Creightons schedule for 2012-13

Eighteen home games and road trips to Las Vegas, Lincoln and Berkeley highlight Creighton's 2012-13 men's basketball schedule, announced today by head coach Greg McDermott. In addition, Creighton will play 18 Missouri Valley Conference games and have been assigned a road contest on BracketBusters weekend.

Creighton finished last season with a 29-6 record and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jays return 10 lettermen and four starters in search of a 16th straight postseason.

"We're excited about the release of our 2012 13 schedule," said McDermott. "Our team is ready to accept the challenge of having a target on its back, and knows that we'll have to be even better to improve upon the success we experienced last season."

Creighton's lone exhibition game will take place on Nov. 2, when the Jays host Mary. The

Marauders are coached by former Bluejay guard

Jevin Budde.

The regular-season opens on Nov. 9, when the Bluejays welcome North Texas to town. The Mean Green are coached by former Nebraska assistant Tony Benford. CU's second home game comes Nov. 14 against UAB, a team Creighton defeated in Birmingham last November.

Creighton's next four games will be part of the 12th Annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Creighton will host Presbyterian (Nov. 18) and Longwood (Nov. 20) before heading to Las Vegas, Nev., for the event's final two games. The Jays will face Wisconsin before taking on either Arkansas or Arizona State the following evening.

Creighton returns home on Nov. 28 to play Boise State in the final edition of the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge Series, then hosts Saint Joseph's on Dec. 1.

Creighton's first true road game will be just an hour away, as in-state rival Nebraska hosts the Jays on Dec. 6. Creighton will be seeking its first win in Lincoln since 2004 against new Husker head coach Tim Miles.

Creighton then returns to CenturyLink Center Omaha to face Akron on Dec. 9 before a trip to Berkeley, Calif., to visit Pacific-12 runner-up California. Creighton wraps up pre-conference action on Dec. 19 with a visit from Tulsa and its new head coach, Danny Manning.

Three of Creighton's first four MVC games will be in Omaha, beginning with a Dec. 29 game vs. Evansville. CU defeated the Purple Aces, 93-92 in overtime, as Colt Ryan had a facility-record 43 points last February in UE's last trip to Omaha.

Creighton's first Valley road trip is to face Illinois State on Jan. 2 in Normal. The game will be a rematch of the 2012 MVC Tournament final, won 83-79 in overtime by Creighton.

After home games with Indiana State (Jan. 5) and Drake (Jan. 8), a road date at Missouri State (Jan. 11) looms next. Creighton returns home Jan. 15 to take on Northern Iowa before a three-game road swing when the U.S. Figure Skating Championships invade CenturyLink Center Omaha. Creighton's longest consecutive string of MVC road games since 2001 features games at Wichita State (Jan. 19), Drake (Jan. 23) and Southern Illinois (Jan. 27).

CU will return to Omaha with games vs. Missouri State (Jan. 30) and Bradley (Feb. 2), then visit Indiana State (Feb. 6) in a contest involving the past two MVC Tournament champions. Creighton hosts Illinois State on Feb. 9, then travels to UNI (Feb. 13) and Evansville (Feb. 16) before welcoming Southern Illinois (Feb. 19) to the friendly confines.

Creighton has been designated a road team for the 11th Annual version of the BracketBusters series, but won't learn its opponent for a game sometime between Feb. 22-24 until early February.

Creighton returns to MVC action for its last two regular-season games, visiting Bradley (Feb. 27) before welcoming Wichita State (March 2) to Omaha for Senior Day.

The 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament once again returns to St. Louis. Creighton, which has won seven of the past 14 Arch Madness titles, will look to repeat as champion for the first time since 2002 and 2003.

National, regional and local television packages will be set in the upcoming six weeks and be listed on the men's basketball schedule page on GoCreighton.com as those items become finalized.