Preview // K-State Travels North to Creighton Saturday

Saturday, December 13

Omaha, Neb.

2 p.m. CT

Kansas State University

Creighton

Preview // K-State Travels North to Creighton Saturday

Dec 12, 2025 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)Creighton Notes (.pdf)2025-26 Media Guide (.pdf)2025-26 TV/Radio Speed Chart (.pdf)

This will be the first meeting between the school since 2018 and the first in Omaha since 1987.

GAME 11

KANSAS STATE (6-4) at CREIGHTON (5-4)

Saturday, December 13, 2025 | 2:10 p.m., CT | CHI Health Center Omaha (18,320) | Omaha, Neb.

TELEVISION

FOX (online link)

Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play)
Donny Marshall (analyst)
Max Leinwand (producer)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Satellite Radio: Ch. 390

Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (lead analyst)

LIVE STATS

kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES

K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]

Record at K-State: 67-46/4th Year

Career Record: 69-46*/4th Year+

vs. Creighton: 0-0

Creighton: Greg McDermott [Northern Iowa '88]

Record at Creighton: 355-175/16th Year

Career Record: 635-370/32nd Year

vs. K-State: 1-8 (0-1 at Creighton)

LAST GAME STARTERS:

K-State (6-4)

G: #4 P.J. Haggerty

G: #1 Abdi Bashir Jr.

G: #34 Nate Johnson

W: #0 Elias Rapieque

W: #21 Khamari McGriff

Creighton (5-4)

G: #2 Blake Harper

G: #4 Josh Dix

G: #5 Nik Graves

F: #0 Jasen Green

F: #32 Owen Freeman

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Tied 8-8

In Omaha: Creighton leads 7-2

At CHI Health Center Omaha: First meeting

Active Streak: K-State, 3

First Meeting: Creighton won 27-23 (2/17/1926)

Last Meeting: K-State won 69-59 (3/16/2018)

Jerome Tang vs. Greg McDermott: 0-0

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Extend its winning streak over Creighton to 4 games.
Give the Wildcats a 9-8 edge in the series with the Bluejays.
Snap a 4-game losing streak in non-conference road games.
Give the Wildcats their third all-time win in Omaha.
Give the Wildcats a 195-66 non-conference mark since 2006.

K-STATE TRAVELS TO CREIGHTON SATURDAY

K-State (6-4) makes the short trip north to Omaha, Neb., on Saturday to take on Creighton (5-4) at CHI Health Center Omaha. Tip is set for 2:10 p.m., CT and will air nationally on FOX. This will be first game of a home-and-home series that will continue in Manhattan in 2026-27.

The schools will meet for the 17th time in their respective histories, including the first time in the regular season since a home-and home series in 1986 and 1987. This will be the 10th meeting with the Bluejays in Omaha and the first since an 88-78 win on Dec. 5, 1987. The teams last met in the 2018 NCAA Tournament when the Wildcats earned a 69-59 win in Charlotte, N.C.

Led by veteran head coach Greg McDermott, who has 635 career wins, Creighton (5-4) saw a 2-game winning streak end in a 71-50 loss at red-hot and unbeaten Nebraska on Dec. 7. Three of the 4 losses have come to nationally-ranked squads (Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska). Six Bluejays are averaging 8.0 or more points led by senior transfer Josh Dix's 11.7 points per game.

This will be the first meeting between the schools at CHI Health Center Omaha, which opened to the Bluejays during the 2003-04 season. However, K-State has fond memories of the arena formerly known as the Qwest Center, winning its first NCAA Tournament game in 20 years on March 20, 2008 as the 11-seeded Wildcats knocked off 6-seed USC, 80-67, before bowing to 3-seed Wisconsin.

LAST TIME OUT

K-State ended its 4-game losing streak with a thorough domination of Mississippi Valley State on Monday, breaking 100 points for the fourth time under head coach Jerome Tang while connecting on 57.6 percent shooting in a 108-49 victory before 6,682 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (6-4) eclipsed 100 points in a game for the 42nd time, while the 108 points tied for the eighth-most in school history and were the most since the Wildcats scored a school-record 120 points in a win over UAPB more than a year ago. The 59-point margin of victory tied for the third-largest and was the largest since a 59-point win over Gardner-Webb on Dec. 14, 2008.
In shooting 57.6 percent (38-of-66) from the field, the Wildcats made 63.3 percent (19-of-30) of their 2-point field goals, including a 34-10 edge in the paint, while collecting the third-most 3-point field goals (19) in school history on 52.8 percent shooting. They also outscored the Delta Devils in points off turnovers (17-4), second-chance points (17-7) and fast-break points (27-11).
The 19 made 3-pointers are only surpassed by the school-record 23 against Fresno State in 1994 and the 21 vs. UAPB in 2024. Six different players had at least one 3-pointers, including 5 each from juniors P.J. Haggerty and Abdi Bashir Jr. and sophomore David Castillo.
All 11 players who saw action had at least one made field goal while 4 Wildcats scored in double figures led by a game-high 28 points from Haggerty, who has now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season. Castillo had 19 points off the bench, while Bashir and senior Nate Johnson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

OFFENSE OFF TO HOT START

K-State's offense is off to a hot start, as the Wildcats are averaging 86.7 points on 49 percent (308-of-628) shooting, including 40.2 percent (107-of-266) from 3-point range, and 69.9 percent (144-of-206) from the free throw line. They rank among the top-35 in 5 offensive categories, including 11th in 3-point field goal percentage, 15th in assists (19.3), 29th in fastbreak points (17.3), 33rd in effective field goal percentage (57.6) and 34th in 3-point field goals/game (10.7).
The Wildcats have scored 90 or more points in 5 of the first 10 games for the first time in school history. The 867 points scored are the most through the first 10 games, surpassing the 833 (93/89/89/71/101/90/67/76/70/87) scored by the 1997-98 team.
Junior P.J. Haggerty is the nation's leading scorer at 24.0 points per game, while he ranks third in field goals made (83) and total points (240). Fellow junior Abdi Bashir Jr. ranks 14th nationally in 3-point field goals/game (3.50), while he is 16th in total 3-pointers (35) and 28th in 3-point field goal percentage (46.1).

POINTS IN THE FIRST 10 GAMES

867, 2025-26 (94, 98, 99, 84, 98, 85, 69, 66, 67 and 108 points)
833, 1997-98 (93, 89, 89, 71, 101, 90, 67, 76, 70 and 87 points)
816, 2009-10 (92, 82, 80, 74, 83, 70, 83, 86, 71 and 95 points)
804, 2008-09 (96, 88, 82, 69, 83, 72, 63, 70, 74 and 107 points)
790, 1956-57 (97, 90, 84, 90, 72, 83, 64, 64, 79 and 67 points)
790, 1991-92 (103, 90, 115, 59, 99, 75, 65, 79, 71 and 34 points)

HAGGERTY JOINS ELITE COMPANY

After his 27-point performance vs. Nebraska, junior P.J. Haggerty became the first Wildcat to open a season with 6 consecutive games of 20 or more points, eclipsing a record shared with Michael Beasley in 2007-08. His 240 points are also the second-most by a player through the first 10 games and the most since Beasley's 249 points.

20-POINT GAMES IN THE FIRST 6 GAMES

27, 23, 23, 31, 37 and 27 points by P.J. Haggerty, 2025-26

HAGGERTY HAS RARE 30-10 GAME

Junior P.J. Haggerty had 31 points and a career-tying 10 rebounds vs. Tulsa (11/17/25) to become the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 to post a rare 30-point, 10-rebound double-double. He scored 27 of his 31 points in the second half, which are the fifth-most in any half.

MOST POINTS AT BRAMLAGE

K-State's 99-96 win over Cal on Nov. 13 made history, as the 195 combined points were the most-ever in Bramlage Coliseum, surpassing the 194 scored between K-State (106) and Marshall (88) on Dec. 2, 1995.
K-State posted the highest field goal percentage of the Jerome Tang era for the second straight game, as the Wildcats hit on 64.4 percent (38-of-59) from the field. It was the highest field goal percentage since shooting 66.0 percent vs. Wake Forest on March 14, 2017.

TRIO OF 'CATS POST 20-POINT GAMES

K-State had three players record 20-point games in the win over Cal, as junior P.J. Haggerty led the way with 23 points to go with 21 from senior Khamari McGriff and 20 from senior Nate Johnson.
The trio is the first to each have 20-point games since Dean Wade (34 points), Kamau Stokes (23 points) and Barry Brown Jr. (21 points) did it against Iowa State on Dec. 29, 2017.

McGRIFF, CASTILLO GO PERFECT

Two Wildcats - senior Khamari McGriff and sophomore David Castillo - each went perfect from the field, becoming the 24th and 25th players in school history to go perfect from the field on 5 or more field goals in the 98-71 win over Bellarmine on Nov. 8. They are the first teammates to accomplish the feat in the same game.
Castillo scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range, while McGriff totaled 16 points on 8-of-8 field goals. Castillo is just the eighth Wildcat to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, joining his high school coach Clent Stewart who was in attendance.

CASTILLO'S IMPROVEMENT

Sophomore David Castillo has made a jump in production in his second season at K-State, averaging 12.9 points on 47.3 percent (44-of-93) shooting, including 41.8 percent (23-of-55) from 3-point range, while hitting on 78.3 percent (18-of-23) from the free throw line.
Castillo has already surpassed his point total (77 to 129) from his freshman season, while also posting 6 double-digit scoring games, including 3 in a row from Bellarmine, Cal and Tulsa. He scored a career-high 22 points against Bowling Green.

BUCA MAKING HIS PRESENCE FELT

One of the tallest players in school history, Italian import Dorin Buca has started to find his footing in the college game as his presence was felt in games against Seton Hall (12/6/25) and Mississippi Valley (12/8/25). He averaged 5 points in each game but grabbed a combined 12 rebounds to go with 8 blocked shots in a combined 37 minutes off the bench.

NOTES ON CREIGHTON

Led by 16th-year head coach Greg McDermott, Creighton (5-4) has had nearly a week off since a 71-50 loss at unbeaten Nebraska on Dec. 7, which ended a 2-game winning streak. The Bluejays are a perfect 4-0 at home with all 4 losses coming either on the road (Gonzaga and Nebraska) or on a neutral site (Baylor and Iowa State).
The Bluejays return 7 lettermen, including 2 starters, from a squad that won 25 games for the second straight season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year in 2024-25.
Creighton is averaging 74.4 points on 44.7 percent shooting, including 31.9 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 71.4 points on 44.1 percent shooting, including 32.5 percent from 3-point range. The Bluejays are out-rebounding by their opponents, 37.2 to 36.0, and turn the ball over just 12.7 times per game. They are shooting 72.2 percent from the free throw line.
The Bluejays are a balanced scoring team with 6 players averaging 8.0 or more points led by senior transfer Josh Dix's 11.7 points per game. He is shooting 44.2 percent from the field with a team-high 17 3-pointers while nearly perfect (92.3) from the free throw line. Sophomore Blake Harper is averaging 9.8 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game, while senior Nik Graves is averaging 9.7 points to go with team-highs in assists (32) and steals (10). Junior Owen Freeman is shooting a team-best 69.8 percent from the field to go with 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Creighton was picked third in the 11-team preseason BIG EAST coaches poll. St. John's is the preseason favorite to win the league.
McDermott is in his 32nd season as a head coach, which includes his current 16-year stint at Creighton (2010-). He has led the Bluejays to 355 wins and 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the Elite Eight in 2023 and the Sweet 16 in 2021 and 2024. He has also been the head coach at Wayne State (1994-2000), North Dakota State (2000-01), Northern Iowa (2001-06) and Iowa State (2006-10).

SERIES HISTORY

The series is tied at 8 wins each, in this, the first meeting between the schools since the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Creighton owns a 7-2 advantage in games played in Omaha, but K-State won the last such meeting, 88-78, on Dec. 5, 1987. This will be the first meeting in CHI Health Center Omaha.
The Wildcats have won 8 of the last 11 meetings, including 3 straight, with the Bluejays with wins in Omaha in 1969 and 1987 during that span.

LAST 5 MEETINGS (4-1):

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
12/13/1971	—/—	W	90-68	Manhattan
1/13/1976	—/—	L (OT)	76-79	Omaha
12/9/1986	—/—	W	81-64	Manhattan
12/5/1987	—/—	W	88-78	Omaha
3/16/2018	—/—	W	69-59	Charlotte, N.C.

LAST MEETING:

K-STATE 69, CREIGHTON 59 (March 16, 2018)

Three Wildcats scored in double-figures, including a career-high 17 points from freshman Mike McGuirl, as the Wildcats topped Creighton, 69-59, in the first round of the NCAA South Regional in Charlotte, N.C. at the Spectrum Center in the last meeting between the schools on March 16, 2018.
McGuirl was joined in double-figures by junior guards Barry Brown Jr., and Kamau Stokes who added 18 and 11 points, respectively. Sophomore forward Xavier Sneed added valuable minutes, including 9 points.
The Wildcats led for most of the game, but the Bluejays got to within a possession in the early moments of the second half before the tandem of Brown, Stokes and McGuirl helped them slowly pull away.

LOSING STREAK EXPLAINED

K-State dropped 4 straight after a 5-0 start, as the Wildcats fell in the waning seconds to Nebraska, 86-85, before lopsided losses at Indiana (86-69) and at home to Bowling Green (82-66) and Seton Hall (78-67).
The Wildcats averaged 71.8 points during the losing streak on 40.5 percent shooting, including 29.6 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 83 points on 46 percent shooting, including 58.7 percent (81-of-138) on field goals inside the 3-point arc. Most notably, the team has been outscored 168-126 in the first half during the losing streak.
Junior P.J. Haggerty shot just 38.6 percent with 19 turnovers in the streak.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 194-66 (.752) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 151-20 (.890) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 135-16 (.903) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State's 12-1 non-conference mark in 2022-23 was the best since the 2009-10 team went a program-best 13-1. Last season, the team went 7-6 in non-conference play, including 4-1 in Bramlage Coliseum.

Year	Overall	Home	Bramlage
2006-07	11-4	7-0	7-0
2007-08	10-4	8-1	7-1
2008-09	12-3	11-0	10-0
2009-10	13-1	9-0	8-0
2010-11	12-3	9-1	8-1
2011-12	11-1	7-0	6-0
2012-13	11-2	9-0	8-0
2013-14	10-3	7-1	7-1
2014-15	7-6	6-2	5-2
2015-16	11-2	8-0	8-0
2016-17	11-2	8-0	8-0
2017-18	11-2	8-1	8-0
2018-19	10-3	7-0	6-0
2019-20	7-6	6-2	6-1
2020-21	4-5	4-5	4-5
2021-22	8-5	6-1	6-1
2022-23	12-1	8-0	7-0
2023-24	10-3	8-1	7-1
2024-25	7-6	4-2	4-1
2025-26	6-4	5-2	5-2
Total	194-66	151-20	135-16

UP NEXT:

K-State takes a week off for semester exams before returning Saturday, Dec. 20 to host South Dakota at Bramlage Coliseum. Tip is set for 11:01 a.m., CT on ESPN+. Tickets are available online at kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling (800) 221.CATS or through the Athletics Ticket Office.