1998-99 Season Preview

Nebraska's 1997-98 basketball season ended exactly where the Huskers had hoped--in the NCAA Tournament. However, it is when it ended that does not sit well with the Huskers.

After a rocky two-week stretch midway through the Big 12 season, Nebraska rebounded to win seven straight games and secure its first NCAA Tournament berth in four seasons.

In the first round of the NCAA West Regional, 11th-seeded Nebraska outplayed 17th-ranked Arkansas for 35 minutes, opening a 10-point lead at one point in the second half. However, it was the last five minutes that cost Nebraska the game and, as the Huskers see it, prematurely ended their season.

The memory of that five minutes remains in the minds of the 1998-99 Nebraska team as it prepares to open a new season. The Huskers, who return all but one major player from a year ago, have used the sting of that loss to motivate them throughout the offseason and push the team toward the next step--an NCAA Tournament win in 1999.

The Losses
Simply put there is only one significant loss from the 1997-98 season, but it is a major one. Point guard Tyronn Lue was the heart and soul of the Huskers each of the past two seasons. An All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-America choice as a junior, Lue left for the National Basketball Association a year early, taking his 21.2-point per game average and 96 career starts with him.

Lue's name appears very prominently in the Husker record books. He ranks in the top 10 in 13 of 19 Nebraska career categories. He finished as the seventh-leading scorer in Nebraska history with 1,577 points and led the Huskers in scoring in each of the past two seasons. He is fourth in 3-pointers made with 145, third in assists with 432 and fifth in steals at 154.

His 1997-98 season ranked as one of the most prolific in school history as his 678 points were the second-highest single-season total and his 21.2 points per contest ranked fifth. His 240 field goals made last season are the second most ever and his 78 three-pointers established a new single-season record.

Lue was a first-round draft pick of the NBA's Denver Nuggets and was traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Huskers lose four other lettermen from last season, but no one who played more than 39 minutes. Rodney Williams left the Husker program after appearing in seven games during his freshman season. In addition, senior walk-ons Chad Burbach, Mike Johnette and Ryan Phifer all used up their eligibility in 1997-98. The trio combined for 67 minutes last season.

The Returnees
Despite the loss of its top player, the Huskers are confident heading into Danny Nee's 13th season as head coach. That confidence stems from the return of seven lettermen, including six players who started at least 10 games in 1997-98. Overall, the Huskers return an impressive 218 career starts for the upcoming season.

"We got a tremendous amount of experience for a lot of people last season," Nee said. "You are taking away one of the best players in the history of the Nebraska program in Tyronn Lue, but he's gone and we are moving on. Even without him, I really like the team we have coming back."

Among the Husker returnees is a strong four-man senior class, with center Venson Hamilton the leader among that group. The 6-10 Hamilton is a dominating presence in the lane for the Huskers.

Last season Hamilton averaged 11.2 points per game and a team-leading 9.8 rebounds per contest, the second-best mark in the Big 12 Conference. Hamilton reached double figures in both scoring and rebounding in a Big 12-leading 17 games last season. For his efforts, he was an honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection.

Nee expects Hamilton to fill much of the void left by Lue's departure.

"The way you measure Venson Hamilton's productivity is double-doubles and I've never had a player consistently rebound and score the way he does," Nee said. "He is a great offensive rebounder. He has the long arms, great agility and quickness to the ball. Now, we just need a little bit more of everything from Venson, but I think with Lue gone, he is just going to get a bigger piece of the pie."

In addition to his scoring and rebounding prowess, Hamilton was among the league leaders in blocked shots and finished the season with 66 rejections. His defensive performance earned him a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive team a year ago.

"We expect Venson to be an even bigger force defensively this year," Nee said. "He has the ability to intimidate and alter shots. He has worked very hard to improve in the offseason and he is coming into his senior year with a tremendous attitude. We think we have a legitimate big man in the middle. Right there, that puts you on another level."

Hamilton is ready to put his name on another level in the Husker record books. Already the single-season rebounding record holder with 315 as a junior, Hamilton's 745 career rebounds are just 37 caroms short of the Nebraska rebounding record. If he stays healthy Hamilton should eclipse that record early in his senior season.

Sometime in December, Hamilton should join 19 former Huskers in the prestigious 1,000-point club. He currently stands at 898 career points, 27th on the Husker career chart. In addition, the Forest City, N.C., native is just 75 rejections from the school's career blocked shot record.

Joining Hamilton in the Husker frontcourt will be fifth-year senior Andy Markowski (above). The Ord, Neb., native averaged 6.6 points and 6.6 rebounds and started 26 of 32 games in 1997-98. The 6-8 Markowski also posted two double-doubles on the season. Nee said Markowski brings excellent leadership and stability to the Husker lineup.

"Andy Markowski knows what it takes to win in this conference," Nee said. "He has been in our program for five years and he continues to get bigger and stronger. He should be a real steady player for us at the power forward spot and a real leader on our team."

Completing the Husker frontline is small forward Larry Florence (right), who enters his third season as a starter in 1998-99. Florence finished last season as Nebraska's fourth-leading scorer at 8.9 points per contest. The 6-5 Florence is a slashing offensive player and one of the top defenders in the Big 12 Conference.

"Larry Florence has shown flashes of being an excellent player the last two seasons," Nee said. "He is a very athletic player on both the offensive and defensive ends and is also very capable of really helping us out on the boards. He has really matured and we think he'll have a very good season."

After being bothered by knee problems throughout his first two years as a Husker, Florence heads into this year in excellent physical condition. Florence's hard work in the offseason earned him the team's lifter-of-the-year award.

The final member of the senior class is long-range shooting specialist Troy Piatkowski. The 6-5 lefty started 11 games early in 1997-98, before becoming one of the first two players off the bench at the end of the year. He connected on 36 percent of his 3-point attempts and averaged 6.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest.

Nee expects Piatkowski's shooting ability to again help the rest of the Husker offense develop.

"Troy has the ability to loosen up a defense," Nee said. "He was a very streaky shooter for us last year, but showed he has the ability to affect the outcome of a game with his shooting. He has improved all the other parts of his game, so he is going to be very valuable to us."

In the backcourt, the man expected to carry much of the scoring load is junior shooting guard Cookie Belcher. The 6-4 Belcher has started all 65 games in his Husker career and has been a consistent performer on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

Last season Belcher finished third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and reached double figures 19 times on the season. He also pulled down 3.9 rebounds per contest, was second for the Huskers in assists with 124 and led the Huskers in steals with 75. A Big 12 All-Defensive selection last season, Belcher has already recorded two of the top three single-season steals totals in Nebraska history. He enters his junior year third on the career thefts list with 162.

Despite the impressive numbers Belcher has posted through two seasons, Nee doesn't hide the fact that Nebraska expects much more this winter.

"Cookie Belcher has the potential to be an all-conference player this year," Nee said. "He should be a little more assertive this year. Cookie definitely has the athletic ability and the physical talent to step up to the next level this year."

Belcher enters his junior season with 659 career points and is on pace to join Nebraska's 1,000-point club before the end of his junior season. Nee is also optimistic that Belcher will improve on his 33 percent career 3-point shooting.

"Cookie should be ready to become a more consistent threat on the offensive end," Nee said. "He has really improved his outside shooting and after two seasons in the league, he has learned how to score in the Big 12."

Two Husker sophomores enter their second season of action for the Huskers. Forward Chad Johnson had a very productive rookie campaign and started the season's final nine contests and 10 overall in 1997-98. Johnson finished the season averaging 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds. Center Brant Harriman played in 31 of 32 games last season and averaged two points and 2.6 rebounds in a little more than 10 minutes per game.

After a strong freshman campaign, Nee expects the 6-6 Johnson to emerge as a bigger force this season. Nebraska's seven-game winning streak late in the season began when Johnson entered the starting lineup. The rookie responded by averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in the Huskers' last nine games.

"Chad has gotten bigger and stronger in the offseason," Nee said. "Last year he was really playing out of position at the four spot, but this year he'll get a chance to play his natural position, which is small forward. He really got a lot of great experience as a freshman and should continue to develop into a quality player this year."

Harriman played a limited role last season, but his minutes and production are expected to increase in 1998-99. Harriman has added 20 pounds of muscle to his 6-10 frame and has a very soft shooting touch for a big man. He hit 50 percent of his field goal attempts last season and was second only to Lue in free throw shooting, hitting 77 percent from the line.

"Brant gives us a nice complement inside to Venson Hamilton," Nee said. "He has a few different skills than Venson does and with the strength he has added in the offseason, he should become a definite factor for us inside."

Two other players enter their second season in the Husker program after redshirting as freshmen a year ago. Guards Todd Smith and Cary Cochran are both expected to compete for playing time at the point for Nebraska this year.

The 6-4 Smith was expected to help Nebraska last season as a freshman. However, team doctors discovered stress fractures in both legs when he arrived on campus and Smith had surgery in August which kept him off the practice court until November. Smith then saw limited action in six games, before the coaching and medical staff decided to keep him out of the lineup for the rest of the season. Smith received a medical hardship and is a freshman in eligibility this season.

"The surgery Todd Smith had last year really slowed him down," Nee said. "He never showed what he is capable of being. He is a very quick, athletic player who is very explosive to the basket."

Cochran redshirted in his first year with the Huskers after also undergoing fall surgery to repair damage to his right ankle. Along with Piatkowski, Cochran will give Nebraska a legitimate outside shooting threat.

"Cary brings instant offense to the table," Nee said. "We really like his outside shooting. He is a real accurate 3-point shooter and if we can get him some shots, he could really help us."

The Newcomers
In addition to nine returning players, the Huskers added three scholarship recruits in the offseason, including two junior-college transfers and one highly-touted high school recruit.

Guards Rodney Fields and Joe Holmes both come to Nebraska from Tyler Junior College in Texas. Both are juniors in eligibility for the upcoming season.

Fields, a physical, 6-2 guard is expected to redshirt after undergoing surgery on his right leg similar to what Smith had last season. Fields is making steady progress after the surgery, but Nee said he will likely sit out unless injuries were to hit the Husker backcourt. Fields averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game for Tyler last season.

Holmes is expected to contend for the starting point guard job along with Smith and Cochran. At 5-11, Holmes is not regarded as a major offensive threat, but Nee said Holmes does an excellent job of running the team and distributing the basketball. As Tyler's point guard last season, Holmes averaged 10.4 points and 8.1 assists per game.

The final member of the Husker recruiting class is 6-7 freshman forward Louis Truscott of Milby High School in Houston. Truscott is a consensus top 100 recruit, who averaged 17.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per contest for Milby last season and was selected to the second team of the Houston Chronicle's All-Greater Houston list. According to Nee, Truscott is a "very talented, athletic player with great potential" who is expected to contribute immediately in the Husker frontcourt.

In addition to three scholarship recruits, Nebraska will look for practice depth from walk-ons Bryce Bauer and Bryan Buchanan. Bauer is a 6-8 forward from Ainsworth, Neb., while Buchanan is a 6-0 guard from Lincoln High School and the son of former Husker Henry T. Buchanan.

Overall Outlook
While the loss of Lue, the team's leader on and off the court, is sure to affect the Huskers, Nee said it doesn't change how Nebraska will approach the season.

"The style of play will remain the same," Nee said. "We are going to try to push it up the court and play multiple defenses. We feel that the system is in place and there will just be some different faces on the court."

With starters returning in the two through five spots, Nee is the first to admit the biggest question entering the season is at point guard. Nee said he expects three new players at that position to perform well.

"At the point guard spot we are going to play it by committee," Nee said. "Joe Holmes is a junior college player who can help us in one way, Todd Smith is a bigger, stronger guard and Cary Cochran is an excellent shooter. All three of them bring different things to the table, so we think between the three of them we can get 40 good minutes."

Having three able point guards would add to the depth the Huskers already appear to have at the other four spots.

"This season we have quality depth across the board," Nee said. "Whether we have injuries or foul trouble, we have someone we can put in and that is a luxury we did not have last year.

"Last year, by necessity, we had guys playing excess minutes. This year I think we will get the same productivity out of players in five or six less minutes a game. Those players are then going to be more fresh at the end of the year, shoot a higher percentage and play harder. It reminds me of our teams of the early 90s where we really had good depth and you can ride a hot hand."

Another positive Nee points to is Nebraska's ability to control a game on the defensive end of the floor. The Huskers held opponents to 40 percent from the floor and to 68.5 points per game last season, both defensive bests during the Nee era.

"I don't think we got any respect last year for what we did defensively," Nee said. "We were as good as anyone in the Big 12 in terms of field goal defense. Our rebounding and defense were consistently very good all year. We absolutely think we can be as good or better in that area this year."

Nee said he also expects the 1998-99 team to be very good in another important area--team unity.

"Everyone's attitudes are very good," Nee said. "I really feel that the coaching staff and the players understand each other a lot better and with the addition of our new players it is a very harmonious group."

In addition to the point guard issue, Nee sees other questions and areas of concern that need to be addressed.

"We are going to have to see who is going to be the guy that is going to take the last shot and be the closer," Nee said. "Lue was that guy last year and someone needs to fill that role.

"Again, we need to cut down our turnovers and improve our free throw shooting and we absolutely have to improve our 3-point shooting."

If the Huskers are able to utilize their strengths and shore up a couple question areas, Nee expects big things from his 13th Nebraska team.

"That next step is our goal," Nee said. "And that next step would be to win 20-plus games, and get back to the NCAA Tournament and win. Until we do it, that is going to be the measuring stick for our program.

"We have a lot of sub-goals, like having a winning conference record, controlling our home court, contending for the conference championship, and beating ranked teams. Those are all realistic goals and if we reach those, the bigger goals will fall in line."

The Schedule
Standing in the way of meeting those goals is a very competitive schedule. The Huskers open the season with a home game against UNC Greensboro, then travel to Fairbanks, Alaska, for the Top of the World Classic.

Nebraska opens the tournament against Villanova on Nov. 19. The field also includes last year's NCAA opponent Arkansas, as well as Washington State, Alaska-Fairbanks, Wisconsin, New Mexico State and Virginia. Nee said the Top of the World Classic will be a good early-season test.

The remainder of Nebraska's non-conference schedule features home games against Tulsa, Minnesota and Creighton, as well as the 12th annual Ameritas Classic. Nee said he expects the non-league schedule to toughen his team for a run through the rugged Big 12.

"It is a good schedule that will prepare us for the Big 12," Nee said. "The conference schedule, however you look at it, you are going to play eight at home and eight on the road. It is going to be a tough conference and there are going to be a lot of close games."

In the league, Nee expects a tough battle in the league's North Division, led by Kansas, the regular-season and tournament champion, in each of the Big 12's first two seasons.

"I think the North Division is very strong and very balanced," Nee said. "Kansas is still the premier team until someone proves differently. Iowa State should be drastically improved, Missouri will be improved, Kansas State has everyone back and Colorado should be better. There are no weak links. In the South, there are several quality teams, led by Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas."

Husker Notes
Husker Outlook | 1998-99 Schedule

Eight and Counting
Nebraska made a school-record eighth consecutive postseason appearance last season. The NCAA appearance was Nebraska's first since 1994, its fifth NCAA berth in the 1990s and the sixth overall for Nebraska. In 1996-97, Nebraska made a third consecutive NIT appearance and its Big 12-leading 11th appearance overall in the tournament. The first four postseason trips in the current streak were to the NCAA Tournament. Only 15 of the nation's 300-plus Division I schools have a longer postseason streak than Nebraska, including Oklahoma and Kansas in the Big 12 Conference, both NCAA Tournament qualifiers in 1998. The 1997-98 NCAA berth was Nebraska's 10th postseason appearance under Danny Nee (five NCAA, five NIT).

The 1998 NCAA Tournament appearance was Nebraska's 17th postseason trip, its eighth straight and its 14th in the last 16 years. Nebraska also qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 1986 under Coach Moe Iba and each season from 1991-94 under Danny Nee. Nebraska has also made five NIT appearances under Nee, including 1995-96-97, and 11 overall trips to the NIT. The Huskers have advanced to the NIT semifinals three times, 1983, 1987 and 1996, and won the NIT title two seasons ago. The Huskers own a 19-10 overall record in the NIT, including a 13-4 mark under Nee, and are 0-6 in the NCAA Tournament, 0-5 under Nee.

Overall, the Huskers are 19-16 in postseason play, excluding a loss in the 1949 NCAA playoff game between the Big Seven and Missouri Valley Conferences (not recognized as official NCAA appearance).

Postseason Streak
Nebraska is one of only 17 Division I schools to receive a postseason bid in each of the last eight seasons. Active Division I postseason tournament streaks entering the 1998-99 season.

1.	North Carolina	32
2.	Georgetown	24
3.	Indiana	21
4.	Oklahoma	17
5.	Temple	15
	Michigan	15
7.	Arizona	14
8.	Arkansas	12
9.	Connecticut	11
10.	UCLA	10
	Michigan State	10
12.	Kansas	9
	Cincinnati	9
	Massachusetts	9
	Purdue	9
17.	Nebraska	8
	Wake Forest	8

Head Coach Danny Nee
Husker Coach Danny Nee (Saint Mary of the Plains, 1971) is entering his 13th season on the Husker bench in 1998-99. Nee owns a 330-225 (.595) record in 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach, and is 223-158 (.585) in 12 seasons at Nebraska. Nee has taken 10 of his 12 Nebraska teams to postseason play, including each of the last eight, a continuing school record.

The Huskers qualified for the NCAA Tournament from 1991-94, were in the NIT from 1995-97 and made their fifth NCAA appearance under Nee in 1998. Nee has also been on the Husker sideline for six of Nebraska's 10 all-time 20 win seasons.

He is also the only coach in school history to guide a Husker team to a conference postseason tournament title (1994 Big Eight Tournament) and to a national tournament title (1996 NIT). Nee's 223 victories rank second to Joe Cipriano's 253 wins in 17 seasons on the NU sideline from 1964-80.

Second among active Big 12 men's basketball coaches in seniority behind Missouri's Norm Stewart (31 years), Nee came to Nebraska after posting a six-year mark of 107-67 (.615) at Ohio University. After watching his first four Husker teams post a 61-64 (.488) record, Nee has led the Huskers to a 162-94 (.633) mark over the last eight campaigns, an average of 20.3 wins per season.

Nee, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who received his master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from Kansas State in 1972, is 13-9 in the postseason at Nebraska, 13-4 in the NIT and 0-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

Husker Staff Change
The Huskers will be breaking in three scholarship newcomers and two walk-ons this winter. In addition, the Huskers have a new face in the coaching ranks as assistant Cleo Hill, Jr. begins his first season on Danny Nee's staff. On the court, Hill will work primarily with the Husker guards. He will recruit nationally for the Huskers, with an emphasis on the East Coast. Hill comes to Nebraska from Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., where he has served as an assistant coach for the past two years. Mount Zion is one of the nation's leaders in sending players to the college ranks, as 30 Mount Zion players have earned Division I scholarships in the past six seasons.

Starting Experience Abounds
Nebraska heads into the 1998-99 season without Tyronn Lue, its top scorer from last season, who left a year early for the NBA. He played in 99 games at Nebraska and started 96. Even without Lue's services, Nebraska enters the season as one of the Big 12's most experienced teams.

Back from the 1997-98 team are six players who started 10 or more games a year ago, led by Cookie Belcher who started all 32 contests and Venson Hamilton who started 30 games. Forward Andy Markowski was in the starting five for 26 games as a junior, with Larry Florence starting 19 games, swingman Troy Piatkowski started 11 games and freshman forward Chad Johnson started 10 games, including the last nine of the season.

In fact, Nebraska returns 218 career starts for the upcoming season. Belcher, a junior, leads the way, having started the first 65 games in his Husker career. Hamilton has notched 56 career starts, followed by Florence (48), Markowski (27), Piatkowski (12) and Johnson (10). Both Belcher and Hamilton are within reach of cracking the top 10 in career starts at Nebraska this season. The 10th spot on that list is 86 starts.

Defense Dominates for Huskers
Nebraska's strong defense keyed its drive to the NCAA Tournament last season. NU held 26 of its 32 opponents to 50 percent or less from the floor and the Huskers were 20-6 when holding opponents to less than 50 percent.

In Nebraska's seven-game winning streak late last season, the opposition hit a combined 34.5 percent from the floor (147-426), and all seven shot 42 percent or less. Eight of NU's opponents last year hit 33 percent or less, including four Big 12 opponents, and 14 teams were held below 40 percent. In each of NU's 10 conference wins the opposition was held to 42.3 percent or less and combined to hit just 34.8 percent from the floor. The Huskers' eight Big 12 home opponents hit just 36.9 percent from the floor (174-471).

For the season, NU's opponents hit just 40 percent of their field goals, the second-toughest field-goal defense in the Big 12. Nebraska allowed 68.5 points per game, the fourth-lowest average in the league, and 10 opponents were held to less than 60 points.

Grambling State's 48 points marked the first time NU had held an opponent under 50 points since the 88-41 win over Delaware State on Dec. 20, 1995, a span of 66 games. Oklahoma scored just 43 points on Jan. 18, the lowest since Delaware State's 41 and the fewest by a conference opponent since Kansas State scored 41 in the 1984 Big Eight Tournament. The Huskers held a second conference opponent to less than 50 as ISU scored 49, then held Baylor to 46 points in the league tourney, marking the first time in 16 seasons NU held three league opponents to less than 50 points.

Nebraska defensive averages were its best under Danny Nee. In fact, Nebraska's 40.0 field-goal defense was the lowest since a 36.7 percent effort in 1960-61 and the 68.5 points allowed per game was the lowest scoring defense average since allowing 66.7 points per game in 1985-86. Through the 1997-98 season, just 12 of NU's last 75 opponents have hit 50 percent or better from the floor.

Tough Husker "D"
Nebraska's top five season defensive efforts in the last 25 seasons.

Year	Opp. FG Pct.
1997-98	.400
1996-97	.410
1995-96	.414
1973-74	.414
1994-95	.416

No Summer Vacation
Husker players did get some time off this summer, but several spent time honing their skills on various all-star teams.

Center Venson Hamilton was one of 12 members on the Big 12 All-Star team that toured Europe in August. Hamilton was one of the standouts on the team, coached by Texas Tech's James Dickey. Hamilton averaged 11.0 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds per game. On the trip, Hamilton led the team in rebounding four times in six games and recorded three double-doubles. He also led the team in scoring once.

Four other Huskers also made trips overseas this summer. Guard Cookie Belcher played on an all-star team that toured Greece in late August, while Larry Florence and Brant Harriman also toured Greece with a separate all-star team. Forward Chad Johnson was part of a team that played in Germany this summer.

Four with Five
Nebraska is one of only four schools in the country who can boast that their football team played in a 1997 bowl game, that both basketball teams and its volleyball team qualified for the NCAA Tournament and either its baseball or softball team made the College World Series.

The Husker football team won a share of the national title after its win in the Orange Bowl, the NU volleyball team reached the national quarterfinals, the Husker women's basketball team was the ninth seed in the East Regional in the NCAA Tournament and the softball team made the WCWS and tied for fifth. The other three schools who can claim this impressive all-sports resume are Arizona, Michigan and Washington. Twenty schools qualified men's and women's basketball teams for the NCAA Tournament, including Nebraska and Kansas in the Big 12.

The Great White North
Nebraska's non-conference schedule will include a trip to the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Tournament play begins on Thursday, Nov. 19 and runs through Nov. 22. Nebraska will leave for Alaska on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and return home on Nov. 23.

The trip will mark the Huskers' first to the state of Alaska. The tournament also includes first-round opponent Villanova, host Alaska-Fairbanks, Washington State, Wisconsin, New Mexico State, Virginia and 1998 NCAA first-round opponent Arkansas.

While it will be Nebraska's first trip to Alaska, it certainly is not the Huskers' first venture outside the continental United States for a tournament. In fact, this will mark the fifth straight season and the ninth time under Danny Nee, Nebraska has traveled to either Hawaii, Puerto Rico or Alaska for a tournament. The Huskers made trips to Hawaii in the 1987-88, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1995-96 and 1997-98 seasons, and went to Puerto Rico in 1990-91, 1994-95 and 1996-97. Nebraska's record in the eight tournaments outside the continental U.S. under Nee is 13-11.

What a Difference Devaney Makes
Entering its 23rd season in the 14,200-seat Bob Devaney Sports Center, Nebraska owns an all-time record of 266-74 (.782), including a 106-56 (.654) mark vs. conference opponents. The Huskers, who are 103-24 (.811) at Devaney since the start of the 1990-91 season, are 65-4 (.942) in that stretch against non-league opponents and 38-20 (.655) vs. conference foes. NU finished 7-0 at home vs. non-league foes in 1997-98 and was 6-2 against Big 12 opposition. Under Coach Danny Nee, NU is 149-42 (.780) at home, 97-8 (.924) against non-conference opponents and 52-34 (.605) vs. league opponents.

Since 1990-91, only 11 schools--Oklahoma State (four times), Kansas (four), Missouri (three), Oklahoma (three), Iowa State (three), Kansas State (twice), Texas (1993-94), Colorado (1994-95), Penn State (1994-95), Northern Iowa (1995-96) and Minnesota (1996-97) have exited Devaney with a win. Last year's two home losses were to Big 12 Champion Kansas and Kansas State.

NU, 13-2 at home in 1997-98, has had a .500 or better home mark for 25 straight seasons and 34 of the last 35. Last year's 13-2 home record, was NU's best mark at the Devaney Center since going 14-2 in 1992-93. After defeating Oklahoma and Missouri at home last season, the Huskers have a .500 or better record in the building against all of the former Big Eight schools. The Huskers' 10-0 home start was its best since beginning 12-0 at Devaney in 1982-83. Four of the last five teams to win in the Devaney Center have been ranked 17th or higher in the polls.

Huskers at Home Under Nee

Year	Overall	Conference
1986-87	15-2	5-2
1987-88	8-6	3-4
1988-89	14-4	4-3
1989-90	9-6	2-5
1990-91	14-1	6-1
1991-92	14-2	5-2
1992-93	14-2	5-2
1993-94	13-3	5-2
1994-95	11-6	2-5
1995-96	11-5	3-4
1996-97	13-3	6-2
1997-98	13-2	6-2
Overall	149-42	52-34

80-80 Vision
In the past few seasons, the 80-point barrier has been a good indication of the Huskers' chances for victory. In fact, before Nebraska's 105-91 loss at Texas last year, Nebraska had won nine straight games when scoring 80 or more points. Nebraska scored 80 points or more for the first time since the Texas loss in an 82-65 win over Texas Tech on Feb. 25, giving the Huskers 14 wins in the past 16 games when they have hit 80 or more. Nebraska's previous loss when hitting 80 points was also against Texas, an 83-81 overtime setback in the 1996-97 season opener at Austin.

Even more telling is the Huskers' lack of success when the opposition cracks the 80-point mark. Nine times last season Nebraska gave up 80 or more points, with a season-high 105 by Texas. The Huskers lost all nine of those games. Overall, the Huskers have lost 15 straight and 21 of 22 games when the opponent has reached the 80-point barrier. NU's last win when allowing 80 points or more was a 91-83 victory over Colorado State in the first round of the 1996 NIT, a span of 70 games. NU was 20-3 in 1997-98 when holding its foe to 79 or less, losing twice to K-State and to Arkansas.

Huskers Make Their Mark Against Top Teams
Last season Nebraska had an 0-4 record against nationally-ranked opponents, ending a seven-year streak of defeating at least one ranked opponent. Despite the end of the streak, Nebraska has had moderate success under Danny Nee against ranked foes.

Overall, Nee is 20-57 against ranked opponents in his 12 seasons at Nebraska, with 34 of those losses coming against top 10 opponents. In the last eight years, Nebraska has recorded 19 victories over nationally-ranked foes, including eight wins against teams ranked in the top 10. In those 77 games, the Huskers were unranked 70 times. In the last eight seasons Kansas has been the most popular Husker victim, going down to defeat five times, while Oklahoma State has been knocked off three times.

The Huskers' last victory over a ranked team was at seventh-ranked Iowa State late in the 1996-97 season. That upset marked the highest ranked team Nebraska had beaten since defeating third-ranked Missouri in the 1994 Big Eight Tournament. ISU was the highest-ranked team Nebraska had defeated on the road since a shocking 67-51 victory at No. 1 Missouri in 1981-82. Under Nee, the highest-ranked victim was undefeated and No. 2 Oklahoma State which Nebraska defeated, 85-69, in 1991-92 in Lincoln.