Nebraska Set to Rebound from First Setback

The Nebraska men's basketball team returns to the court looking to rebound from its first loss of the season when it faces MorganState on Monday, Dec. 6 in the DevaneyCenter. The game against the Bears will tip off at 7:05 p.m. and can heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com with Randy Lee (play-by-play) and Matt Davison (color) calling the action.

After struggling against UAB last Thursday, the Huskers look to find the same intensity that helped them win their first two games of the year by an average of 38.5 points per contest. NU hit 48.8 percent from the floor in its first two home games while limiting opponents to just 32.7 percent.

Nebraska has been aggressive on the glass in the first three games, picking up at least 50 boards in each contest. The Huskers have not recorded four straight 50-rebound games since complete box scores have been included in media guides (1972-73).

When the Huskers and Bears face off, it will be the start of a season-long four-game homestand for Nebraska. NU will play three games in six days. The next two contests ? against Minnesota (ESPN2) and Creighton (FSNMW) ? will also be televised.

Nebraska will be looking to add to its 15-game non-conference home winning streak when it faces the Bears. The Huskers are 2-0 at the DevaneyCenter this season after going 10-0 against non-conference teams last year. The streak started with three wins to end the non-conference slate in 2002-03. The Huskers were 5-1 last season at home following a road loss.

Guard Jason Dourisseau has led the Huskers in two home games this season, averaging 17.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting with 10.0 rebounds per game. Freshman Joe McCray leads Nebraska this season with 19.3 points per game through three contests, including 17.0 points per game at home.

 

Meeting the MorganState Bears

Morgan State enters Monday's contest with a 2-4 record after handing South Carolina State just its second loss in seven games with an 85-80 overtime win at home Saturday. Despite struggling early in the season, the Bears pulled the upset over SCSU by hitting 51.7 percent from the floor, including 42.9 percent from three-point range, while outrebounding SCSU 33-29.

Senior guard Sam Brand led the Bears with 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including hitting 4-of-8 from long range. Brand leads MSU with 18.2 points while adding 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Along with Brand, forward Christopher Grant is the only other Bear averaging double figures, as he has collected 11.3 points with 4.7 rebounds per game.

The Bears are coached by Butch Beard (Louisville, 1969). In his fifth season, Beard has guided MorganState to a 22-67 record. Beard has also been head coach at HowardUniversity and served as head coach of the New Jersey Nets for two seasons (1988-90). He played 10 seasons in the NBA, where he was an All-Star in 1972-73 for the Cleveland Cavalier's after averaging 15.8 points per game.

 

The Series History

Monday's matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the Huskers and Bears. NU is 8-0 all-time against schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Nebraska will face another MEAC opponent in two weeks when North Carolina A&T comes to the DevaneyCenter on Dec. 18.

 

Nebraska-Minnesota Game Set for 8 p.m.

The Huskers then make their second appearance on ESPN2 in seven days when they play host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The game will tip off at its originally scheduled 8 p.m. CST start (not 8:35 p.m. as released early last week).

 

Nebraska's Last Time Out

Birmingham, Ala. --- Freshmen Joe McCray and Aleks Maric combined for 34 points and 21 rebounds, but Nebraska dipped to 2-1 on the season with an 80-66 loss to UAB in Birmingham, Ala.

Playing the first road contest of their careers, McCray and Maric helped the Huskers stay within eight points at the intermission, but the Blazers used a 13-5 run to start the second half to break open the game.

UAB, which improved to 3-0 on the season and picked up its first win against the Huskers in three meetings, got eight points in the run from Donell Taylor, including back-to-back three-pointers to put UAB ahead 52-36 with 14:52 to play. The teams went back and forth until UAB went ahead by 20, 62-42, on Richard Jones’ layup with just over 12 minutes remaining. The Blazers increased the lead to 23, 80-57, before a late Nebraska run in the last minute cut the final margin to 14.

McCray accounted for all of the Huskers’ offense in the last-minute run. He scored nine straight points in 1:04, hitting a three-pointer, a pair of free throws and then converting a four-point play. McCray finished with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including hitting 5-of-10 three-point attempts. He added six rebounds and one steal in 25 minutes.

It was the second 20-plus point game in McCray’s first three contests as a Husker. The 24 points ranked seventh on the Nebraska freshman single-game scoring chart and McCray is just the sixth Husker freshman since 1972-73 when freshman eligibility was re-instituted with at least two 20-plus point games.

McCray was not the only newcomer making noise for the Huskers. Maric added his second double-double in three games with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The Sydney, Australia native hit all four shots from the floor and was 2-of-3 at the free throw line while adding two blocks and a steal in 24 minutes.

Marques Lewis led the Blazers with 19 points, including 11 in the first period. Lewis hit 4-of-5 shots in the first half and all three free throws as the Blazers opened a 39-31 lead at the intermission. Donell Taylor finished with 15 points, including 12 in the second period, while Ronell Taylor added 10 points and Demario Eddins picked up 11 points and a team-high seven boards for the Blazers.

Nebraska was held to 37.1 percent shooting from the floor but the Huskers limited UAB to 43.1 percent, including a paltry 24.0 percent (6-of-25) from three-point range. NU also gained a 50-38 advantage on the glass, marking the Huskers’ third straight 50-rebound effort to open the season. Nebraska had recorded two 50-plus rebound efforts in the past four seasons combined.

Nebraska postgame notes vs. UAB

? Joe McCray recorded a season and career with high 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting. He became only the sixth freshman in Nebraska history with two 20-point games in his rookie season. The 24 points rank seventh on the NU freshman single-game scoring chart.

? McCray added six rebounds to tie his career high. He also set a high with five three-pointers in the contest. McCray has had at least three three-pointers in each of Nebraska's three games this season.

? Aleks Maric finished with his second double-double in three games as he collected 10 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Last year, Nate Johnson and John Turek led the Huskers with two double-doubles each.

? Maric's double-double was the third of the year for Nebraska. Jason Dourisseau also added a double-double against Texas Southern. NU had just five double-doubles all of last season.

? Maric finished 4-of-4 from the floor and has now hit 10-of-12 attempts (.833) from the field to open his career.

? Nebraska recorded its third straight 50-rebound game with a 50-38 advantage on the glass over the Blazers. NU had two 50-rebound games in the past four years, and the last time the Huskers reached at least 50 rebounds in three straight games was the 1999-2000 season.

 

McCray Named Big 12 Rookie of the Week

After averaging 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over his first two career games, freshman guard Joe McCray was named co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Nov. 28. McCray helped the Huskers to a pair of season-opening wins with an average margin of victory of 38.5 points.

McCray hit 52.0 percent (13-of-25) from the floor while ranking second on the team in scoring in the opening week. He led the Huskers with six three-pointers, including three in each contest, and tied for fourth on the squad in rebounding. McCray's four steals ranked second on the squad, as the Huskers had 26 steals while forcing 39 turnovers in the two games.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., McCray is the first Husker since Andrew Drevo in 2003 to earn a Big 12 weekly honor. Drevo was named the league's rookie of the week on March 3, 2003. It was the second straight week the Huskers had a rookie of the week honoree, as Nate Johnson also earned the accolade on Feb. 24.

McCray was just the seventh Husker ? and only the second NU freshman ? to earn the award since the formation of the league in 1996-97. Cookie Belcher also was named rookie of the week as a freshman in the Big 12's inaugural season. Alvin Mitchell and Larry Florence also earned the award that season as sophomores, while junior Kimani Ffriend won it three times in four weeks in 1999-2000. Drevo and Johnson were also juniors when they won the award in 2003.

 

Huskers Hitting the Glass

Nebraska has been relentless on the boards in its first three games this season, pulling down 55 boards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 50 against Texas Southern and UAB. Entering the weekend, the Huskers led the Big 12 Conference in rebounding offense (51.7 rpg) and rebounding margin (+21.7), and ranked second in rebounding defense as they held their first three opponents to an average of 30.0 rebounds per game.

Through Dec. 3, freshman Aleks Maric ranked second in the league with 11.0 rebounds per game, joining KU's Wayne Simien as the only players averaging double figures in rebounds. Maric has recorded 15- and 14-rebound games this season to pace the Huskers. Junior Jason Dourisseau ranked 13th in the league in after gaining 7.3 rebounds over the first three contests.

Nebraska's three straight 50-plus rebound efforts come after NU had just two 50-rebound games in the past four years. In 2003-04, the Huskers pulled down 51 boards in a 72-44 victory over No. 25 Texas Tech and had 50 rebounds in a 70-26 win over Bethune-Cookman.

The last time NU had back-to-back-to-back 50-rebound games came in 1999-2000. Overall, the Huskers have had 67 50-plus rebound games since complete box scores have been included in NU record books (1972-73). Only 13 times during that period has NU recorded more than 55 boards.

The Huskers' +36 advantage (55-19) on the glass in the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff is the largest rebounding margin since at least 1972-73. The previous high was a +30 advantage (72-42) against Oklahoma in the 1991-92 campaign.

 

Dourisseau Making Strides

Coaches and players alike have raved throughout fall practice about the improvements junior guard Jason Dourisseau has made in his game. In the Huskers' first three regular-season games, he has shown Husker fans exactly what they were talking about.

A native of Omaha, Dourisseau is second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg) and is fourth by hitting 45.2 percent (14-of-31) from the floor. He also leads the squad in assists (11), is second in minutes (83) and is tied for third in steals (3).

Dourisseau opened the season with 17 points in 22 minutes during NU's 97-40 home-opening victory. He hit 8-of-13 attempts from the floor and added eight rebounds and two assists without a turnover.

Dourisseau followed with his best game as a Husker, as he posted 18 points and set a career high for the second straight game by grabbing 12 rebounds. He also set career highs with eight free throws and 11 free throw attempts after getting fouled repeatedly while slashing to the basket.

Last year, Dourisseau hit 48.1 percent from the field and 27.0 percent from three-point range while averaging 5.3 points and 2.0 rebounds. He had 17 assists against 41 turnovers on the year.

 

Freshman Sensation

Freshman guard Joe McCray has played just three regular-season games, but the rookie is already showing signs that he could be among the most successful freshmen in the Big 12 Conference this season.

McCray ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring entering the weekend at 19.3 points per game and was second with 3.67 three-pointers per game.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native recorded a game-high 23 points in 22 minutes against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in his first career game. McCray hit 9-of-17 shots from the floor, and added six rebounds and two steals. McCray's point total was the most by a freshman in a Nebraska season opener since freshmen became eligible in 1972-73. He came back with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting (3-of-6 from three-point range) with four rebounds, two assists and one steal against Texas Southern to earn co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 28.

In his third career game, McCray recorded 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including hitting 5-of-10 attempts from three-point range. The 24 points rank seventh on the NU freshman single-game scoring chart, and he became just the sixth Husker freshman to record two 20-plus point games in his rookie season.

With 11 three-pointers in three games, McCray needs just five more treys to move into a tie for 10th place on the Husker freshman three-pointer chart. Junior Jason Dourisseau recorded 16 three-pointers as a rookie  in 2002-03 to rank 10th, while senior Jake Muhleisen ranks third with 35 treys in 2001-02. The NU freshman record is 44 three-pointers by Eric Piatkowski in 1990-91.

 

Double Trouble

Freshman Aleks Maric has also been making noise for the Huskers early in his rookie season. The 6-11, 265-pounder has been a workhorse in the paint, averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 11.0 rebounds over the first three games.

Entering the weekend, Maric ranked second in the league in rebounding. He was one of only two players ? along with KU's Wayne Simien ? to average a double-double through Dec. 3. Maric also led the league in field-goal percentage by hitting 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the field.

Maric began his career in high fashion as he picked up a game-high 14 boards in the season opener while adding 12 points for his first career double-double. He was the first NU freshman since Ron Taylor in 1973-74 to record a double-double in his first career game.

Maric came back with eight points, three boards, an assist and two blocks against TSU, before adding 10 points and 15 rebounds on the road against UAB. Maric's two double-doubles pace the Huskers this season and equal the most by a Husker last year, as Nate Johnson and John Turek each had two double-doubles in 2003-04.

 

Neal Continues Steady Improvement

Senior guard Marcus Neal Jr. struggled from the floor in the Huskers' Australian Summer Tour, but he has recently found his form from last year that helped him earn Big 12 All-Newcomer Team honors.

Neal ended 2003-04 hitting 50.0 percent from the floor over the final five regular-season games. He came back to hit 12-of-18 in 2004 exhibition play, including 7-of-8 from long range, and led the team with 18.0 points per game in the exhibition season. He paced the squad in scoring just once all last season.

In the Huskers' first three regular-season games, Neal has hit 12-of-30 shots from the floor while averaging 13.0 points per game to rank third on the team. Neal is second on the team by hitting 40.0 percent (6-of-15) from three-point range.

Neal sparked Husker runs in each of the first two games. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Neal hit three consecutive three-pointers to start a staggering 27-0 Husker run. Before Neal's outburst, the Huskers led just 17-15 at the 9:42 mark of the first half and finished the run ahead 44-15 with 2:37 before intermission. Then against Texas Southern, he combined with Joe McCray on back-to-back three-pointers to punctuate a 10-2 run that put NU ahead by double figures midway through the first half.