears, 1997-01 330-409
.800 Rick Apke, 1975-78 336-420
.796 James Farr, 1987-89 212-266
Alexander Earns BIG EAST Honor
Creighton’s Trey Alexander was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Nov. 20th.
Alexander averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game to help No. 8 Creighton to a 2-0 week. The junior shot 47.1 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and was perfect in five free throw attempts (100 percent).
Alexander opened his week with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in CU’s 92-84 Gavitt Tipoff Games victory over Iowa, nearly becoming the first Bluejay in history to notch a points/rebounds/assists triple-double. Alexander’s 23 points were a season-high, his 11 rebounds were a career-high while his nine assists tied a career-best as the Preseason All-BIG EAST choice logged his first career double-double.
On Saturday in a victory against three-time defending SWAC Tournament champion Texas Southern, the Oklahoma City native had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds while making five three-point baskets in Creighton’s 82-50 victory.
A candidate for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and NABC Division I Player of the Year, Alexander leads the nation’s No. 8 team in scoring (21.0 ppg.), rebounding (7.3 rpg.), assists (6.7) and steals (1.5) per game and is tied for the national lead in free-throw percentage (100.0). He is the first Creighton player to open the season with four straight games of 20+ points since consensus National Player of the Year Doug McDermott in 2013-14.
Take This Show On The Road
Not counting three August exhibition games in the Bahamas, Creighton will be playing its first contests of the season outside of Omaha when it hits the floor in Kansas City for the 2023 Hall of Fame Classic.
Creighton has won its first neutral site game of the year in seven of the previous eight seasons, and 10-of-13 campaigns under Greg McDermott.
Creighton is also 8-5 in its first game away from home (road or neutral) under McDermott.
Letting It Fly At A Record Rate
Creighton tied a school-record by attempting 40 three-point shots in Saturday’s 82-50 win over Texas Southern.
The 40 attempts matched CU’s previous mark done last season in a game vs. Nebraska.
It also was the most by any BIG EAST team in a victory since Villanova launched 50 three-pointers in a 67-53 win over Syracuse on Dec. 7, 2021.
3 x 3 For 55
Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman was one of nine players in the nation who had made three or more three-pointers in every game his team has played this season through Sunday night.
He’s joined on that list by Atin Wright (Drake), Christopher Mantis (Appalachian State), Cole Anderson (UC Santa Barbara), Hunter Cattoor (Virginia Tech), Isaiah Swope (Indiana State), Jayden Stone (Detroit), Trent Brown (Southern Illinois) and Tristan da Silva (Colorado).
Almost a Trey-Double?
Trey Alexander finished Tuesday’s win vs. Iowa with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, finishing just shy of becoming CU’s first player in history to record a traditional points/rebounds/assists triple-double.
Alexander had six of his nine assists in the first 12:21 of the second half, but CU’s only basket in the final 7:39 was a score by Alexander himself.
Creighton’s only triple-doubles in history all came from Benoit Benjamin. “Big Ben” had 24 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocks vs. Tulsa on Feb. 16, 1984, had 43 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks vs. Southern Illinois on Jan. 17, 1985 and had 29 points, 12 rebounds and a school-record 12 blocks on Feb. 2, 1985 vs. Bradley.
Alexander isn’t the only current Bluejay to finish a game one assist shy of a triple-double, as Baylor Scheierman and 12 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in last year’s BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal win over Villanova.
Alexander’s performance was still good enough for his first career double-double, as his 11 rebounds were a career-high and his nine assists matched his career-best.
Alexander enters Wednesday averaging 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Per Basketball-Reference.com, no man in the previous 32 seasons has finished a year with those averages, though Memphis phenom Anfernee Hardaway (22.8 ppg., 8.5 rpg., 6.4 apg.) in 1994-95 was quite close.
Trey’s Bien
Trey Alexander has made the leap in his junior season. Here’s how the start of the year compares to his first two years combined.
Category 2023-24 2021-23
Games Played 4 72
20-Point Games 4 5
Dunks 4 2
Double-Doubles 1 0
Points Per Game 21.0 10.6
Rebounds Per Game 7.3 4.0
Assists Per Game 6.5 2.5
Steals Per Game 1.5 0.9
Reserves Step Up
This year the Creighton bench has scored 103 points in four games, an average of 25.75 points per contest. That’s well above last year’s 10.68 points per game, not to mention the 9.60 points per game in 2021-22.
Creighton’s bench hasn’t averaged more than 20 points for a full season since 2017-18 (24.42), and its high in 13 completed seasons under Greg McDermott is 27.21 (2014-15).
The Creighton program has not averaged more than 28 points per game off the bench since its 2007-08 club accounted for 36.91 points per game and actually outscored its starting five (34.61) that season. Last Saturday’s analyst for FS2, Nick Bahe, started all 33 games for that Bluejay squad.
Good Things Come In 3’s
Baylor Scheierman has made multiple three-pointers in each of the last 20 November games he’s played in, and three or more triples in each of his last eight November contests.
Scheierman is the first Bluejay to open the season with four straight games with three or more trifectas since Ty-Shon Alexander did it the first six games in 2018-19.
Speaking of three-pointers, Isaac Traudt became Creighton’s first freshman to open his career with three straight games of multiple triples since Ryan Sears in 1997-98 before it was snapped last Saturday. No CU freshman has done in it the last 30 years in the first four games of a season.
Nationally Speaking
Through games of Nov. 19th, Creighton is all over the NCAA stat leaders. The Bluejays rank in the top 18 in 10 different categories.
Rank Category Stat
1 Fouls Per Game 8.5
1 Winning Percentage 1.000
1 Three-Pointers Per Game 13.5
5 Effective FG% .646
9 Rebound Margin +16.2
12 Three-Point Attempts Per Game 33.8
14 Field Goal Percentage .537
15 Assists Per Game 19.8
16 Scoring Offense 92.0
18 Defensive Rebounds Per Game 32.50
This Is 20/20
Trey Alexander has 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
He’s 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 player 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.
Near-Reunion
Creighton’s Jasen Green teamed up with former Loyola Chicago forward Saint Thomas to win a state title in 2022.
Thomas, who scored 91 points in 43 games over two seasons for the Ramblers, has since transferred to Northern Colorado and is averaging 13.8 points per game for the Bears.
Green redshirted last season and has missed CU’s first four games due to injury, delaying his long-awaited collegiate debut in a game that counts.
Ruthless Efficiency
Through games of Sunday, Creighton ranks fifth nationally in effective field goal percentage (.646) and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.537).
The Bluejays are shooting 70.3 percent from two-point range (78-111) and 40.0 percent from three-point range (54-135) thus far.
Release, Rotation, Splash, Repeat
Creighton has made at least one three-pointer in 989 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 (11/19)
Rk. Streak School Next Game
1. 1,196 UNLV 11/21
2. 1,193 Duke 11/21
3. 1,119 East Tennessee State 11/22
4. 1,100 Texas 11/26
5. 1,099 Oakland 11/21
6. 1,096 Pacific 11/20
7. 1,039 Marshall 11/21
8. 1,023 Princeton 11/22
1,023 Gonzaga 11/21
10. 989 Creighton 11/22
988 Long Island 11/21
12. 977 Mount St. Mary’s 11/22
Triple Trouble
During Creighton’s current streak of 989 straight games with a three-pointer, the Jays have drained 7,839 trifectas, an average of 7.93 treys per game.
That’s not surprising since during the streak, Creighton has made exactly seven three-pointers 147 times, more than any figure.
Only five times in the streak has Creighton made just one three-pointer, but on 286 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 67-15 when making eight or more three-pointers, compared to a 28-25 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: 103 times 6: 101 times
7: 147 times 8: 124 times 9: 93 times
10: 83 times 11: 57 times 12: 57 times
13: 45 times 14: 20 times 15: 7 times
16: 8 times 17: 3 times 18: 1 time
19: 2 times 20: 1 time 21: 1 time 22: 1 time
Can’t Stop Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman made a three-point basket in all 37 games he played last season and each game this season, stretching his streak dating to last year to 51 in a row if you his final 10 games at South Dakota State.
Scheierman’s streak of 41 straight as a Bluejay is the longest streak in Creighton history, eight more than Ty-Shon Alexander’s 33.
Also listed is the nation’s longest active streaks of games with a three-pointer, per the FOX Sports research team.
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer, Creighton History
Streak Name Dates of Streak
41 Baylor Scheierman Nov. 7, 2022 – Present
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
Consecutive Games With A 3-Pointer
Nation’s Longest Active Streaks (11/20)
Streak Name, School Next Game
69 Kamdyn Curfman, Marshall 11/21
51 Baylor Scheierman, Creighton / S. Dakota St. 11/22
Scheierman Drains 250th Trey
Baylor Scheierman has made 258 three-pointers in his college career, doing so at a 39.5 percent clip.
Scheierman also owns 1,658 points, 965 rebounds, 460 assists and 122 career steals.
Per Basketball-Reference.com, Scheierman is the nation’s only player in the last 30 years with career totals of at least 250 three-pointers, 450 assists and 950 rebounds.
Century Club
Creighton opened the season with a 105-54 victory over Florida A&M on Nov. 7th. A few nuggets about that.
– Creighton improved to 65-3 all-time when scoring 100 points or more, and 27-1 when scoring 105 points or more.
– Creighton’s only 100-point game last year was a 104-76 home win over St. John’s on Jan. 25, 2023.
– After scoring 100 points in the season opener in the first 93 years in program history, Creighton has done it three additional times in Greg McDermott‘s 14-year tenure. CU hadn’t scored 100 points in a season opener since a 104-77 victory vs. Central Arkansas to open the 2014-15 campaign.
– Creighton ranks tied for ninth nationally with 24 games of 100 points or more since the start of the 2010-11 season, which coincides with Greg McDermott‘s arrival. Among Power 6 teams, only North Carolina (34) has more.
– What’s crazy about Greg McDermott‘s teams scoring 100 points or more 24 times at Creighton is that neither his Iowa State teams (127 games) or Northern Iowa teams (153 games) ever cracked the century mark, and reached 90 points or more only six times.
A One And A Two…
Not only is Creighton a perfect 14-0 in season-openers under Greg McDermott, but the Bluejays have started 2-0 in all but one campaign (2019-20) under McDermott as well. That 2019-20 team, of course, went on to share the BIG EAST regular-season title.
Nine of McDermott’s 14 Bluejay squads have started 4-0. A win on Wednesday would be McDermott’s seventh 5-0 team at Creighton.
A Head Start
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.
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.
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.
This week is the 25th in program history that Creighton has been in the top-10 at any point, 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 125 times in program history, with 97 of those under the direction of McDermott. Creighton is 155-63 all-time as a ranked team, including a 122-51 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 is seventh in the Nov. 20th Coaches poll.
Preseason BIG EAST Poll
The Creighton men’s basketball team has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference in the annual survey of league coaches, which was unveiled as part of BIG EAST Media Day.
It’s the second time in Creighton’s 11 years in the BIG EAST Conference that the Bluejays have been picked second, as the 2020-21 squad was also picked second (and eventually finished second). The Bluejays also had three players receive recognition on one of the Preseason All-BIG EAST teams, tied with preseason favorite Marquette for the most in the league.
The Bluejays collected four first-place votes and earned 92 points in the poll, trailing only Marquette’s seven first-place votes and 96 overall points. Defending national champion Connecticut was tabbed third with 79 points, just ahead of Villanova’s 76 for fourth place. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino’s first St. John’s team garnered 59 points to be chosen fifth, just ahead of Xavier (57) and Providence (51). The bottom four teams in the poll are Georgetown (34), Seton Hall (30), Butler (16) and DePaul (15).
Creighton finished 24-13 overall and 14-6 in BIG EAST play last season and are the only league team to return three of its scorers that averaged at least a dozen points per game. The Bluejays won three NCAA Tournament games to advance to its first Elite Eight since 1941.
In 2023-24, Creighton will be led by senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is a Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST selection. Kalkbrenner becomes the first player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST honors multiple times, and along with Preseason Player of the Year Tyler Kolek from Marquette was one of two men to be named on every ballot.
Joining Kalkbrenner with the Preseason First Team All-BIG EAST acclaim was junior guard Trey Alexander. Alexander was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST choice at the end of last season, as was teammate Baylor Scheierman. A senior guard from Aurora, Neb., Scheierman earned Preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST plaudits in 2023-24.
This year marks the second time that Creighton has had more than two players land on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, and comes 12 months after Creighton had four men listed prior to the 2022-23 campaign. Creighton last had two men named Preseason First Team All-Conference in its Missouri Valley Conference days in 2006-07 (Anthony Tolliver, Nate Funk).
Kolek was named 2023-24 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches, which comes as little surprise after the point guard was named 2023 BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Tournament MVP after leading the Golden Eagles to both the regular-season and tournament titles. Connecticut guard Stephon Castle was chosen BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to select their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.
Creighton has matched or exceeded its preseason projection in all but one season since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, the best showing in the league in that time. The Bluejays are seeking an eighth straight finish in the top four of the league standings. CU’s team two years ago was predicted to finish eighth in the BIG EAST, then ended up in fourth. Four years ago, a team picked seventh in the BIG EAST’s preseason poll went 13-5 in league play to share its first league title with Villanova and Seton Hall. That Bluejay team ended the year ranked seventh in the entire nation.
Creighton’s BIG EAST Preseason Poll History
Year Preseason Actual Preseason All-BIG EAST
2013-14 3rd 2nd Doug McDermott (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 ?? Ryan Kalkbrenner (1st); Trey Alexander (1st)
Baylor Scheierman (2nd)
Among The Nation’s Best
Below is where Creighton ranks nationally since the start of the 2010-11 season among teams to have played 100 or more Division I games, per Basketball-Reference.com.
2010-11 to Nov. 19, 2023
Category CU Stat CU Rank
3FG Made 3,997 3rd
FG Percentage .477 4th
3FG Percentage .376 5th
Assists 7,240 6th
FG Made 12,386 7th
Points 34,648 9th
Wins 303 23rd
Winning Percentage .670 31st
Who Are These Guys?
Creighton returns 111 starts from last year’s team, its most since bringing back 124 starts from its 2020-21 club.
Creighton has won 20 or more games each of the previous eight times (and 12 of the last 13 times) it has returned 100 or more starts.
Returning Returning Starts Final
Year Starters From Previous Year W-L
2023-24 3 111 ? ? ?
2022-23 3 104 24-13
2021-22 0 2 23-12
2020-21 5 124 22-9
2019-20 4 136 24-7
2018-19 2 57 20-15
2017-18 2 72 21-12
2016-17 4 130 25-10
2015-16 1 64 20-15
2014-15 1 49 14-19
2013-14 4 144 27-8
2012-13 4 140 28-8
2011-12 3 101 29-6
2010-11 4 123 23-16
2009-10 3 106 18-16
2008-09 3 83 27-8
2007-08 1 44 22-11
2006-07 4 120 22-11
2005-06 4 134 20-10
2004-05 2 58 23-11
2003-04 3 101 20-9
2002-03 5 159 29-5
2001-02 2 65 23-9
2000-01 3 90 24-8
1999-00 3 84 23-10
1998-99 3 84 22-9
1997-98 4 72 18-10
1996-97 4 126 15-15
1995-96 4 100 14-15
1994-95 2 52 7-19
1993-94 3 73 7-22
1992-93 2 64 8-18
1991-92 2 51 9-19
1990-91 4 132 24-8
1989-90 4 127 21-12
1988-89 4 123 20-11
1987-88 3 83 16-16
1986-87 2 65 9-19
1985-86 1 48 12-16
1984-85 4 124 20-12
1983-84 3 72 17-14
1982-83 3 77 8-19
1981-82 2 78 7-20
1980-81 4 112 21-9
Four Of A Kind
Creighton has four players that were named to a Preseason Watch List in Steven Ashworth (Bob Cousy Point Guard), Trey Alexander (Jerry West Shooting Guard), Baylor Scheierman (Julius Erving Small Forward) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center).
Creighton is one of six schools to have four men listed at a position, joining Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette and UConn.
Those same four men were named to CBS Sports Preseason Top 100 And 1 player listings, with Kalkbrenner (5), Alexander (12), Scheierman (26) and Ashworth (76) making CU the only school with three of the top 30 players or four of the top 76 players. Kansas and Duke were the only other teams with four players listed in the Top 100 And 1.
Last but not least, both Alexander and Kalkbrenner were two of 20 players on the NABC’s Preseason Division I Player of the Year Watch List. The only other schools with two players on that list were Duke and USC.
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.
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.
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 six schools with 20 or more wins in each of the last eight seasons, joining Belmont, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Oregon.
Creighton is one of seven teams to post 22 or more wins in each of the last four seasons, joining Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Liberty, San Diego State and Southern California.
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.
23 of 25 Seasons With 20 Wins
Creighton has won 20 or more games in 23 of the last 25 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally.
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.
Most 20-Win Seasons, Last 25 Seasons
Team 20-Win Seasons 2022-23 W-L
Gonzaga 25 31-6
Kansas 25 28-8
Duke 24 27-9
Creighton 23 24-13
Kentucky 23 22-12
Dynamic Duo
Creighton is also 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 are Baylor, Creighton, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Creighton is one of 11 schools to make the NCAA Tournament in both men’s and women’s basketball each of the past two seasons, a list that consists of Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Miami (Fla.), Tennessee, Texas and UConn.
The only schools with at-large bids in each of the previous two years in both men’s and women’s basketball are Baylor, Creighton, Indiana and Miami (Fla.).
A Dozen Will Do
Creighton finished 14-6 in the BIG EAST last season and is the only school in the BIG EAST with 12 or more league wins each of the previous four seasons.
Among the other BIG EAST or “Power 5” Conference schools, Kansas, UCLA and Virginia have also done it the previous four years.
Creighton has now owned a .500 mark or better in league play 27 times in the last 28 seasons.
The only BIG EAST teams to finish .500 or better in league play each of the previous six seasons are Creighton, Villanova and Seton Hall.
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
McDermott Ranks Second On CU Wins List
Greg McDermott has 304 victories at Creighton, good for second place on CU’s all-time wins list.
McDermott’s .670 winning percentage is Creighton’s best since Arthur A. Schabinger’s .714 win rate more than 85 years ago.
Below is a list of the most victorious Creighton coaches in program history.
Most Coaching Wins, Creighton History
Rk. W-L Name Years
1. 327-176 Dana Altman 1994-2010
2. 304-150 Greg McDermott 2010-Pres.
3. 165-66 Arthur A. Schabinger 1922-1935
4. 138-118 John J. “Red” McManus 1959-1969
5. 130-64 Tom Apke 1974-1981
CHI Health Center Omaha Dramatics
Creighton is 8-8 in contests with a game-winning go-ahead score in the final 10 seconds at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened in 2003.
The last time such a game happened was in 2020 when Creighton’s Marcus Zegarowski hit a shot with 3.2 seconds left to beat Providence.
Creighton’s Go-Ahead Scores in Wins at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
11/26/05 Dayton W 91-90* Funk FG :5.7
01/28/06 Wichita St. W 57-55 Tolliver FG :0.0
11/25/06 George Mason W 58-56 Watts FT :7.5
03/18/08 Rhode Island W 74-73 Witter 3FG :3.2
01/13/10 Southern Illinois W 71-69 Young FG :1.3
02/18/12 Long Beach St. W 81-79 Young FG :0.3
01/28/14 St. John’s W 63-60 McDermott 3FG :2.8
01/18/20 Providence W 78-74 Zegarowski 3FG :3.2
*double-overtime
Opponent Go-Ahead Scores in CU Losses at
CHI Health Center Omaha, Last 10 Seconds
Date Opponent Score Player/Score Time
03/20/06 Miami (Fla.) L 53-52 G. Diaz FT :2.6
01/20/07 Southern Illinois L 58-57 B. Mullins FG :4.1
01/10/15 #19 Seton Hall L 68-67 S. Gibbs 3FG :2.2
02/16/15 #19 Butler L 58-56 R. Jones FG :1.9
03/07/15 Xavier L 74-73 D. Davis FT’s :6.3
01/12/16 #12 Providence L 50-48 K. Dunn FG :0.0
02/22/17 Providence L 68-66 K. Cartwright 3FG :2.4
02/10/18 #5 Xavier L 71-72 Q. Goodin FT’s :0.3
Top-20 Crowds
Here’s a look at Creighton’s top-20 home crowds all-time.
Rank Att. Opponent Date
1. 18,868 Providence 03/08/14
2. 18,859 Georgetown 01/25/14
3. 18,831 #1 Villanova 12/31/16
4. 18,797 #6 Villanova 02/16/14
5. 18,759 #1 Gonzaga 12/01/18
6. 18,742 Seton Hall 02/23/14
7. 18,735 Wichita State 02/11/12
8. 18,613 Wichita State 03/02/13
9. 18,525 Marquette 12/31/13
10. 18,519 #8 Seton Hall 03/07/20
11. 18,518 Georgetown 01/27/18
12. 18,509 Villanova 02/04/23
13. 18,495 Marquette 02/17/18
14. 18,494 Illinois State 02/09/13
15. 18,458 Evansville 12/29/12
16. 18,436 Bradley 01/28/12
17. 18,323 DePaul 02/07/14
18. 18,321 #3 Villanova 02/24/18
19. 18,294 #19 Iowa State 12/04/21
20. 18,286 #21 Connecticut 02/12/23
CHI Health Center Omaha Success
Creighton has played 342 regular and postseason contests at CHI Health Center Omaha all-time in the 21-year-old facility.
The Bluejays own a 282-60 (.824) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Friday (22-0).
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 26,786-22,375 in games at CHI Health Center Omaha, an average margin of 12.90 points per game. Creighton has not trailed 89 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 40-29 when trailing at halftime at CHI Health Center Omaha.
Creighton is 185-42 (.815) at CHI Health Center Omaha under Greg McDermott and hasn’t trailed in 64 of those games. In that same span, CU owns a 99-9 home record 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 301-60 (.834) at home since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.
Home Run
Under Greg McDermott Creighton is averaging 80.58 points per home game (18,292 points in 227 home games), a figure that climbs to 84.14 points in non-conference home games (9,087 points in 108 home games).
Creighton is 139-6 all-time at CHI Health Center Omaha when scoring 80 or points.
Elite Eight
Greg McDermott guided his team to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time last season. 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 five head coaches in Creighton history to lead seven or more NCAA Tournament teams.
Name Sport NCAA’s @CU
Kirsten Bernthal Booth Volleyball 12
Bob Warming Men’s Soccer 11
Greg McDermott Men’s Basketball 8
Dana Altman Men’s Basketball 7
Brent Vigness Softball 7
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 4 27 8
Kalkbrenner Repeats As Top Defender
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named 2023 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Kalkbrenner became just the 11th player in league history to win the recognition more than once, joining the likes of Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Kris Dunn and Allen Iverson among those to win the award multiple times, and is the first repeat winner since former Bluejay guard Khyri Thomas in 2017 and 2018.
Between Kalkbrenner and Thomas, Creighton has now had a BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in four of the previous seven 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
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
2 Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton 2022, 23
Kalkbrenner Surpasses 1,000 Points
Ryan Kalkbrenner owns 1,218 career points, as he became the 45th men’s player in Creighton history to surpass 1,000 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Villanova. He was the first Bluejay to score 1,000 since Marcus Zegarowski did it on Jan. 20, 2021 vs. Providence.
He currently ranks 29th in program history. Here’s a list of Creighton’s top scorers ever:
Most Career Points, Creighton History
Rank Pts. Name Years
1. 3,150 Doug McDermott 2010-14
2. 2,116 Rodney Buford 1995-99
3. 2,110 Bob Harstad 1987-91
4. 1,983 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
5. 1,876 Bob Portman 1966-69
6. 1,801 Kyle Korver 1999-03
7. 1,754 Nate Funk 2002-07
8. 1,682 Rick Apke 1974-78
9. 1,661 Paul Silas 1961-64
10. 1,654 Vernon Moore 1981-85
11. 1,575 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
12. 1,526 John C. Johnson 1975-79
13. 1,500 Kevin McKenna 1977-81
14. 1,437 Eddie Cole 1951-55
15. 1,369 Gene Harmon 1971-74
16. 1,361 Duan Cole 1987-92
17. 1,342 Antoine Young 2008-12
18. 1,313 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-11
19. 1,309 Ryan Sears 1997-01
20. 1,304 Mitch Ballock 2017-21
21. 1,303 Elton Tuttle 1951-54
22. 1,293 Marcus Zegarowski 2018-21
23. 1,292 Marcus Foster 2016-18
24. 1,272 Bob Gibson 1954-57
25. 1,267 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 1968-69
26. 1,254 Gary Swain 1983-87
27. 1,241 Ty-Shon Alexander 2017-20
28. 1,238 Ben Walker 1997-01
29. 1,218 Ryan Kalkbrenner 2020-Pres.
30. 1,196 Ray Yost 1951-54
Kalkbrenner also ranks second in program history in blocked shots with 208.
Most Creighton Blocked Shots, Since 1979-80
Blk. Name Years
411 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85
208 Ryan Kalkbrenner 2020-Pres.
183 Chad Gallagher 1987-91
174 Gregory Echenique 2010-13
153 Kenny Lawson Jr. 2006-11
Among The Best…EVER!
Ryan Kalkbrenner has made 494 of 738 career shots, putting him at 66.9 percent overall. That places the senior center fifth in field goal percentage in NCAA history among players to make 400 or more field goals and at least four field goals per game.
Best Career FG%, NCAA History (min. 400 FG, 4FG/game)
Pct. (FG-FGA) Name, School Years
.746 (469-629) Udoka Azubuike, Kansas 2016-20
.740 (497-672) Tacko Fall, UCF 2015-19
.678 (828-1222) Steve Johnson, Oregon State 1976-81
.677 (441-651) Michael Bradley, Kentucky/Villanova 1998-01
.669 (494-738) Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton 2020-Pres.
.668 (566-847) Murray Brown, Florida State 1976-80
.667 (740-1109) Evan Bradds, Belmont 2013-17
.665 (411-618) Lee Campbell, MTSU, Missouri State 1987-90
.664 (496-747) Warren Kidd, Middle Tennessee State 1990-93
.664 (702-1058) Todd MacCulloch, Washington 1995-99
.662 (476-719) Joe Senser, West Chester 1975-79
#ProJays
Former Creighton All-American Doug McDermott is back for a third season with the San Antonio Spurs, giving Creighton at least one NBA player in 40 of the last 41 seasons. McDermott is in his 10th season in the NBA. Other famous Bluejays to play in the NBA in the past include Paul Silas, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver.
Ticket Information
Single-game tickets for the 2023-24 season went on sale on September 28th.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CHI Health Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, by calling Ticketmaster or visiting Ticketmaster.com, and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000.
For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.
