Huskers, Bluejays Set for the Nebraska Classic

Featuring the state's only Division I men's basketball programs, the Nebraska Classic pits Nebraska and Creighton in a battle for state bragging rights when the teams face off at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Dec. 11.

The game is set to tip off at 1:07 p.m. and can be seen statewide on FSN Midwest as part of Nebraska's local package. Greg Sharpe will handle play-by-play duties while former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary.

It will be the first of 10 Husker games televised on FSN Midwest in 2004-05. Husker fans throughout Nebraska can see the matchup on their local FSN Midwest station (Channel 36 on Time Warner in Lincoln; Channel 47 on Cox Cable in Omaha; Channel 33 on Qwest Choice in Omaha). Fans in western Nebraska who only receive the FSN Rocky Mountain package will also be able to get the game, while the game will also be carried on DirecTV (Channel 646) and Dish Network (Channel 446).

All Nebraska games can be heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network with Randy Lee calling the action.

Both teams enter the matchup looking to rebound from disappointing home losses earlier this week.

Nebraska, which is in the middle of a season-long four-game home stand including its third game in six days, hopes to get back on the right track after suffering its first non-conference home loss since 2002 on Wednesday against Minnesota, 57-48. Creighton looks to rebound from a 67-58 home loss to Kent State Tuesday, the third Bluejay loss in the Qwest Center OMAHA including one against NU in 2004 NIT.

The teams will feature six players from the state of Nebraska playing in front of a near capacity crowd, as more than 12,900 tickets were sold by Friday morning for the 13,595-seat Devaney Center. The Nebraska-Creighton contest in Lincoln in 2002 drew 12,238 to the Devaney Center.

Meeting the Creighton Bluejays
Creighton enters Saturday's contest coming off its first loss of the season after falling to Kent State Tuesday at the Qwest Center OMAHA. The Bluejays, who own a 7-1 record, have a 1-0 record on the road this season and are 2-0 on neutral courts. CU's road win came on Nov. 30 at Xavier, when the Bluejays rallied for a 73-72 victory on Tyler McKinney's jumper with less than 22 seconds remaining.

McKinney is among the national leaders with 6.6 assists per game. He has added 5.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while starting all eight games.

Kellen Miliner has started every game and is second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per contest. He trails only Nate Funk's 16.3 points per game. Funk also adds a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game, although CU holds just a 33.9-32.1 advantage on the glass.

The Bluejays have hit 46.3 percent from the floor, with more than 35 percent of their attempts coming from beyond the arc. CU is hitting 43.5 percent from long range and 65.3 percent from the line.

The Bluejays are coached by Dana Altman (Eastern New Mexico, 1980), who is in his 11th year guiding the program. Altman owns a 285-177 career record as a head coach, including a 202-110 mark at Creighton.

The Series History
Nebraska and Creighton renew the annual series for the 48th time when the teams meet Saturday in front of a packed house at the Devaney Center. The meeting will mark the 28th consecutive year the teams have faced off, with NU holding a 19-11 advantage during that stretch. Overall, Nebraska leads the series by a 22-15 margin.

The Bluejays have pulled closer in the series standing in recent years. CU won five straight games ? their longest winning streak in the series ? until last season's meeting in the opening round of the NIT. Nebraska ended the streak with a one-point victory, 71-70, to advance in the postseason tournament. The NU-CU matchup during the 2003-04 regular season drew the largest crowd to ever watch a collegiate basketball game in the state, as 15,561 fans packed the Qwest Center.

The Huskers own a 13-4 record over the Bluejays in Lincoln, although CU has won the past two meetings at the Devaney Center. Each of the past two meetings in Lincoln have come during Christmas break, making this year's matchup the first time Creighton has played at the Devaney Center with the full Red Zone student section in attendance. The Red Zone was formed during the 2000-01 season.

The Last Time We Met
Omaha, Neb. (March 17, 2004) ? Seniors Nate Johnson and Andrew Drevo refused to let their season end, leading the Nebraska men’s basketball team to a 71-70 win over Creighton in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament in front of 13,483 fans at the Qwest Center OMAHA.

After trailing 65-56 with 6:26 remaining, the Huskers came storming back with a 7-1 run to cut the CU lead to three points. CU extended it to five points before Johnson made it 68-65 by hitting two free throws at the 1:41 mark. The teams went back and forth the final two minutes before Johnson scored the game-winning layup with 12 ticks left. Jake Muhleisen followed it by blocking a Nate Funk shot to seal the victory.

The win marked Nebraska’s first postseason victory since the 1998-99 season, in which NU went 1-1 in the NIT with a win over UNLV at home and a loss at TCU. The win made up for the Huskers’ early season loss to the Bluejays and marked the first Nebraska win over Creighton in six tries.

Andrew Drevo contributed his fourth 20-point game of the season, after going five games without scoring more than 13 points. Drevo was just one of the Huskers’ many weapons inside as they outscored CU 47-22 inside the paint.

Muhleisen put in a season-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 2-of-3 from three-point range. The Lincoln native also posted five boards on the night to help lead the Huskers.

Nebraska outrebounded the Bluejays 43-25. While Creighton only turned the ball over six times in the contest, Nebraska converted those turnovers into 16 points.

The first half opened with runs, including a 10-point run fueled by seven points by Drevo to put NU on top 13-4 with just more than 12 minutes remaining in the period. Creighton came back with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 13-11 two minutes later.

The game saw 14 lead changes and three ties, including eight lead changes in the first half.

The Huskers ended the first period with an 8-1 run, taking a 36-29 lead into the locker room. Muhleisen and Drevo provided most of the NU fire power with 11 points each in the opening stanza.

Nebraska's Last Time Out
Lincoln -- Minnesota used a 15-0 run inside the final five minutes of the game to pull out a 57-48 victory over Nebraska at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Wednesday. The Golden Gophers held the Huskers to just 19 points in the second period, as NU hit only 8-of-28 shots from the floor after the half in its first non-conference home loss since 2002.

Nebraska was in solid position with 4:23 to play as Marcus Neal Jr. recorded a layup after Corey Simms’ block and outlet pass. Neal, who paced NU with 10 points, gave the Huskers a five-point cushion, 45-40, to bring the 8,031 fans to their feet. But NU went cold from the field, missing its final seven shots of the game.

The Huskers finished by hitting just 33.3 percent (19-of-57) from the field, including 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from three-point range. Neal led the way with 10 points while John Turek and Jason Dourisseau each added eight points.

Earlier, Neal had put Nebraska ahead 31-25 on a three-pointer and gave the Huskers a five-point cushion, 34-29, with another trey off an assist from Turek. Despite Neal’s long-range accuracy, the Golden Gophers continued to close the gap as they won the battle of the boards in the second half. After trailing 19-13 on the glass at the intermission, UM outrebounded Nebraska 25-12 in the second frame. It was the first time the Huskers were outrebounded this season.

Minnesota trailed 26-17 at the intermission but rallied over the first six minutes of the second frame. The Gophers held NU to just one basket ? an Aleks Maric layup ? over the first 4:47 to close the gap to 28-25 on Aaron Robinson’s three-pointer. Robinson hit 3-of-8 from long range for nine points, while Vincent Grier added a game-high 17 points, including three treys.

Robinson gave Minnesota its first lead since 3-2 when he hit another trey with 8:59 to play. Maric pulled NU even at 36-all and Jake Muhleisen added a layup and a jumper for a 40-38 lead with just under six minutes to play. After Neal’s basket gave the Huskers the five-point cushion, a pair of three-point plays and back-to-back three-pointers by Grier pushed Minnesota to a 52-45 advantage with under one minute to play.

Both teams struggled in the first half, as they combined to miss their first 15 shots from the floor before Dourisseau’s basket at the 14:35 mark gave NU a 2-0 lead. The Huskers were holding a 6-5 advantage when John Turek came off the bench to spark a 13-0 run to put Nebraska in control.

Turek had eight straight points in the run and added an assist. Nebraska kept the lead in double figures until the final three minutes of the half before leading by nine at the break. It was the second time this season Nebraska held its opponent to less than 20 points in a period. Nebraska recorded a season-low 10 turnovers in the contest and held a 15-8 margin in points off turnovers.

Nebraska postgame notes vs. Minnesota
? Nebraska now trails in the series 48-15. Nebraska had its two-game series winning streak snapped against UM and ended its two-game home winning streak against the Golden Gophers.

? Nebraska’s 16-game home court, non-conference winning streak also came to an end. NU’s last home loss to a non-conference team came against Creighton in 2002.

? Forward John Turek got off to a strong start in the first half, hitting all three of his attempts from the floor including his second career three-pointer. Turek had eight consecutive points in a 13-0 NU run that put the Huskers up 19-5 with 8:51 left before intermission. Turek did not score in the second half.

? Nebraska’s defense held Minnesota to just 17 points in the opening half. It was the second consecutive half the Huskers held their opponent to less than 20 points (NU tied a Devaney Center record by allowing just 12 points in the second period against Morgan State Monday).

? Nebraska hit 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) from three-point range in the first half. It was the second-best percentage in a half this season, trailing the 50.0 percent (5-of-10) the Huskers drained in the first half against Texas Southern. NU then hit just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) in the second frame.

? Nebraska finished the game by gaining a 15-8 advantage on points off turnovers, including 11-2 in the first half.

? Jason Dourisseau led the Huskers with seven rebounds while adding eight points and two steals. Nebraska was outrebounded 38-29, including 25-12 in the second half. It was the first time this season NU was outrebounded.

? Freshman Joe McCray failed to reach double-figure points for the first time in five games. McCray came into the game averaging 17.3 points per game but finished with just five points on 2-of-11 shooting.

McCray Making a Splash
Freshman guard Joe McCray has played just five 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.

Through Dec. 9, McCray ranks 11th in the conference in scoring at 15.0 points per game and is third with 2.8 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. 29.

In his third career game at UAB, 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 14 three-pointers in five games, McCray needs just two 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.

Maric in the Middle
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 9.4 points and 9.4 rebounds over the first five games of the season.

Maric ranks third in the league in rebounding and is also sixth in field-goal percentage by hitting 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the floor.

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 team this season and equal the most by a Husker last year.

The big man just missed a third double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds against Morgan State in his first career start. Maric needs one more double-double to tie the NU freshman mark of three set by Taylor in 1973-74.

Maric is only the sixth NU freshman to record a double-double since freshman eligibility was re-instated in 1972-73. Only Taylor, Rickey Harris and Andre Smith recorded more than one double-double as a rookie until Maric joined the group in only his third career game.

Neal Continues Steady Improvement
After finishing last season on a solid note by earning Big 12 All-Newcomer honors, guard Marcus Neal Jr. has continued to improve throughout the summer, fall and into the start of the regular season.

In the Huskers' first five regular-season games, Neal has hit 19-of-50 shots from the floor while averaging 11.0 points per game to rank third on the team. He is second on the team with eight three-pointers and is shooting 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from three-point range. Neal has added 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game and leads the team with 10 steals.

Neal is averaging more than twice as many points as last year (5.3) and nearly twice as many rebounds (1.8). He has averaged 10.0 field-goal attempts per game this year compared to 4.5 last season. Neal's 10 steals are just three less than he recorded in 31 games last season.

Neal has been an offensive spark for the Huskers this season. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Neal hit three consecutive three-pointers to start a staggering 27-0 Husker run. 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.

Dourisseau Making Strides
Guard Jason Dourisseau has made significant progress in his overall game heading into the 2004-05 campaign. The results have been impressive.

A native of Omaha, Dourisseau is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg), while ranking 11th in the Big 12 Conference in rebounding. He also ranks second on the team by hitting 44.9 percent (22-of-49) from the floor and leads the squad minutes played (144).

After starting all five games this year, Dourisseau has 37 rebounds, eight steals and is pacing the squad with 13 assists. Last year he recorded 60 rebounds, 24 assists and 16 steals in 31 games.

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.

Huskers Hitting the Glass
Nebraska has been relentless on the boards early this season. The Huskers started on a strong note by pulling down 55 boards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and added 50 against Texas Southern and UAB. Nebraska grabbed 47 rebounds against Morgan State, with all 11 players recording at least one board, before suffering its first deficit on the glass against Minnesota.

Entering the week, the Huskers led the Big 12 Conference and ranked second in the nation (behind Connecticut) in rebounding margin. NU outrebounded its first four opponents before the Golden Gophers topped the Huskers Wednesday, 38-29.

Through Dec. 8, the Huskers lead the league in rebounding margin and rebounding offense, and rank fourth in rebounding defense. Freshman Aleks Maric ranks third in the league with 9.4 rebounds per game. Maric has recorded 15- and 14-rebound games this season to pace the Huskers. Junior Jason Dourisseau ranks 11th in the league in after gaining 7.4 rebounds per game over the first five contests.

Nebraska's three straight 50-plus rebound efforts to start the year came 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 three straight 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.

Muhleisen Gains Spotlight in Sports Illustrated On Campus
Three-year captain Jake Muhleisen has not received much national credit despite the outstanding way he runs the team, both on and off the court. That changed on Nov. 11 when Sports Illustrated On Campus, the collegiate version of the popular sports magazine, named him one of nine men's basketball players who are unsung heroes because they do "the little things that don't show up in a box score."

The 'Glue Guys' are "the ties that bind their respective teams," according to the article. Along with Muhleisen, SIOC named Josh Pace (Syracuse), Roger Powell (Illinois), Chuck Hayes (Kentucky), Isma'il Muhammad (Georgia Tech), Jamal Levy (Wake Forest), Alando Tucker (Wisconsin), Ellis Myles (Louisville) and Nick Robinson (Stanford) to the 'Glue Guys' list.

Unprecedented Television Coverage
Nebraska can be seen on television more times this season than any other year in the program's history. The Huskers will play to a regional or national audience at least 18 times through the regular season, plus any games in postseason play.

Much of NU's added exposure comes from an agreement with FSN Midwest to televise 10 games as part of the Huskers' new third-tier package. The telecasts, including five games on the road and six against conference foes, will be produced and distributed by FSN Midwest throughout the state of Nebraska (channel 37 on Time Warner in Lincoln, channel 47 on Cox Cable in Omaha and channel 33 on Qwest Choice in Omaha).

Along with the FSN games, the Huskers will be seen on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPN Regional an additional eight times in the regular season. The Huskers have averaged more than 12 televised contests (national, regional and local) each of the past four years.

Stealing the Show
Nebraska has shown a knack for the theft this season as the Huskers have averaged 9.6 steals per game to rank fourth in the Big 12. Last season the Huskers averaged just 6.3 steals per game.

Senior Marcus Neal Jr. has led the way with 10 steals to rank ninth in the Big 12 Conference heading into the weekend. Neal's numbers are especially pleasing considering he had just 13 steals in 31 games last year.

Huskers Face Loaded Schedule in 2004-05
Nebraska will take on a tough slate in 2004-05 as it looks for back-to-back postseason berths for the first time since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaigns. Along the way, the Huskers will face: ? 12 teams that reached the postseason last year, including: NCAA Tournament teams UAB, Texas, Kansas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, and NIT participants Creighton, Marquette, Tennessee, Colorado, Missouri, Iowa State and Oklahoma.

? two opponents that reached either the NCAA Tournament Final Four (Oklahoma State) or the NIT Final Four (Iowa State) last year. The Big 12 Conference has had at least one team in the NCAA Final Four each of the past three seasons, including two teams twice.

The Huskers play 16 regular-season home games at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this season, where NU earned a 15-3 record in 2003-04. Nebraska renews series with Minnesota and Creighton at home this week, and opened a new non-conference series on the road last Thursday against UAB, which made the Sweet 16 last year. The Huskers also open a new series at Marquette, which reached the 2003 Final Four, and complete a home-home series at Tennessee this season in Knoxville. The Blazers and Golden Eagles return the game in Lincoln in 2005-06.

Home Sweet HomeThe Huskers had a 16-game non-conference home winning streak snapped Wednesday when Minnesota came back from a 14-point deficit to earn a 57-48 victory at the Devaney Center. Before that loss, NU had not dropped a non-conference home game since the 2002-03 campaign.

Nebraska was 3-0 at home this season before the loss and went a perfect 10-0 at home last year in non-conference games, including a 78-70 win over Niagara in the NIT first round. NU won three consecutive games to end the non-conference slate in 2002-03. The winning streak started after a non-conference loss at home on Dec. 21, 2002, against Creighton (81-73).

Nebraska has been outstanding at home over the past 28 years since moving into the Devaney Center. The Huskers own a 335-104 home record over that span, including a 15-3 mark at home last year. The 15 wins tied for second most in Devaney Center history. Overall, the Huskers are now 47-20 at home under Coach Collier with nine of the losses coming against ranked teams.

Turek Making Mark on Record Books
Senior forward John Turek has a chance to put his name in elite company this season.

After finding great improvement each of his first three seasons, Turek is leaving his name among Nebraska's best rebounders and shot blockers while climbing the NU scoring chart. With numbers similar to last season, Turek can top the 1,000-point plateau this winter while moving into Nebraska's career top 10 for rebounds. Turek enters Saturday's contest with Creighton with 714 career points and 567 rebounds, just 94 boards shy of moving into the Nebraska top 10.

Already one of the top shot blockers in Nebraska history, Turek has a chance to do something this year that no Husker has ever accomplished. Turek, who ranks sixth in NU history with 133 blocked shots, has led Nebraska in blocked shots each of the past three years, including tying the NU freshman record with 39 blocks in 2001-02. By leading the team in blocks this season, Turek would be the first Husker ever to lead the squad in four consecutive seasons. Dave Hoppen, the Huskers' career scoring leader, also had a share of the team lead for blocked shots all four years, but tied Ronnie Smith for the team high during Hoppen's junior season.

Turek is within reach of becoming just the third Husker ever with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks. If he reaches those totals, he will join a pair of players who were taken in the NBA Draft ? Rich King, a first-round selection, and Venson Hamilton, a second-round draft pick and the 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year.

Muhleisen Shows All-Around Game
Senior guard Jake Muhleisen has proven to be one of the top all-around players in Nebraska history over the past three seasons.

Muhleisen, who has played all three guard positions during his career, looks to join elite company this year as he has the chance to become only the fourth player in program history to record at least 1,000 career points, 350 rebounds, 250 assists and 100 steals. If he reaches those marks, Muhleisen would join Eric Piatkowski, Erick Strickland and Cookie Belcher on the elite list.

Muhleisen enters the Creighton contest with 758 points, 268 rebounds, 217 assists and 77 steals.

All About Defense
Under Coach Barry Collier, the Huskers have continued to rewrite the Nebraska defensive record book over the past four seasons.

Last year, the Huskers posted some of the best defensive numbers at NU in the last four decades, including:

? allowing opponents to hit just 40.0 percent from the field to rank 20th nationally in field-goal percentage defense. It tied NU's lowest mark since 1961.

? a team scoring defense of 62.9 points per game, the program's best defensive mark since the 1982 campaign.

Among the other outstanding single-game marks the Huskers posted last year were:? limiting 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.

? holding Bethune-Cookman to just 26 points in the game, the lowest point total allowed by NU since a 33-23 victory over Kansas State in 1941. BCC also shot a Devaney Center record low 21.2 percent (11-of-52) from the field while setting a Big 12 single-game opponent record low point total.

? holding Tennessee to three field goals in the first half ? including one from two-point range ? the fewest NU has allowed in one period since the 1987 NIT against Arkansas.

? limiting No. 12/13 Kansas to a season-low 55 points and 36.2 percent shooting from the floor, including just 27.8 percent from three-point range.

Nebraska got off to a strong start again this year, as the Huskers:

? limited Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 40 points on 32.7 percent shooting in a 97-40 victory. NU forced 20 turnovers in the largest victory in Devaney Center history. NU improved to 11-0 under Coach Collier when holding teams to 50 or fewer points, and overall, Collier-coached teams moved to 41-0 when holding opponents to 50 or fewer points.

? defeated TSU by 20 points while holding the Tigers to just 32.8 percent shooting from the floor and forcing 19 turnovers.

? held UAB to just 24.0 percent shooting (6-of-25) from three-point range, including just 3-of-14 in the opening frame.

? allowed just 12 points in the second half of a 64-34 victory over Morgan State. NU held the Bears to 23.5 percent shooting, including 15.0 percent from three-point range, as they recorded the third-fewest points by an NU opponent since 1947. It was the third time NU has held its opponent to less than 40 points in the past two seasons.

In 2003-04, Nebraska's defense held opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage total since 1961, as it gave up just 40.0 percent shooting from the field, including 32.7 percent from three-point range. The previous year, the Huskers ranked first in the league in three-point field-goal percentage defense by allowing opponents to hit a school-record low 30.2 percent from behind the arc.

Getting AggressiveNebraska installed an aggressive, attacking-style offense at the beginning of fall practice in 2003 and went on to average 70.5 points per game last season, up 7.2 points per game over the 2002-03 season (63.3 ppg). It was the largest increase in scoring production in one season at Nebraska since 1964-65 to 1965-66 (+9.0, 68.2 ppg to 77.2 ppg). It was just the second time in the past six seasons Nebraska averaged at least 70.0 points per game, both coming under Coach Collier (also 2000-01).

The Huskers have had a full year of practice in their current offense and look to make more improvements in the scoring department in 2004-05. The Huskers started on a strong note as they put up 97 points on the board, the second-highest point total under Coach Collier. Nebraska hit 54.4 percent from the floor while gaining its most points since a 99-82 win over Kansas State on Feb. 9, 2002.

NU is still averaging 70.6 points per game despite shooting 42.2 percent from the field. Nebraska has allowed just 53.8 points per game on 35.6 percent shooting to offset the recent shooting slump.

Filling the House
The Huskers look to continue the momentum gained at the end of last season when Nebraska had five straight games with at least 10,000 fans in attendance. NU averaged more than 9,900 fans per game during the 2004 Big 12 home slate. The total was an increase of nearly 1,200 from the previous season and was the Huskers' highest conference attendance total since 1997-98.

That late-season support has carried over to 2004-05. The Huskers sold 7,033 season tickets before the start of the regular season, including 976 new season tickets. Add in the 1,888 student season tickets sold and the Huskers had sold 8,921 season tickets ? up 608 or a total of seven percent from last year's 8,313 season tickets sold ? before the first game of the year.

Nebraska's biggest non-conference crowd could come this weekend when the Huskers play host to Creighton at the Devaney Center. As of Friday, Dec. 10, the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office had sold 12,907 tickets to the game.

Huskers' 2005 Recruiting Class Among Top 25 Nationally
Five highly rated players signed national letters-of-intent during the early signing period and will join the Nebraska basketball team and attend the University of Nebraska starting in 2005-06. The group is ranked among the top 30 recruiting classes nationally according to at least one service. The Huskers have one scholarship still remaining for next season.

Among the four signees on the first day of the early signing period (Nov. 10) were Will Harris, Jamel White, Chris Balham and Kyle Marks, while Marcus Walker signed his scholarship papers on Nov. 16.

The class is tied with seven teams for No. 23 nationally with 18 points by hoopscooponline.com. Nebraska's class is fourth among Big 12 schools, trailing only Baylor (No. 10), Kansas (No. 12) and Oklahoma State (No. 13). It marks the Huskers’ second top-25 recruiting class in four seasons.

Harris and White have each been ranked among the national top 100 by separate recruiting services, giving Nebraska four top-100 signees over the past two seasons. Current freshmen Joe McCray and Aleks Maric were each also ranked among the top 100 before joining the Huskers.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Harris leads the way among the Husker signees after earning a top-100 ranking by several publications. The 6-7, 230-pound swingman was ranked No. 94 nationally by recruiting expert Bob Gibbons and the No. 25 wing/forward by hoopmasters.com. Harris, who currently attends Maine Central Institute, was ranked 15th nationally among fifth-year players by hoopscooponline.com after ranking No. 119 last year as a senior at Troy (N.Y.) Redemption Christian Academy. Harris averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists as a senior, after playing at Christ the King the previous two years.

Following his senior season, Harris had a breakout summer in 2004 on the AAU circuit. Harris, who has played for the New York Gauchos and New York Elite, was ranked the No. 1 wing/forward at the 2004 National Basketball Players Association Top 100 Camp by Gibbons. His strong performance also helped him rank No. 66 nationally in Lindy’s.

The addition of White gives the Huskers a pair of New Yorkers on next year’s roster. A native of New York City, White is considered one of the top prep school guards in the country while playing for Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute this season, the No. 1 prep school team in the nation with a 7-0 record. The 6-3, 175-pounder has averaged 12 points and nearly nine assists per game for Laurinburg, after gaining 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists per contest at Grady High School last season.

White was recently ranked 91st in the country among breakdownmagazine.com’s top 100, a national ranking that includes all classes. He was also ranked No. 33 among fifth-year players by hoopscooponline.com. White was the first commitment to the Huskers’ 2005 class.

Along with Harris and White, the Huskers added two other athletic players in Balham and Marks. Balham, a 6-8, 225-pounder, has been playing basketball for less than four years since coming to the United States from France before his freshman season. Balham, who is from Lenexa, Kan., has played two seasons at Shawnee Mission West, where he averaged 9.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while helping the Vikings to an 11-10 record. Despite finishing one game above .500, West was the leading defensive team in the state as it allowed only 41.9 points per game while holding opponents to just 38 percent shooting from the floor. Balham, who is as a preseason all-state selection before his senior season, helped West outrebound opponents by seven boards per game.

Marks is an athletic forward who was the Huskers’ most recent commitment. The 6-7, 205-pound native of Riviera Beach, Fla., averaged 12 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots for Dwyer High School as a junior. He helped Dwyer to a 25-3 record last year and the Class 5A state title.

While he had already caught the Huskers’ attention, Marks burst onto the summer circuit with the Tallahassee Wildcats where he was one of five Division I signees. The other four were scheduled to join the programs at Florida, Florida State, Cincinnati and Virginia. Marks helped the Wildcats win tournament titles at the Charlie Weber Classic, Coast-to-Coast Invitational and the adidas Showtime National Championships.

Walker, who has a four-star ranking and is listed among the top 25 point guards nationally by theinsiders.com, is top-150 recruit according to hoopmasters.com. At Archbishop O’Hara High School in Kansas City, the 6-2, 165-pounder this season with 1,818 career points and owns the school records for single-season scoring (754 points) and single-game scoring (54).

Last year, Walker led O’Hara to a 20-8 record and helped the Celtics advance to the Class 4 quarterfinals of the Missouri state tournament. Walker averaged 26.9 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals per game in 2003-04. Walker attended the 2004 Rebook ABCD Camp, where he tied for the tournament lead with 3.9 assists per game and was named one of the top 10 point guards in attendance.

Quick Shots
? Nebraska owns a 17-8 all-time record on Dec. 11. NU has not played on this date under Coach Barry Collier. NU is 21-14 in the month of December under Coach Collier.

? Six players from the state of Nebraska will face off in the Nebraska Classic, including five for the Huskers. Creighton's lone athlete from the Cornhusker state is Jimmy Motz, a Lincoln native.

? Freshman Joe McCray's five three-pointers against UAB are tied for the individual high among Big 12 Conference players, while freshman Aleks Maric's 15 rebounds against the Blazers ranks second.

? McCray needs just two three-pointers to move into 10th on the NU freshman chart.