Huskers and Hornets Square Off Tonight

Playing its fifth straight game in the friendly confines of the Bob Devaney Sports Center to open the season, the Nebraska men’s basketball team looks to continue its strong start when it takes on the Delaware State Hornets on Monday, Dec. 8. The Huskers and Hornets will tip off at 7:05 p.m. and the game can be heard live on the Pinnacle Sports Network and on Huskers.com, with Randy Lee calling the action and Matt Davison adding color analysis. Live stats and streaming video are also available on Huskers.com.

The game will be Nebraska's second in three days, and is part of a tough five-game stretch that spans just 11 days. Four of those contests are at home, where Nebraska is already 4-0 this season and currently owns a six-game winning streak dating back to last season.

NU's successful start has come behind a solid defensive effort and efficient offensive performances. The Huskers have averaged 72.0 points per game through the first four contests while hitting 45.9 percent from the field. Nebraska's opportunistic defense has limited opponents to just 58.8 points per game and 36.4 percent shooting from the field, including just 27.0 percent from three-point range.

Nebraska turned in a tremendous defensive effort Saturday against South Florida, when it defeated the Bulls, 75-52, marking its second straight victory over a team that it lost to last season. The Huskers held USF to just 32.1 percent from the floor. The Huskers only forced South Florida into 13 turnovers, but took away the long ball, as the Bulls missed 17 of their 19 three-point attempts.

NU also dominated the boards, taking a 46-27 advantage on the glass with 12 players picking up at least two rebounds apiece. Nebraska has outrebounded all four of its opponents this season, earning a plus-9.3 rebounding margin.

Several players have stepped up for Nebraska, with senior guard Nate Johnson leading the way. The Kansas City, Kan., native has come off the bench each of the last two games following an illness that forced him to miss the Eastern Michigan contest. Johnson scored 11 points against South Florida and now leads NU with 13.0 points per game while hitting 14-of-23 shots (60.9 percent) from the floor.

Juniors John Turek (12.5 ppg) and Jake Muhleisen (10.3 ppg) join Johnson as double-figure scorers through four contests, with Turek leading the Huskers with 10.3 rebounds per game. Junior Corey Simms has provided tremendous energy on the court while adding 7.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and NU's two new point guards, Marcus Neal Jr. and Charles Richardson Jr., have combined for 6.8 points and 4.0 assists per game while hitting 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) from the foul line.

Scouting the Hornets
Nebraska plays its second game in three days against a Delaware State squad that enters the contest with a 1-3 record, all on the road. DSU returns 10 lettermen and three starters from last year's 15-12 squad. DSU went 11-0 at home in 2002-03, helping it to a 13-5 league record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

The Hornets have yet to reach the 60-point plateau in a game, as they are averaging just 55.0 points per game. DSU won its lone game this season at Wagner, earning a 59-48 victory. DSU forced Wagner into 14 turnovers while gaining 10 steals, and limited Wagner to just 23.1 percent shooting (3-of-13) from three-point range. Junior forward Terrance Hunter led three Hornets in double figures, recording 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor, while guard Jahsha Bluntt added 11 points and forward Carlos Hawkins had 10.

Hawkins has come off the bench in all four contests but leads the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game. He has hit 11-of-13 attempts (84.6 percent) from the charity stripe and 15-of-23 shots (65.2 percent) from the floor. Hawkins ranks second on the team with five steals and is averaging 1.8 rebounds per game.

Along with Hawkins, Hunter is DSU's only other double-figure scorer, averaging 10.0 points per game. Hunter leads the team in rebounding by pulling down 5.3 boards per game, as the Hornets average just 28.5 rebounds per contest. Hunter also owns four of DSU's nine blocked shots on the season.

Bluntt leads the team with six steals and adds 9.5 points per game while point guard Miles Davis adds 8.0 points and a team-high 3.3 assists per contest. Davis paces the Hornets with eight three-pointers and Bluntt is second with seven, as DSU is hitting a solid 41.2 percent (21-of-51) from beyond the arc.

In their most recent game, a 77-48 loss at Creighton on Saturday, Davis and Hunter tied for team honors with 11 points. Davis hit 3-of-4 three-point attempts and the Hornets shot 43.2 percent from the field, including 45.5 percent from three-point range (5-of-11) but were derailed by 27 turnovers. DSU held its own on the glass against the Bluejays with each team pulling down 24 boards.

The Hornets are led by Coach Greg Jackson (St. Paul's [Va.], 1980), who is in his fourth year guiding Delaware State. Jackson owns a 45-43 record at DSU, and is 208-120 overall in his 13th season as a head coach. Jackson previously spent nine seasons in charge at North Carolina Central, where he guided NCCU to four 20-win seasons. NCCU was a combined 46-9 in 1992-93 and 1993-94, the first two of three seasons North Carolina Central reached the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Last Meeting ? NU 88, DSU 41 (Dec. 20, 1995)
The Huskers and Delaware State will meet for the first time since 1995, when Nebraska pulled away for an 88-41 victory in Lincoln. NU owns a 2-0 series record over the Hornets, with both games being played in the Devaney Center. Nebraska won the other contest, 94-52, in 1994 when the Huskers were ranked No. 23 nationally. The victory was the eighth in a nine-game winning streak for NU.

The last time the teams met, Husker fans saw a pair of Devaney Center records set. Nebraska limited DSU to just 23.0 percent shooting for the game, the lowest opponent field-goal percentage in the building's history, while the 41 points scored by the Hornets tied for the fewest by a Husker opponent at the Devaney Center. Kansas State also scored just 41 points against Nebraska in a Big Eight Conference Tournament game played in the Devaney Center in 1984, but came away with a 41-39 victory.

The Last Time Out ? NU 75, South Florida 52
Lincoln ? Andrew Drevo and Nate Johnson each scored 11 points to pace the Huskers as Nebraska remained undefeated with an impressive 75-52 victory over South Florida Saturday afternoon at the Devaney Center.

Before a crowd of 6,439 fans, NU improved to 4-0 for the second time in three years, and just the third time since 1997-98, the last time the Huskers’ reached the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers led from the start and used dominant spurts early in each half to seize control over the visiting Bulls. Nebraska opened the game with an 11-2 run en route to building an 11-point halftime lead. The Huskers then came back with a 17-2 spurt to open the second half before opening a 24-point cushion.

While only two Huskers finished in double figures, Nebraska received a balanced offensive performance. Marcus Neal Jr. and Jake Muhleisen chipped in nine points apiece while 12 Huskers broke into the scoring column in the victory. Nebraska enjoyed a commanding 46-27 advantage on the glass and held USF to just 32 percent shooting, including 2-for-19 from long range.

The Huskers, who have won six straight home games dating back to last season, got out of the gate quickly, outscoring the Bulls, 11-2, in the first two minutes of the contest. Muhleisen, who finished with five assists, and Drevo combined for seven straight Husker points in the run. Nebraska, which shot 52 percent in the half, also received strong play from Neal and backup point guard Charles Richardson Jr., who combined for 11 first-half points.

The duo, who had scored a 10 points in NU’s first three contests, combined for 17 points and six rebounds while committing only two turnovers in 37 minutes of action.

Leading 37-26 at the break, the Huskers wasted little time turning the contest into a rout. Drevo scored all eight of his second-half points in the 17-2 run, pushing the Huskers lead to 24 points with 14 minutes remaining. Nebraska led by as much as 27 points before clearing the bench in the final few minutes and settling for a 23-point win.

Terrence Leather and Brian Swift finished in double figures for South Florida, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Bulls, who defeated NU 65-60 in Tampa last season, fell to 3-2 with the loss.

Nebraska Postgame Notes vs. South Florida
** Nebraska’s two new point guards, junior transfer Marcus Neal Jr. and freshman Charles Richardson Jr., scored the first field goals of their Husker careers Saturday. Neal gave NU a 2-0 lead about 30 seconds into the contest after starting the season 0-of-8 from the field (5-of-6 from the foul line). Richardson scored on the first possession after entering the game. He had been 0-of-4 from the floor in the first three games (5-of-8 at foul line).

** Nebraska went into the intermission with a 37-26 lead, marking the fourth straight game NU has lead by double figures at the break.

** The Huskers finished the game hitting season highs for three-pointers (7), three-point field goal percentage (38.9) and free throw percentage (78.3). The Huskers have hit better than 75.0 percent from the free throw line twice in the first four games, after hitting better than 75.0 percent just four times all of last season.

** The 23-point victory was the highest since NU defeated Centenary, 68-45, last year in the season-opener. The last time NU won by at least 23 at home was Feb. 28, 2001, when the Huskers defeated Texas A&M by 28, 97-69.

** Nebraska has outrebounded its opponents in all four games this season. The Huskers had their largest rebounding advantage Saturday, earning a 46-27 lead on the glass over the Bulls. The 46 rebounds were an NU high this season, and the 26 rebounds for USF were an opponent low. Twelve Huskers recorded boards, with each gaining at least two.

** Three players made their season debut, with senior Adam Bohac getting into the contest for the first time this year and the 29th time in his career. Freshmen Shuan Stegall and James Reynolds received their first career minutes, with Stegall picking up two rebounds and draining a three-pointer. In all, 15 Huskers saw action against USF.

** Sophomore Bronsen Schliep set a career high in points for the second time in three games. Schliep scored six points against the Bulls in eight minutes, and set career highs for shot attempts and made field goals.

** Nebraska used its fourth different starting lineup in four games. Last season, NU used 10 lineups in 30 games.

And the assist to . . .
With the addition of a pair of true point guards to the roster in the offseason, Nebraska expected to find better distribution of the ball while running its offense this season. That is exactly what has happened early in 2003-04. The Huskers have averaged 16.0 assists, against 13.8 turnovers, through the first four contests this season, while their opponents have averaged just 12.0 assists against 13.5 turnovers. Last year, NU averaged 11.2 assists with 14.4 turnovers.

NU has had at least six players with an assist in each game this season, with eight or more recording an assist in three contests. Nebraska set a season high with nine players recording one or more assists against Fairleigh Dickinson and Arizona State. Five players recorded at least two assists against the Sun Devils, as NU had 15 assists against just seven turnovers. In 2002-03, Nebraska had at least eight players record an assist in a game only twice, with a season-high nine getting an assist in the season opener against Centenary. NU also had eight players earn assists in a come-from-behind victory over UC Santa Barbara.

Making the Play
It's still early in the season and a couple of Huskers have already stepped up to provide a big boost down the stretch in tight games.

Junior guard Jake Muhleisen made the first big play before the season officially began. In its final preseason game of the year, NU trailed Athletes in Action by two points with less than 20 seconds remaining. In just his second game back from a hip fracture that sidelined him for nearly all of the Big 12 season last year, Muhleisen hit a running jumper to tie the game and completed a traditional three-point play to give NU the lead for good with 17.4 seconds remaining. Nebraska went on to win 78-73.

After running past Fairleigh Dickinson in the season opener, NU looked to be on its way to a second straight blowout victory against Eastern Michigan before the Eagles made a late run. EMU eventually cut a 27-point deficit to just seven points but junior guard Corey Simms stepped up to help turn the Eagles away.

One of the Huskers' top defenders, Simms had shadowed EMU's top scorer, Markus Austin, all night, limiting him to two points, 15 points below his season average, before turning on the offense and putting NU over the top. Simms scored nine straight points in a four-minute span (7:37 to 3:26) to lead Nebraska to a 67-59 victory. Simms gained his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high tying 10 rebounds.

Simms kept up the heroics against Arizona State when he pitched in a season-high 13 points with a career-best four steals. He recorded nine points with one rebound, one steal and one blocked shot in the final six minutes after Arizona State pulled within four points.

Home Sweet Home
After running past South Florida, 75-52, on Saturday, Nebraska now holds a six-game home-court winning streak and is 33-16 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center under Coach Barry Collier.

Nebraska has been outstanding at home since moving into the Devaney Center in the 1976-77 season. The Huskers hold a 321-100 (.763) record at home during that span, including 21 seasons (of 27) of at least 10 home wins. Last year, Nebraska went 9-6 at the Devaney Center, including a pair of three-game winning streaks in the non-conference season. Nebraska has defeated a ranked team at home 21 times during that span, including once in each of the past three seasons.

Doling out the 'D'
Nebraska was one of the top defensive units in the rugged Big 12 Conference in 2002-03 and is making it a trend this season.

The Huskers have gotten off to a good start, as they are allowing opponents to hit just 36.4 percent (79-of-217) from the floor and 27.0 percent (20-of-74) from behind the arc. NU held South Florida to just 2-of-19 shooting from three-point range, the lowest single-game opponent three-point field-goal percentage (.105) in four years under Coach Collier.

NU's defensive effort in the first 20 minutes against Eastern Michigan was nearly perfect, as the Huskers limited the Eagles to just 16 points on 17.6 percent (5-of-28) shooting. EMU came to life in the final 15 minutes of the game but still finished the contest hitting only 31.7 percent (19-of-60) and just 11.1 percent (1-of-9) from three-point range.

The Huskers finished last year ranked first in the league in three-point field-goal percentage defense by allowing opponents to hit just 30.2 percent (193-of-639) from behind the arc. The total was a Nebraska single-season record, breaking the previous mark of 30.3 percent (154-of-508) set by the 1992-93 squad.

The overall defensive effort by the Huskers in 2002-03 was also outstanding. Nebraska limited opponents to just 40.8 percent shooting from the field for the season to rank seventh in the league statistics. The top six in the conference were also among the top 30 nationally. The total was the third-lowest at Nebraska since 1960-61, which is the last time the Huskers limited their opponents to less than 40 percent from the field for a whole season. Nebraska held 13 opponents to less than 40 percent from the field in 2002-03, including six to less than 35 percent.

Hitting 100
One of the most prolific long range shooters in Nebraska history, forward Brian Conklin is getting back on track in his final year in Lincoln, starting the regular season on a tear.

The 6-11, 240-pounder came off the bench to produce 13 points and grab three rebounds in NU's 80-64 season-opening victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. Conklin hit 5-of-8 attempts from the floor, including 3-of-5 three-point field goal attempts, while playing with great intensity on both ends of the court. Conklin hit 2-of-6 in the past three games to leave him among the league leaders by hitting at a 45.5 percent (5-of-11) clip on the year.

The hot start is a good sign for Conklin and the Huskers after he finished second on the squad with 22 treys last year while hitting just 25.9 percent from three-point range. Despite the sub-par performance, Conklin became only the ninth Husker in history to record at least 100 career three-pointers last season. He finished the year with 110 career treys and currently ranks seventh on the NU career list with 115, just 32 three-pointers shy of moving into the school's top five. Cary Cochran owns the NU career mark with 268 three-pointers in his four-year career.

Conklin hit his 100th career three-pointer against Oklahoma State last season, when he recorded three triples. Two weeks later, Conklin hit a season-high five three-pointers against Baylor. The five treys tied the team season high, which Jake Muhleisen established in the second game of the year against Alaska-Fairbanks.

While Conklin hit 25.9 percent (22-of-85) in 2002-03 as opponents keyed on him outside the arc, he ranks sixth in the NU record book for career three-point field-goal percentage at 38.6 (114-of-295). Conklin set the NU sophomore record when he drained 65 treys while helping NU set the school record with 267 three-pointers as a team. He also ranks seventh on the NU freshman chart with 23 in 2000.

Lead Blockers
Junior forward John Turek is back in the starting lineup for the third straight season after leading the team in blocked shots the past two years. Turek, who has added seven blocked shots in the Huskers' first four games, could become just the fourth player to lead NU in blocked shots for three straight seasons. Only one Husker (Dave Hoppen) has ever had at least a share of the team lead for four straight years.

Turek ranks sixth in the NU record book for career blocks with 98, putting him in line to become only the sixth player in NU history to record 100 blocked shots. He finished last season as only the second sophomore in NU history with at least 90 blocks.

Turek recorded 52 of Nebraska's 96 blocked shots in 2002-03 and ranked sixth in the Big 12 Conference for blocked shots with 1.73 per game. Overall Nebraska returned 98.9 percent of its blocked shots from last season, including Turek and Andrew Drevo (19).

Tough Schedule Ahead
Nebraska’s schedule will again be one of the toughest in the nation, as it has been the past three years when the Huskers ranked among the top 60 nationally in schedule strength. NU will face a slate of teams that posted a 407-280 record last year, including 12 teams that reached postseason play (eight NCAA, four NIT).

The Huskers' non-league slate is normally set to help Nebraska get ready for the Big 12 season, and this year will be no different. Nebraska plays teams from some of the top leagues in the nation in non-conference play, including teams from the Big Ten, Pac-10, Southeastern and Missouri Valley conferences, and Conference USA.

NU begins its eighth season in the Big 12 Conference in 2003-04. Nebraska has a 107-109 overall record since the start of Big 12 play, including a 47-65 mark against league foes. Nebraska has defeated eight ranked league opponents since the start of Big 12 play, but has not been ranked in the top 25 since joining the Big 12. The league has sent two teams to the NCAA Final Four in each of the past two years, with Big 12 teams producing a 500-299 record during that time.

Huskers Succeed On and Off the Court
Forward John Turek and center Tony Wilbrand were among 15 student-athletes named to the 2003 academic All-Big 12 Team last spring, something that is becoming a common site for the Husker basketball team. Turek, who became the 33rd Husker to be named to the academic all-conference first team, was the third Husker to be selected to the first team under Coach Barry Collier, joining Cary Cochran and Brian Conklin who earned the honor in 2002. Over the previous 10 years, only five Huskers had been named to the first team.

Behind Turek and Wilbrand’s effort, the Huskers succeeded in the classroom as the team held a cumulative grade-point average above 3.0 through the spring. Eight Huskers were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for their academic achievement in the 2002 fall and 2003 spring semesters, including one with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Overall, six Huskers have accounted for 23 honor roll certificates over the past four years.

The academic all-conference team was made up of student-athletes who competed in at least 60 percent of their team’s games and held at least a 3.2 GPA (cumulative or the past two semesters) for the first team and between a 3.0 and 3.19 for the second team.

There Is No Place Like Nebraska
The Huskers have set out to keep the best players in the state at home and the results have been positive. Nebraska has two state players of the year (Jake Muhleisen, 2001; Wes Wilkinson, 2002) on its current roster, and now have eight in-state players on the roster. Last season, NU had nine players from the Cornhusker state, the most in 30 years.

NU Signs Three to National Letters of Intent
Shooting guard Joe McCray (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Laurinburg [N.C.] Institute), center Aleks Maric (Sydney, Australia; Life Center [N.J.] Academy) and forward Dillion Sneed (Chicago, Ill.; Colby [Kan.] CC) have signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Nebraska and play basketball beginning in the 2004-05 season, Nebraska Coach Barry Collier announced during the early signing period.

McCray was tabbed No. 53 among high school seniors by The Sporting News, and among the top 100 seniors by ESPN.com, Athlon and Lindy’s. McCray was rated the country’s best scoring guard by Rivalhoops.com and the No. 20 shooting guard by Athlon.

The 6-5, 185-pound McCray had a breakout performance at the ABCD Camp in New Jersey. He was ranked as the second-best wing forward at the camp by HoopMasters.com and No. 24 overall out of 250 elite high schoolers.

McCray led Dillard (Fla.) High School to four straight state titles in Florida’s largest class (6A) under Coach Darrel Burrows. McCray, a third-team all-state selection as a senior, helped Dillard move into the USA Today Top 25 as a senior, when the team went 32-1. He was a two-time all-tournament team selection in the state playoffs and was the state finals MVP as a junior.

McCray is attending prep school at the Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute this year under Coach Chris Chaney. A versatile athlete, McCray was also a top prospect at wide receiver before receiving interest in his basketball talents from several top schools, including Connecticut, Michigan State, Alabama and Miami.

A 6-11, 269-pounder, Maric (pronounced MAR-itch) is a talented post player who is a physical presence in the paint. He also possesses a solid shooting touch and range with tremendous strength and has the ability to run the floor well for a big man.

A native of Sydney, Australia, Maric came to the United States in late October, and was quickly ranked among the top 70 prep players nationally by Hoop Scoop. Playing at the Australian Institute for Sport under Coach Marty Clarke last year, Maric averaged 10 points and 13 rebounds last season, and helped his team to the gold medal at the Under-19 World Championships in Greece in 2003. Under the guidance of Coach Rob Beverage, Maric helped his New South Wales team to the silver and gold medals in his state the previous two years, respectively. Maric is enrolled at Life Center Academy, an independent private Christian high school in Burlington, N.J., where he will complete his high school requirements this season.

A 6-7, 230-pound forward, Sneed significantly boosted his rating with his solid play at the King of the Court All-American Junior College Challenge and Rick Ball’s Elite Eighty Camp this past summer. Sneed helped Colby (Kan.) Community College to a top-10 national ranking and a 7-0 start in 2003-04. He averaged 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in 19 minutes per game to start the season, while hitting 26-of-34 shots (.765) from the floor.

The Chicago native averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a freshman, but has displayed a tenacious presence on the boards while showing solid ability to finish inside in 2003. Sneed averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Gordon Tech High School in Chicago for Coach Scott Bogumil. Sneed, who led the team with 2.4 blocks per game, hit 49.8 percent from the floor while helping Gordon Tech to a 23-5 record in 2002. Sneed was named to the All-Catholic League team before leading his squad to the regional title in the state playoffs, where he recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds in the regional championship game.

Quick Shots
** NU's four consecutive wins to open the season are the most since 2001-02, when the Huskers opened the year with a 6-0 record.

** A win against Delaware State would give NU a seven-game home-court winning streak, its longest since winning seven straight from the end of 2000-01 (one game) and the beginning of 2001-02 (six games). The last time NU won at least eight straight on its home court was 1997-98, when it won 10 straight.

** While it's still early, the Huskers have hit 45.9 percent from the field, a much-improved percentage over last year's 39.8 percent. NU's percentage is even greater when considering just two-point baskets, as the Huskers have hit 50.0 percent (81-of-162) from inside the arc.

** Nebraska's new offensive scheme has helped the Huskers put up 72.0 points per game through four contests, much higher than last season's 63.3 points per game. NU has topped the 70-point plateau twice in the first four games, after reach 70 points just six times in 30 games last season.

** Senior Brian Conklin looks to reach a special plateau this season, as he is on pace to become the second Husker to play his 100th career game under Coach Collier. Guard Cary Cochran is currently the only Husker to play his 100th career game under Collier, reaching the mark in his senior season in 2001-02 when he finished as the Huskers' career leader in three-point field goals with 268.

** While Conklin and junior guard Jake Muhleisen have already topped the 500-point plateau this season, NU could see that number climb to five this season as Andrew Drevo (currently 439 points), John Turek (424) and Nate Johnson (412) are all within reach of the mark.

** Nebraska's two new point guards, Marcus Neal Jr. and Charles Richardson Jr., have combined for 16 of NU's 64 assists (25 percent) through four games, and have been reliable at the charity stripe where they have combined to hit 18-of-23 attempts (78.2 percent). Muhleisen leads the team with 11 assists while eight players have at least three assists.

** Turek had seven rebounds against South Florida on Saturday, and now has 400 for his career. Turek now has 424 points, 400 rebounds and 98 blocked shots in his career.

** Turek has also played a large role in NU's early season improvement at the foul line, where he is hitting 70.0 percent (14-of-20) after entering the season as a career 41.9-percent shooter at the charity stripe. Nebraska is hitting 69.5 percent (66-of-95) from the line as a team, with Turek leading the way in free throws attempted and made. In fact, Turek has as many made free throws (14) as any other Husker has attempted.

** Sophomore Jason Dourisseau has struggled from the floor early in the season, but has picked up the pace on the boards. Dourisseau is averaging 2.3 rebounds per game, with six of his nine rebounds coming on the offensive end.

** Nebraska has used four different starting lineups in four games this season. Only Muhleisen and Turek have started every game this year, while junior Corey Simms is second on the team with three starts.