Huskers Hit the Road Again to Start Big 12 Play

After finishing the non-conference slate with a sparkling 10-1 record, the Nebraska men's basketball team opens the Big 12 Conference season on Saturday, Jan. 10, when it travels to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be carried live on the Pinnacle Sports Network, with Randy Lee calling the action and Matt Davison adding color analysis. The game can also be heard around the world on Huskers.com, and can be seen on the Cyclone TV network (ESPN+) as part of the Full Court package. Dave Armstrong will handle play-by-play duties with Gary Thompson adding color.

The Huskers enter the heart of the season riding a five-game winning streak, their second five-game surge this year. The five-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest under Coach Collier, trailing only a six-game streak to open the 2001-02 season.

Nebraska, which has not lost at home this season, owns a 1-1 mark on the road in 2003-04, including a 77-60 win over Big Ten foe Minnesota in the Huskers' last trip away from Lincoln. NU will be looking for its first back-to-back road victories since 1998-99, when it won league contests at Boulder and Lawrence. NU finished 4-4 on the road in Big 12 action that season.

Starting the conference slate on the road is nothing new to Nebraska. The Huskers are opening league play away from home for the eighth time in eight seasons in the rugged Big 12 Conference.

Following Saturday's contest against the Cyclones, Nebraska returns to Lincoln and the Bob Devaney Sports Center where it will open the Big 12 home slate against Colorado. The Huskers and Buffaloes, which split home contests last season, will tip off at 7:05 p.m.

About the Huskers
The Huskers' expectations are on the rise after their solid play through the non-conference slate in 2003-04. Nebraska, which finished last season with an 11-19 overall record, is just one win away from equaling that victory total after securing a 10-1 mark in pre-conference action.

For the first time under Coach Collier, Nebraska returned an experienced and deep lineup this season, with 11 lettermen back including five players who started at least 14 games last year. That experience has served NU well. The Huskers have had few close calls, as Nebraska has won by an average margin of 19.8 points per game, the second-highest scoring margin in the league.

NU has been efficient running its new read-and-react offense this season, as the Huskers are producing 72.9 points per game while hitting a solid 49.4 percent from the field. Last season, Nebraska averaged just 67.2 points per contest on 43.1 percent field-goal shooting through the non-conference slate.

Over the past three games (vs. Lipscomb, at Minnesota and vs. St. Francis [Pa.]), Nebraska has been even more effective. During those contests, NU averaged 81.7 points ? gaining a plus-28.0 scoring advantage ? while hitting 56.1 percent from the floor, including a sizzling 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from three-point range. The 29 treys over the past three games represent 41 percent of the Huskers' total three-pointers (71) through 11 games.

The Huskers' offensive improvement has been dramatic, but it is NU's defensive prowess that has turned heads so far this year.

Nebraska ranks first in the conference and fourth nationally in scoring defense by allowing just 53.1 points per game. NU has held five teams to 52 or fewer points this year, including two to under 40 points. No opponent has scored more than 64 points on the Huskers, with that coming in the season opener.

The Huskers' intense defensive pressure has held foes to just 34.5 percent shooting from the floor and 24.7 percent from three-point range, the best marks in the league and among the top percentages in the country. NU has limited six teams to less than 25 percent shooting from three-point range, including a Collier-era low 10.5 percent (2-of-19) by South Florida.

Who's Hot?
The Huskers have played with a team-first attitude all year, and that has shown through the box scores. Nebraska has just two players averaging double figures, although seven are scoring at least five points per game. Five of those seven players are hitting at least 50.0 percent from the floor.

**A native of Kansas City, Kan., senior Nate Johnson paces NU in scoring (12.2 ppg), field-goal percentage (58.2), three-point field-goal percentage (61.9) and free-throw percentage (86.1). He has reached the top of the Huskers' stat sheet despite coming off the bench for the past nine games since returning from an illness that forced him to miss NU's second contest of the season.

Johnson, who also adds 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 22.5 minutes, is the only player to currently rank among the league's top 10 in field-goal (6th), three-point field-goal (1st) and free-throw percentage (3rd). Over the past three games, Johnson has hit his last eight three-point field-goal attempts ? and 68.0 percent (17-of-25) overall from the floor ? while averaging a team-high 18.0 points per game.

**Senior Andrew Drevo, a former walk-on who started his college career at Morningside (Iowa) College, has hit better than 53 percent from the floor and behind the arc the past three games, while averaging 11.0 points to go with 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals in just 19.0 minutes per game.

On the season, Drevo, who led the team in scoring and rebounding last year, has averaged 10.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while connecting on 51.9 percent from the field. The Lincoln native is second on the team with 14 three-pointers this season, but has been nearly flawless inside the arc, where he has hit 28-of-43 attempts (65.1 percent).

**Senior forward Conklin has found his long-range stroke again, as he is hitting at a 48.6-percent clip from three-point range this season with a team-high 17 treys on 35 attempts. Overall, Conklin is averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 13.2 minutes per game.

**Also in the backcourt, juniors Jake Muhleisen and Corey Simms have combined for 14.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game this season, while NU's two newcomers at the point ? junior Marcus Neal Jr. and freshman Charles Richardson Jr. ? have combined for nearly seven points and five assists per game.

Scouting the Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones run into Saturday's matchup with an 8-2 record overall and 1-0 mark in Big 12 play. ISU is undefeated at home with a perfect 8-0 record, while its only two losses have come on the road against Virginia (85-74) and San Diego State (86-76).

ISU opened league action on Wednesday with a 70-65 home victory over Missouri, which had ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation early in the season before falling out of the rankings earlier this week. MU fell to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in the Big 12 standings.

Despite a thin lineup, the Cyclones continued their impressive drive early in the season as they snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory over the Tigers. ISU hit 46.6 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from downtown against MU, while holding a slim, 33-32, advantage on the glass.

Freshman guard Curtis Stinson led the Cyclones with 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting while adding six rebounds and three assists. Stinson leads ISU with 15.6 points per game while hitting 51.5 percent from the floor. The Bronx, N.Y. native is also second on the squad in rebounding (7.2 rpg), assists (42) and steals (18) while playing a team-high 33.7 minutes per game.

Stinson is surrounded by three other Cyclones who are scoring in double figures this season.

Junior center Jared Homan is second on the team with 13.2 points per game while leading the Big 12 with 3.4 blocks per contest. Senior Jake Sullivan adds 12.8 points and senior Jackson Vroman contributes 12.2 points per game. Sullivan is one of the deadliest three-point shooters in league history, and paces ISU with 22 treys this year while hitting 37.3 from long range. Vroman is a versatile big man, as he pulls down 9.0 rebounds per contest while ranking fourth on the team in assists (21) and second in blocked shots (10).

Sullivan and Homan each had 11 points against the Tigers while combining for 11 boards. Freshman Will Blalock added 11 points, five assists (no turnovers) and four steals against MU, and is averaging 8.7 points and a team-high 4.5 assists per game.

The Cyclones are hitting 49.3 percent from the floor on the year while holding opponents to just 38.4 percent shooting. ISU averages 76.4 points while allowing 67.0 points per contest and holds a 39.9-34.5 rebounding margin.

Iowa State is coached by Wayne Morgan (St. Lawrence, 1973), who is in his first season at guiding the Cyclones and seventh season as a head coach. The Cyclones will be gunning for Morgan's 100th career victory Saturday, as he enters the matchup with a 99-86 career record.

Series History
Nebraska and Iowa State will be meeting for the 219th time in the series when they face off Saturday. The series dates back to the 1908-09 campaign, when NU won by a 42-20 margin. Overall, Nebraska leads the series by a 125-93 mark.

The NU-ISU matchup has been exciting for fans and heart wrenching for the participants as 22 of the past 27 meetings have been decided by 10 points or fewer points, including 14 of the last 22 being decided by six points or fewer. Overall, four of the last nine meetings have been decided by fewer than three points.

Iowa State has taken command the past four years, earning a 6-2 mark over the Huskers including four straight in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. However, Nebraska will look to make it two straight wins as the Huskers pulled out a 69-63 win over the Cyclones in its final home game last season. The victory was the Huskers' second straight at home. Nebraska has increased that home winning streak to 11 games this season after opening the year with a perfect 9-0 record in the Devaney Center.

While the Huskers have been in the driver's seat at home where they own a 75-29 all-time mark against ISU, the Cyclones have not been as dominant at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State leads the series in Ames by a 56-45 all-time mark, including just a six-game edge, 19-13, at Hilton Coliseum, although the Cyclones have won five straight at home over Nebraska. The past two contests in Ames have seen ISU win by an average of just eight points.

Last season, the Huskers led by two, 32-30, at the intermission before falling to Iowa State 71-61 at Ames. NU hit 50.0 percent in the opening period but was limited to just 25.8 percent from the floor in the second frame. The Huskers held a 36-30 advantage on the glass as John Turek pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Nate Johnson had 17 points and five assists in the game, while Corey Simms added 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Andrew Drevo came off the bench to score 11 points with three boards.

Last Time Out ? Nebraska 93, St. Francis (Pa.) 49
Lincoln ? Nebraska tuned up for its Big 12 opener against ISU by blitzing St. Francis (Pa.) with a 21-4 run over the first nine minutes before cruising to a 93-49 victory Tuesday evening at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska, which has won five straight since a seven-point road loss at No. 23 Creighton on Dec. 10, followed the successful pattern it has employed throughout the season, using a stifling defense and a balanced offensive attack to extinguish the Red Flash.

The Huskers, who are second nationally in field-goal percentage defense and fourth in scoring defense, held St. Francis to 28 percent shooting from the field. On the other end, Nebraska shot 66.9 percent from the floor, its highest shooting percentage under Barry Collier, topping the 66.1 percent it shot against Kent State on Dec. 21, 2000. NU’s 93 points was also a season high and the most by a Husker team since a 99-point outburst against Kansas State on Feb. 9, 2002.

Nebraska took control from the onset, as Drevo scored five of his 14 points in a 10-0 run to open the contest, while the Red Flash (3-7) missed their 13 shots from the floor. The Huskers continued to extend the lead, as Jake Muhleisen and Nate Johnson connected from long range to push NU’s cushion to 17 points just nine minutes into the game.

Johnson scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, as Nebraska placed five in double figures. Drevo finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes, while John Turek, Marcus Neal Jr. and Wes Wilkinson all chipped in 10 points. Thirteen of the 14 players who saw action broke into the scoring column.

Nebraska, which led by at least 25 for the final 18 minutes, dominated inside with a 52-12 advantage in the paint, while the taller Huskers posted a 39-19 advantage on the glass. NU also received another strong performance from its bench, getting 52 points from its reserves.

Darshan Luckey, who was held to one field goal in the first half, scored a game-high 22 points for St. Francis, while Rahsaan Benton chipped in 15 points, on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range, for the Red Flash. Benton, who scored 12 points in the first half, connected on four of St. Francis’ seven field goal attempts, as the Red Flash were held to just 27 percent shooting before halftime.

Nebraska postgame notes vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
**Nebraska scored a season-high 93 points while hitting 66.1 percent from the floor. It marked just the third time under Coach Barry Collier topped 90 points (3-0 record), and the field-goal percentage was a Collier-era high. It was the highest field-goal percentage by the Huskers since shooting 72.3 percent against UNC Wilmington on Dec. 5, 1997.

**The Huskers started the game on a 10-0 run over the first 6:05 before Darshan Luckey hit a pair of free throws at the 13:55 mark of the opening period. Nebraska held the Red Flash without a field goal until the 12-minute mark when Joey Goodson hit a jumper on a fast break. SFU was 0-for-13 before the basket and trailed 15-2.

**Nebraska led 45-24 at the intermission, marking the ninth straight home game this season the Huskers have led at the break.

**Nebraska recorded its season high for points in a period on two occasions Tuesday, first recording 45 points in the first period and then 48 points in the second period. The season-high 48 points in the second frame easily surpassed the previous high of 43 points scored by NU in the first period of the season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson.

**The Huskers hit 62.1 percent (18-of-29) from the floor in the first half and then 70.4 percent (19-of-27) in the second frame. The second-period field-goal accuracy was the second-highest mark of the season, trailing only the 70.8 percent (17-of-24 attempts) NU hit from the field against Delaware State.

**Nebraska’s 44-point victory margin matched its season high, after gaining a 70-26 win over Bethune-Cookman in December. It tied for the largest margin of victory at home since 1984-85, and the fifth-largest margin of victory at the Devaney Center ever.

**Junior guard Marcus Neal Jr. tied his career high with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor while adding two assists, one steal and his first career blocked shot. Neal previously scored 10 points against Delaware State.

**Nate Johnson set a career high with four three-point field goals, going 4-for-4 from behind the arc. Johnson has hit his last eight three-point attempts over the past three games combined. He finished with a team-high 19 points, and averaged 22.0 points off the bench in the past two games.

**Freshman Charles Richardson Jr. came off the bench to record five assists against no turnovers in 19 minutes of action. Richardson, who leads the team with 35 assists this season, has now had nine assists and no turnovers in the past two combined games.

**Senior Brian Conklin tied his career high with a game-high three steals, while adding eight points, three boards, two assists and one block in 13 minutes of action.

**Nebraska’s 11-game home court winning streak dating to last season ties for the 11th-longest in Husker history. The last time NU won at least 12 straight at home was 1993-94 to 1994-95. The school record is 20 straight wins from 1964-65 to 1966-67. This marks NU’s first undefeated home slate in non-conference play since 1997-98.

**Nebraska placed five players in double-figures for the first time since 2002, when it accomplished the feat against Kansas State.

NU Off to One of Best Starts in School History
After cruising through the non-conference slate, the Huskers own a 10-1 mark which ranks among the best starts in school history.

Nebraska has started the season with at least 10 wins in its first 11 games only 10 other times in history, with the most recent occurrence coming in 1994-95 when the Huskers' opened with an 11-1 mark. That season, NU went on to finish 18-14 and reached the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) before losing to Big Ten foe Penn State, 65-59, at home.

The best start for a Husker squad in the modern era came in 1990-91, when Nebraska opened with a 16-1 record. The Huskers won a school-record 26 games that season before making NU's second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

BDSC Winning Streak Reaches 11 Games
Nebraska's strong start this season has come behind a solid effort at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, where the Huskers have been flawless this season.

NU currently owns an 11-game home winning streak dating back to last season, including nine straight wins at the Devaney Center this season. It is the longest home winning streak for Nebraska under Coach Collier. The Huskers are 38-16 at home during his tenure.

The streak is the longest since NU won 11 games from 1996-97 to 1997-98. Overall, it ties for the 11th-longest in school history. The last time a team won more than 11 straight home contests came from 1993-94 to 1994-95, when NU won 12 straight before falling to Missouri at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska has been outstanding at home since moving into the Devaney Center in the 1976-77 season. The Huskers hold a 326-100 (.765) record at home during that span, including 21 seasons (of 27) of at least 10 home wins. The Huskers' home winning percentage ranked 30th nationally among schools with at least 400 games at their current arena entering the season, according to College Basketball News' website, rpiratings.com.

The Huskers have already equaled last year's win total at home, as Nebraska went 9-6 at the Devaney Center in 2002-03. Nebraska has defeated a ranked team at home 21 times during that span, including once in each of Coach Collier's first three seasons.

Playing with Passion
Despite coming off the bench for the past nine games, senior guard Nate Johnson has been a catalyst for Nebraska's offense this season. Johnson, who has had a positive, team-first attitude since joining the Huskers in 2002, leads the Huskers with 12.2 points per game. He is one of just two Huskers, along with senior Andrew Drevo, currently averaging better than 10 points per game, and leads the team by hitting 58.2 percent from the floor and 61.9 percent from three-point range.

Johnson has performed well throughout the season, but had possibly the best performance of his career two games ago against Minnesota. The Kansas City, Kan., native scored a game-high 25 points while adding six rebounds (tied for team high), three assists and two steals. The 25 points tied Johnson's career high set in a 79-75 overtime victory against Denver last season.

Johnson's performance against Minnesota was at least as impressive as last year's meeting with Denver at home. Against the Pioneers in 2002-03, Johnson scored 12 points in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime, while hitting 9-of-13 attempts from the charity stripe.

Playing on the road against Minnesota on Dec. 29, Johnson hit 7-of-12 attempts from the floor and 9-of-10 from the foul line. Johnson had 10 straight points for the Huskers in the first half, helping Nebraska stay within striking distance as it trailed by just one, 32-31, at the intermission. In the second frame, Johnson added 15 points, including a pair of three-pointers in a 36-second span. The two treys were part of six straight for the Huskers during a 26-6 run. Johnson also hit 7-of-8 free throw attempts in the final 2:34 to ice the contest.

Johnson's hot hand carried over to the St. Francis (Pa.) contest, where he scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. Johnson hit all four of his attempts from behind the arc, and has now hit eight straight three-point attempts over the past three contests. The effort moved Johnson into second in the league standings for three-point field-goal percentage, as he is hitting at a 61.9-percent clip from downtown this year.

Bombs Away
Coming into the season, the Huskers believed they could be a much better shooting team than last year. So far, that has been exactly the case, especially from long range.

Nebraska has hit 39.6648 percent from beyond the arc this season to rank second in the conference in three-point field-goal percentage. Oklahoma State leads the league by a miniscule margin, as the Cowboys have hit 39.6694 percent from downtown this season.

The Huskers' average is up considerably from last year's 30.2 percent shooting from long range. In fact, if Nebraska finishes the season at its current pace, it would be the highest mark in school history, surpassing the school-record 38.3 percent the Huskers recorded in 2000-01. Only twice ? in 1991-92 and 2000-01 ? has NU shot better than 37.0 percent as a team from three-point range for a season.

The Huskers have hit 71-of-179 three-point field-goal attempts this season, averaging 6.5 treys per game. Nebraska hit a season-high 11 three-pointers on the road against Minnesota on Dec. 29, marking the first time since February 2002 that NU had at least 10 treys on the road.

The Huskers' rate of success from downtown has it on pace for 176 three-pointers through the regular season, which would tie for fifth in NU single-season history. Each of Coach Collier's first three squads currently rank in the top 10, including a Nebraska record 267 three-pointers in 2001-02.

Going Deep
For the first time in recent years, the Cornhuskers have a deep bench that has proven valuable to the Huskers this season. The Huskers have gotten at least 10 players into every contest in 2003-04, including all 15 active players three times. Nebraska's bench has outscored its opponents' bench by a 360-142 margin this year, while helping NU to a 10-1 record.

Nebraska's bench provided an outstanding performance against Minnesota, helping the Huskers to their first road win of the season with a 77-60 victory. Players coming off NU's bench contributed 56 points in the victory ? just four less than Minnesota's total ? and outscored UM's bench by 49 points.

The Huskers' reserves hit 18-of-29 field-goal attempts against the Gophers, including 9-of-12 from downtown, while the Husker starters were 9-of-23 from the field and 2-of-8 from long range. Nate Johnson led the charge with a career-high tying 25 points off the bench, while Brian Conklin set a season high with 17 points, including hitting 5-of-6 from three-point range.

NU's bench continued the barrage earlier this week against St. Francis (Pa.), as the Husker reserves outscored the Red Flash's reserves 52-15. Over the past two games, NU has had a 108-22 advantage in bench scoring.

Husker Men and Women Off to Record Starts
The Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball teams are off to a record start during the 2003-04 season after each team finished non-league play with a 10-1 record. The 20 combined wins in non-league play are more than the teams combined for all of last season (19).

The Husker men's and women's teams closed the 2003-04 non-conference schedule with a combined 20-2 mark. That record easily bettered the previous 22-game combined starts of the programs, which has occurred on four occasions with a combined 18-4 record.

The most regular-season non-conference wins the Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs combined for is 21 (against four losses). That mark came in 1991-92, when the men rolled to an 11-1 mark, while the women notched a 10-3 record.

Doling out the 'D'
Nebraska was one of the top defensive units in the rugged Big 12 Conference in 2002-03 and has been just as successful this season.

The Huskers have gotten off to a good start, as they are allowing opponents to hit just 34.5 percent (204-of-591) from the floor and 24.7 percent (53-of-215) 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 performance against Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 20 ended in record-setting fashion. The Huskers limited BCC to just 26 points for the game, the lowest point total allowed by NU since a 33-23 victory over Kansas State in 1941. It was the second time in two weeks Nebraska's defensive effort had set or tied the Devaney Center record for lowest opponent point total. Delaware State tied the previous building low of 39 points on Dec. 8.

Bethune-Cookman was held to 14 points in the first period and just 12 points in the second frame, tying the building record low for points a period. BCC also shot a Devaney Center record low 21.2 percent (11-of-52) from the field.

Nebraska was also efficient on defense the previous game against Tennessee when the Huskers held UT to just three field goals in the first half, including only one from two-point range, a dunk with 9.9 seconds remaining in the half. UT shot 27.8 percent for the game. The three field goals is the fewest NU has allowed in one period since the 1987 NIT, when the Huskers gave up just three field goals while holding Arkansas to a Devaney Center-low 12 points in the first half.

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 then hit 7-of-20 three-point attempts over the next eight games before making five treys against Minnesota on the road. He was 5-of-6 from three-point range while helping Nebraska to a season-high 11 triples on night.

The recent outburst against the Gophers helped Conklin rank sixth in the league by hitting at a 48.6-percent (17-of-35) clip on the year. Conklin's 17 three-pointers through 11 games paces the Huskers, and is nearing his total of 22 in 30 games last year.

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 125, just 21 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 Jake Muhleisen's mark for the single-game season high.

While Conklin hit 25.9 percent (22-of-85) in 2002-03 as opponents keyed on him outside the arc, he ranks fifth in the NU record book for career three-point field-goal percentage at 39.2 (127-of-324). 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 in the starting lineup for the third straight season after leading the team in blocked shots each of the past two years. Turek, who has recorded 19 of NU's 48 blocked shots this season, 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 110. He became just the sixth player in NU history to record 100 blocked shots, reaching the mark when he recorded a season-high four against Delaware State. He also added four in the next game against Creighton.

Turek finished last season as only the second sophomore in NU history with at least 90 career blocks. He 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 is again 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. During 2003-04, NU faces 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 was no different. Nebraska has already played 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 earned a 4-1 record against teams from those leagues.

That strong non-league schedule has prepared Nebraska well for the rugged grind of the Big 12 campaign. NU begins its eighth season in the Big 12 Conference in 2003-04, where it owns a 47-65 mark . The Huskers have a 117-110 overall record since the start of Big 12 play. Nebraska has defeated eight ranked league opponents since the start of Big 12 competition, but has not been ranked since joining the Big 12. The league has sent two teams to the NCAA Final Four the past two years, with Big 12 teams producing a 500-299 record.

Huskers Succeed On and Off the Court
Working hard in the Nebraska basketball program means more than just setting screens, diving for a loose ball and lifting weights. It means getting the job done in the classroom, something the Huskers have been highly successful at under Coach Barry Collier.

Nebraska owns a 3.08 cumulative grade-point average through the end of the fall 2003 semester. During the fall term, nine Huskers earned at least a 3.0 GPA, including a two ? senior Brian Conklin and sophomore Bronsen Schliep ? who had perfect 4.0 GPAs. Schliep, a walk-on with the basketball team who is also a Regents and Peter Kiwit Scholar at Nebraska, has maintained a 4.0 GPA during his career (five semesters plus summer terms).

Last year, forward John Turek and center Tony Wilbrand were among 15 student-athletes named to the 2003 academic All-Big 12 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 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.

Eight Huskers were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for their academic achievement in the 2002 fall and 2003 spring semesters. 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.

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
**The Huskers are now 10-1 on the season, their best start since opening the 1994-95 campaign with an 11-1 record. Nebraska’s 10 victories in the non-conference season are the most in four years under Coach Barry Collier, and just one win less than last season’s total (11-19 overall record). NU won seven non-league games in each of Collier’s first two years and won eight contests before Big 12 play last year.

**The Huskers have hit 49.4 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 53.6 percent (221-of-412) from inside the arc.

**Nebraska has hit 71.7 percent from the free throw line this season after converting on just 64.9 percent from the foul line last year. Junior forward John Turek has played a prominent role in that turnaround, as he is hitting 72.2 percent (26-of-36) from the line after entering the season as a 41.9 percent free throw shooter in his first two years.

**The Huskers have allowed just 51.4 points per game in nine home victories this season, including an average of only 47.2 points in the last four home contests.

**Nebraska has held its opponent to less than 40 points twice this season, including a Devaney Center-record low 26 points against Bethune-Cookman. The last time NU held at least two opponents to less than 40 points in the same season was 1950-51, when Nebraska defeated Northwest Missouri State 61-39 and Santa Clara 53-38.

**NU is now 8-0 under Coach Collier when holding opponents to 50 points or less, including 3-0 this year. Collier’s teams have gone 38-0 all-time when allowing 50 or fewer points.

**NU has outrebounded nine opponents in 11 games this season, after outrebounding just 12 opponents in 30 games last year. NU also tied in rebounding once last season.

**Nebraska has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in a half six times this season. Of those six occurrences, four have been in the first period.

**The Huskers have allowed more than five three-pointers just four times this season and has given up more than seven treys only twice in 2003-04. Arizona State hit an opponent season-high of 10 three-pointers on 25 attempts. ASU was 10-of-22 from inside the arc.

**Senior Brian Conklin will reach a special plateau Saturday against Iowa State, as he will be playing in his 100th career game. He is just the second player to reach 100 games since Coach Collier took over the program in 2000-01. Guard Cary Cochran also reached his 100th career game under Collier, reaching the mark in his senior season in 2001-02.

**Conklin, junior guard Jake Muhleisen and senior forward Andrew Drevo have already topped the 500-point plateau this season. NU could see the number of Huskers reaching that mark climb to five this season as Nate Johnson (495) and John Turek (482) are also within reach of the plateau.

**Jake Muhleisen needs 15 points to reach the 600-point plateau (53 career games) and 27 assists to reach 200 career assists.