Huskers Begin Postseason Play at Creighton

Lincoln -- The Nebraska men's basketball team begins its second season on Tuesday, March 16, when the Huskers face instate foe Creighton in the opening round of the 2004 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

The game will tip off at 7:05 p.m. at the Qwest Center OMAHA and can be heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com, with Randy Lee calling the action and Matt Davison adding color analysis. KM3 will televise the game in Lincoln and Omaha (Travis Justice, play-by-play; Greg Sharpe, color).

Nebraska (16-12) will be making its first postseason appearance in five years, since the Huskers went 1-1 in the NIT in 1999, and first postseason appearance under Coach Barry Collier. The Huskers own a 20-17 all-time postseason record, including a 20-11 record in NIT action.

NU is one of nine teams from the Big 12 Conference making postseason appearances in 2004, including five in the NIT. League champion Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas and Texas Tech each earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament field of 65, while Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma and Iowa State each received NIT bids.

The meeting between the Huskers and Bluejays (20-8) will be the 37th in the series and second this season. CU defeated the Huskers, 61-54, on Dec. 10 in Omaha. The Huskers are 2-9 away from Lincoln this season after falling to Oklahoma, 63-59, in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on March 11. NU is 8-11 against Creighton in Omaha and 1-0 against the Bluejays in postseason play.

The winner of the NU-CU contest advances to take on the winner of the Troy State-Niagra game in an NIT first-round game later this week.

Nebraska's Postseason Tournament History
Nebraska earned its 19th postseason tournament berth in school history when the 40-team field for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was announced on Sunday, March 14. The postseason bid is Nebraska's first since 1998-99, when the Huskers went 20-13 on the year, including 1-1 in the NIT.

Overall, the Huskers own a 20-11 record in 12 NIT appearances. The Huskers' first official postseason berth was secured in 1966-67, when the Huskers went 16-8 in the regular season and earned a bye in the first round to reach the NIT quarterfinals. NU then lost to Marshall, 119-88.

It was another decade before the Huskers returned to the postseason, where they won their first-ever postseason game with an exciting 67-66 victory over Utah State in the first round of the 1978 NIT. Since then, Nebraska has won 10 of 11 first-round contests in the NIT.

The Huskers made their first serious run at an NIT title in 1983, when Nebraska won three straight games to advance to the semifinals before falling to DePaul, 68-58, in Madison Square Garden. It was the first of five straight postseason appearances for the Huskers, including their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1986. In the final season of that stretch, 1987, Husker fans were treated to another semifinal appearance in the NIT, where Nebraska fell to Southern Mississippi, 82-75. NU rebounded two days later to win the third-place game over Arkansas-Little Rock, 76-67, in overtime.

After reaching the second round of the NIT in 1989, the Huskers reeled off a school-record four straight NCAA Tournament appearances between 1991 and 1994. The Huskers secured their sixth and most recent NCAA bid in 1998, when the Huskers fell to Arkansas, 74-65, in the first round. Overall Nebraska is 0-6 in NCAA Tournament play.

Nebraska picked up its only postseason basketball championship in 1996, when the Huskers won five consecutive games to take the NIT crown. NU defeated Colorado State (91-83), Washington State (82-73), Fresno State (83-71), Tulane (90-78) and St. Joseph's (60-56) en route to the title. The Huskers finished the 1996 campaign with a 21-14 record, including losing nine of their last 10 regular-season games and their first-round contest in the Big Eight Tournament before rolling to the NIT championship.

The Huskers advanced to the third round of the NIT the following year and made their last postseason appearance in the 1999 NIT, when NU defeated UNLV, 68-55, at home and fell to TCU, 101-89, on the road.

Quick Season-in-Review
Coming off an 11-19 campaign, the Huskers jumped out of the gates and ran to a 10-1 non-conference record, including a perfect 9-0 mark at home. Adding in two wins at the end of last season, Nebraska's home-court win streak reached 11 games before being snapped by Colorado in the first conference home game of the season. It tied for the fourth-longest home win streak in school history.

Nebraska used strong performances on both ends of the court early in the season while defeating teams from some of the top conferences in the country. The Huskers made up for losses last season with wins over Arizona State (from the Pac-10) and South Florida (from Conference USA). Nebraska also dismantled Tennessee (from the SEC) while getting off to the program's best start since 1994-95.

League action proved to be a bit tougher as the Huskers dropped five of their first six to open Big 12 play. Four of the five losses came after Nebraska had led or tied the game midway through the second half, including a 63-61 heartbreaker against No. 18/16 Texas in Austin and a 52-50 loss to No. 25 Oklahoma at home. Nebraska led in the last three minutes of each game, but the Longhorns and Sooners each made contested shots down the stretch to win the game.

Following a road setback against Kansas State, the Huskers looked to turn things around as they went on a three-game win streak starting with a 78-62 victory over Missouri, which had defeated the Huskers by 21 points just two weeks earlier. NU added its first conference road win in two years at Texas A&M and handed No. 12/13 Kansas a 74-55 loss before KSU dashed the Huskers' momentum with a win in Lincoln.

The Huskers bounced back from the loss by taking league champion Oklahoma State to overtime before falling 87-83 in Stillwater just three days later. NU then won its last two home games to move to 14-3 at the Devaney Center by crushing No. 25 Texas Tech, 72-44, and coming from three points down in the final 50 seconds to win 68-65 over Iowa State.

In the final week of the regular season, NU pushed a pair of tough teams on the road before falling by 11 at No. 21/18 Kansas, 78-67, and by three at Colorado, 78-75. NU then dropped its first-round contest in the Big 12 Tournament against Oklahoma, 63-59, after leading by 13 at halftime before earning their first postseason bid since 1998-99.

About the Huskers
Entering its first postseason tournament in five years, the Huskers look to break a three-game losing streak after dropping their last two regular-season games and a first-round matchup against Oklahoma in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in Dallas. Nebraska is 5-5 in its last 10 games, including a 4-0 mark at the Devaney Center.

Overall, the Huskers own a 16-12 record on the season, assuring NU of its first winning campaign since picking up 20 wins against 13 losses in 1998-99. The Huskers also advanced to the NIT that season where they earned a 1-1 record by defeating UNLV at home, 68-55, before falling to TCU, 101-89, on the road.

Nebraska earned a 14-3 record at home in the Devaney Center in 2003-04. The 14 wins tie for the fourth on the single-season home wins chart since the building opened in 1977-78 and marked the first time since 1992-93 the Huskers won at least 14 home games. The NU single-season record is 17 home wins set in 1982-83.

Nebraska's success has come behind an efficient offensive effort and sturdy defense.

The Huskers rank among the top 30 in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (12th, 39.3) and scoring defense (28th, 61.6) in 2003-04. NU has also been outstanding guarding the perimeter, as the Huskers have allowed opponents to hit just 31.4 percent from outside the arc. NU has held opponents to under 70 points 21 times and under 40 percent shooting 14 times this season.

Offensively, Nebraska has hit 46.4 percent from the field to rank 43rd in the country, including 39.1 percent from three-point range. NU's current field-goal percentage will just miss the school's single-season top 10 list while its three-point shooting is on pace to break the current record of 38.3 percent set in 2001. Nebraska has hit 193 three-pointers and looks to record 200 treys in a season for just the second time ever. The 2002 squad set the current NU mark by hitting 267 three-pointers in 28 games.

Nebraska's senior class has led the way in 2003-04.

Senior guard Nate Johnson paces the Huskers with 13.1 points per game this year. He is also second on the team in rebounds per game (4.5), field-goal percentage (48.0) and three-point field-goal percentage (42.9). He also leads the team and ranks in the top 25 nationally in free throw percentage by hitting 85.8 percent from the charity stripe. Johnson finished the regular season as the only player in the Big 12 ranked among to the top 15 in the league in field-goal, three-point and free throw percentage.

Senior forward Brian Conklin has played a pivotal role by helping the Huskers rank among the national leaders in three-point field-goal percentage. The 6-11, 240-pounder has hit a league-leading 56.6 percent (56-of-99) from beyond the arc this season and set the Big 12 record for three-point percentage in conference-only games by hitting 61.7 percent (37-of-60). Conklin, who is averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2003-04, is on pace to break both the NU and Big 12 single-season records as well.

Conklin's overall play has picked up in the last five games. During that span, he has averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while hitting 60.9 (14-of-23) from long range. He has tied his season high with seven rebounds in three of the past four contests.

Senior forward Andrew Drevo has also been a big part of the Husker offense in 2003-04. Despite a recent shooting slump, the 6-8, 250-pounder is still second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) and three-pointers (31), and ranks in the top three on the team in blocks (2nd, 21), steals (2nd, 27), assists (3rd, 51) and rebounds (3rd, 119, 4.3 rpg).

Who's Hot?

*- Junior guard Corey Simms, considered the Huskers' top man-to-man defender the past two seasons, has gotten untracked on the offensive end of the court the past two games. The St. Louis native, who is averaging 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 2003-04, has averaged 12.5 points per contest in the Huskers' last two contests, including a season-high 14 points to lead Nebraska in its first-round game against Oklahoma at the Big 12 Tournament.

Simms, who picked up his first career double-double against Eastern Michigan in the second game of the year, has been outstanding when slashing to the basket, where he has converted 8-of-12 field-goal attempts during his recent surge. In the previous 10 games, he had made just 10-of-23 field-goal attempts. After being named to the Big 12's All-Reserve Team by the league's sportswriters on Monday, March 8, Simms hit 5-of-7 attempts from the field against Oklahoma, tying his season high for made field goals. He also had five made field goals on five attempts in a rout of Tennessee in December.

*- Simms was not the only Husker to pick up the intensity on offense against the Sooners. Freshman Charles Richardson Jr. added seven points, four rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes off the bench against OU.

Richardson, who is averaging 2.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and a team-high 2.3 assists per game, hit 3-of-4 shots from the floor vs. the Sooners. He had made just 2-of-10 field-goal attempts over the previous 11 games.

*- Junior forward John Turek has been a catalyst for the Huskers the past four games. During that stretch, the 6-9, 240-pounder has averaged 13.0 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds while hitting 47.1 percent (16-of-31) from the floor. He picked up his second double-double of the season, and fifth of his career, with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the regular-season finale at Colorado. He came back with 10 points and eight rebounds against the Sooners, including the Huskers' first eight points of the contest.

On the year, Turek has averaged 9.5 points per game to rank third on the squad and leads the Huskers with 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 bocks per game. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has hit 44.5 percent from the floor and 71.7 percent (81-of-113) from the free throw line. Turek's improvement at the line has been outstanding, as he came into the season a career 41.9 percent shooter at the stripe. He has made more free throws this season than his first two years combined (62-of-148).

*- Forward Brian Conklin is on pace to shatter the Big 12 Conference and Nebraska school records for three-point field-goal percentage by hitting 56.6 percent (56-of-99) from beyond the arc this season, including a record 61.7 percent (37-of-60) in league-only games. Only one player in league history (Kirk Hinrich, Kansas; 50.5 percent, 2000-01) has topped 50 percent beyond the arc for a whole season.

Over the past 10 games, Conklin has hit 62.5 percent (25-of-40) from three-point range. At one point, Conklin, who is averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, connected on 13 straight three-point attempts over four home games from Jan. 21 to Feb. 15.

Scouting the Bluejays
Creighton enters the postseason with a 20-8 overall record. The Bluejays stumbled a bit down the stretch and have gone just 8-8 in their last 16 games after starting the year with a 12-0 record. The fast start, including a win over Nebraska on Dec. 10, helped CU earn a top-25 ranking midway through December.

The Blue Jays won nine of their first 11 Missouri Valley Conference games before hitting a rough stretch. CU went 3-5 to end the regular season in a tie for second place in the league standings with a 12-6 record and then dropped their first contest of the MVC Tournament to Southwest Missouri State, 84-75, on March 6. Seven of the Bluejays' losses this season came on the road, as CU compiled a 14-1 home record with its only loss at the Qwest Center OMAHA coming against No. 16 Southern Illinois, 61-60, on Feb. 7.

Creighton's numbers on offense and defense are nearly identical to the Huskers' statistics. Creighton has averaged 68.4 points per game while allowing just 61.5 ppg, and has hit 45.4 percent from the floor while limiting opponents to just 42.6 percent shooting. Nebraska has averaged 69.7 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting while limiting opponents to just 61.6 points per contest while hitting 39.3 percent from the field.

Like the Huskers, the Bluejays have just two players averaging double figures. Sophmore guard Nate Funk leads CU with 11.0 points per game and 2.7 assists per contest while hitting 41.6 percent from the floor. Funk is second on the team with 45 three-pointers and adds 3.5 rebounds while hitting 79.3 percent from the foul line.

Along with Funk, senior center Brody Deren is averaging double figures with 10.6 points per game while adding a team-high 6.7 rebounds per contest. Deren is one of two Bluejays, along with senior forward Mike Grimes, hitting better than 50.0 percent from the floor. Deren is second on the squad by connecting on 51.1 percent from the field, while Grimes leads the team after hitting 58.5 percent. Grimes adds 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Junior guard Kellen Miliner adds 9.9 points per game and leads the team with 48 three-pointers. Miliner also paces the squad by hitting 80.6 percent from the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Johnny Mathies adds 7.5 points per game and a team-high 37 steals, while senior center Joe Dabbert gains 7.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and has added a team-best 32 blocked shots in 2003-04.

The Bluejays are coached by Dana Altman, who is in his 10th season at CU and 15th season as a head coach. Altman owns a 278-175 career record and a 195-108 mark at Creighton. He owns a 9-10 mark against the Huskers.

Series History
When Nebraska begins postseason play, the Huskers and Bluejays will be meeting for the 37th time in the series that began in 1923. Nebraska holds a 21-15 series advantage, although CU has closed the gap by winning the last five meetings.

CU leads the series in Omaha by a 11-8 advantage, including winning the last four matchups. Nebraska's last victory over the Bluejays on their home court came in 1995, when the Huskers took an 88-67 victory.

Creighton and Nebraska have met just once before in the postseason, when the Huskers defeated the Bluejays, 56-54, in the first round of the NIT in Omaha on March 15, 1984. Dave Hoppen, NU's all-time leading scorer, tied the game at 54-all with 12 seconds to play and added a free throw on a technical foul to put NU ahead for good. He finished with a game-high 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field. Benoit Benjamin scored 23 points and added a game-high 14 rebounds for Creighton.

In the NU-CU contest earlier this season, Creighton came out on top with a 61-54 victory. The Bluejays opened a 10-point halftime lead, 33-23, behind a 10-0 run to end the frame while hitting 56.5 percent from the floor in the opening period. Nebraska rallied to hit 54.5 percent in the second frame and closed within three, 57-54, with 19 seconds remaining before Creighton sealed the win with a pair of free throws and a layup off a steal.

Senior forward Andrew Drevo led Nebraska with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field while adding a game-high nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Junior guard Jake Muhleisen added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, as the Huskers and Bluejays each hit 47.8 percent from the floor.

Nebraska had one of its toughest shooting days from beyond the arc in 2003-04 against Creighton. NU hit just 5-of-17 (29.4 percent) from three-point range, including 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) in the first half. Nebraska also hit a season-low 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the charity stripe while the Bluejays connected on 72.2 percent (13-of-18). Brody Deren and Nate Funk led Creighton with 13 points apiece while Mike Grimes hit 5-of-6 field-goal attempts to add 12 points.