Huskers Look for 2-0 League Start at Colorado

Coming off a thrilling double-overtime victory to start league play, the Nebraska men's basketball team hits the road for its first Big 12 contest away from Lincoln when it takes on the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo., on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The game will tip off at 8:07 p.m. CST at the Coors Convention and Events Center and can be heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com with Randy Lee calling the action.

The contest will also be seen on NU's local package on FSN Midwest in the state of Nebraska (Channel 37 on Time Warner in Lincoln; Channel 47 on Cox Cable in Omaha; Channel 33 on Qwest Choice in Omaha), marking the first of six straight televised Husker games. Fans in western Nebraska who only receive the FSN Rocky Mountain package will also be able to get the game, while the contest will be carried on DirecTV (Channel 646) and Dish Network (Channel 446) to households in Nebraska. Greg Sharpe will handle play-by-play duties while former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary.

The Huskers enter the Colorado matchup looking for their fourth consecutive victory and fifth win in six games after knocking off Kansas State in the league opener last Saturday. NU took two extra sessions to finish the job after controlling the first 30 minutes of the game, but still came away with a soaring confidence level as it began Big 12 play 1-0 for the first time since the league's inception.

Nebraska, which hopes to gain its second straight road win after earning a 62-61 victory at Tennessee in its last away game, continued to gain momentum on the offensive end as it hit 52.5 percent from the floor against the Wildcats, including 58.3 percent in the overtime sessions. NU opened the game hitting 56.0 percent from the field and ended the game tying its season high with nine three-pointers. The Huskers hit an impressive 63.9 percent (23-of-36) inside the arc and recorded at least 20 assists for the second straight game.

Junior forward Wes Wilkinson came off the bench to continue his remarkable play by hitting 9-of-14 attempts from the field for a career-high 22 points, but senior guard Marcus Neal Jr. stole the show in the final 11 minutes. Despite struggling the first 39 minutes of the game, Neal hit two free throws at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime and then scored 13 of his career-high tying 19 points in overtime.

Another senior guard left his mark on the offense as Jake Muhleisen recorded a season-high nine assists against three turnovers in a career-high 48 minutes. Muhleisen has 34 assists to rank second on the team this season and is fifth in the Big 12 statistics with a 2.62:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (34-to-13).

Meeting the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado enters Wednesday's matchup with an 8-4 record after dropping its Big 12 opener on the road at Oklahoma, 85-55, on Saturday. It was the third straight road contest for the Buffs, who are 6-0 at home but just 2-4 away from Boulder this season.

The Buffaloes have hit 46.0 percent from the floor while averaging 72.1 points per game, but are allowing opponents 72.7 points per game on 42.8 percent shooting. CU also is at a disadvantage on the boards, where foes hold a 36.8-36.2 advantage.

Under Coach Ricardo Patton (Belmont, 1980), the Buffaloes continue to lead the Big 12 Conference in blocked shots (6.1 bpg) despite losing all-conference center David Harrison to the NBA last season. Chris Copeland and Julius Ashby are averaging 1.4 and 1.0 blocks per game, respectively, to pace the Buffs.

Patton, who owns a 151-118 record in his 10th year at CU, has four players averaging double figures, including one of the league's top freshman scorers in Richard Roby. Roby leads the team with 14.5 points per game to rank 10th in the Big 12 Conference. He has hit 45.5 percent from the floor and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc while pulling down 5.5 rebounds. He also paces the squad in minutes per game (30.0) and steals (21).

Along with Roby, Copeland has continued his improvement from last season and is now second on the squad with 12.9 points per game. He is hitting a team-best 53.3 percent from the floor and leads the team with 21 three-pointers (44.7 percent from outside the arc). Copeland has also been efficient at the charity stripe, where he has drained 20-of-23 (87.0 percent) free throw attempts.

Marcus Hall and Jayson Obazuaye have averaged 12.2 and 10.1 points per game, respectively, for the Buffs. Hall owns a team-best 39 assists (3.3 apg) with 13 steals, and has hit 50.0 percent from the field. Obazuaye and Roby are the only Buffs to start every game this season, with Obazuaye gaining 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Series History
The Huskers and Buffaloes meet for the 135th time in the series that dates back to the 1902-03 campaign when NU earned a 28-12 victory in Boulder. CU is the Huskers' second-oldest conference rival, although the series is the second-shortest between former Big Eight teams (134 games; NU-OSU 108 meetings). Nebraska won the first eight matchups in the series and currently holds a 69-65 series advantage.

CU has won five of the past six meetings, including three straight in Boulder. Overall, Colorado holds a 37-23 lead in Boulder, despite Nebraska gaining a slim 13-12 advantage in the Coors Events Center. It is one of just two conference road venues where the Huskers hold a series advantage (NU also leads 2-1 against Texas A&M at Reed Arena).

Eight of the last 10 matchups between the Huskers and Buffaloes have been decided by eight points or less.

The Last Time We Met
Boulder, Colo. (March 7, 2004) -- Brian Conklin hit his third three-pointer of the game with 20 seconds remaining to tie the contest at 75-all, but Colorado hit three free throws down the stretch and hung on for a 78-75 victory over Nebraska at the Coors Events and Convention Center.

Nebraska trailed by five, 73-68, with 3:15 to play before the Huskers made a charge.

Andrew Drevo and Jake Muhleisen each hit a pair of free throws to cut into the CU lead to one, 73-72. David Harrison’s basket with 1:48 to play put the Buffaloes ahead by three. Following a pair of Marcus Hall missed free throws, Conklin then hit the game-tying shot.

Blair Wilson and Lamar Harris each hit one of two free throws for a 77-75 lead. NU then turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play and Harris capped the scoring by hitting one of two free throws.

Harris finished with a game-high 13 rebounds as CU outrebounded the Huskers 41-38 on the game. Harrison led all scorers with 24 points while Michel Morandais added 23.

Earlier, CU opened a nine-point lead, 49-40, with 13:33 to play, but the Huskers would not go away. Nebraska used an 11-3 run to tie the score at 61-all. Corey Simms started the run with a three-pointer and Jason Dourisseau added a layup. Following a Wilson three-pointer, Simms added a three-point play before Conklin’s three-pointer tied the score.

John Turek led all Huskers with his second double-double of the season, pitching in 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Nebraska's Last Time Out
Lincoln ? Marcus Neal Jr. scored 13 points in overtime and Wes Wilkinson added a career-high 22 points to lead Nebraska to a 95-85 double overtime victory over Kansas State in front of 8,003 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Saturday.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 7-4 on the season and opened conference play with a win for the first time since the formation of the Big 12. The last time NU opened league play at home was 1996 when the Huskers won 79-74 over Colorado.

Neal had a chance to seal the win in regulation, eerily similar to the situation he encountered just a week before at Tennessee. Neal hit three free throws in the final second for a one-point win at UT, and had a chance to do the same against the Wildcats.

After Fred Peete missed two free throws with seven seconds remaining, Joe McCray grabbed the rebound and got it to Neal, who pushed it up the court. As KSU tried to trap Neal, he put up a shot and was fouled by Jeremiah Massey with 1.3 seconds left in the contest. Neal missed his first attempt, but drained the next two to tie it at 69-69 at the end of regulation.

In the first overtime, Neal had five points while Jake Muhleisen and Wilkinson each added three. Wilkinson’s three-pointer with 2:26 left in the extra session pulled the Huskers even at 76-all. After pushing the lead back to three on Muhleisen’s free throw with 29 seconds remaining, Lance Harris tied it at 80-all.

Nebraska struck first in the second overtime as McCray's jumper in the lane put NU ahead 82-80. McCray was one of five Huskers to finish in double figures, as he recorded 10 points with six rebounds. Aleks Maric tied McCray with six boards and added a career-high tying 12 points, as the Huskers earned a 39-33 advantage on the glass.

Wilkinson then started the Huskers’ decisive 11-1 run to seal the victory. The Grand Island native hit a three-pointer with 1:31 left to play in the second overtime to give the Huskers an 87-84 lead. Following a Justin Williams free throw, Neal came back with another three-pointer 17 seconds later to put the Huskers ahead by five. Neal then sandwiched two pair of free throws around Maric’s charity shot to put Nebraska up by the final double-figure margin.

Despite letting Kansas State come back from a 13-point deficit midway through the second half, the Huskers finished the game hitting 52.5 percent from the floor. It was their second-highest shooting percentage of the season, trailing only the 54.4 percent NU hit in the season opener. The Huskers drained 58.3 percent from the field in the overtime sessions, and tied their season high with nine three-pointers.

Wilkinson led the way with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Muhleisen played a career-high 48 minutes in the contest and picked up six points, five boards and nine assists, just one off his career high assist total. John Turek added a season-high 17 points, including 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Nebraska hit 64.7 percent (22-of-34) from the line while KSU hit just 55.6 percent (15-of-27).

Nebraska struggled from the floor early in the contest, hitting just one of its first five shots with four turnovers. The cold start did not last long though as the Huskers started to find their stroke midway through the period. Nebraska hit nine of its next 10 attempts to start a 16-6 run after being tied at 9-9 with 13:16 to play before intermission. NU headed into the locker room with a 36-26 lead.

In the second period, NU opened the lead to 12 points, 50-38, on Maric’s jumper with 14:33 to play before the Wildcats came storming back. KSU went on a 7-0 run fueled by five points from Cartier Martin to cut the lead to five. Martin finished the game with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

KSU would not go away as Marques Hayden gave KSU its first lead since 3-2 with a jumper at the 3:32 mark. The lead exchanged hands two more times before KSU went ahead by three points with 43 seconds left on Clent Stewart’s free throw. McCray cut the lead to one on a jumper with 26 ticks left on the clock and, following a Stewart free throw, Neal stepped up big again for the Huskers.

Nebraska postgame notes vs. Kansas State

? The contest marked Nebraska’s second 90-plus point game of season and first in conference play since a 99-82 victory over Kansas State in 2002 in Lincoln.

? Junior Wes Wilkinson scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He recorded 13 points in the first half to tie his previous high. He hit 6-of-8 from the floor in the opening period.

? Nebraska earned a 39-33 advantage on the glass, its ninth advantage in 11 games this season.

? NU recorded 52.5 percent from the floor (second highest percentage of year), including hitting 58.3 percent in overtime. KSU hit a Nebraska opponent high 49.2 percent from the floor, including 35.7 percent in overtime. The Huskers have not allowed a team to hit 50.0 percent from the floor this season.

? John Turek recorded double figures for the second straight game and fourth time overall this season. He had a season-high 17 points with five boards before fouling out for the first time this season.

? Senior guard Corey Simms returned to action after missing five games with an elbow injury. Simms finished with two points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.

? Jake Muhleisen recorded a season high with nine assists, just one off his career high. NU had 20 assists for the game, the second straight contest with at least 20 assists.

? Aleks Maric finished with his fifth double-figure scoring game of season with a career-high tying 12 points. Maric, who is fourth in the league in rebounding, added six boards with two steals.

?The game marked the first double-overtime contest for Nebraska since an 81-78 victory over Eastern Illinois in the 1999-2000 season opener.

? Coach Collier improved to 6-2 in overtime games at Nebraska and is now 3-2 in double overtime games in his career.

Hitting the Long Ball
After losing Brian Conklin (55.6 percent from three-point range in 2003-04) to graduation last year, the Huskers knew they would need to find more consistency as a team from long range in 2005. Nebraska struggled from beyond the arc early in the season but has picked up the pace over the past five games.

NU has hit 41-of-113 (36.3 percent) of its three-point attempts in the past five games, after opening the season hitting just 36-of-116 (31.0 percent) in its first six games. During the recent surge, freshman Joe McCray has led the way, hitting 17-of-46 (37.0) while Marcus Neal Jr. was right on his heels by hitting 12-of-30 (40.0). Jake Muhleisen has seen an improvement as well, hitting 5-of-14 after draining just one of his first 14 attempts in the Huskers' first six games. Wes Wilkinson has also hit 37.5 percent (6-of-16) over the last five contests.

With 31 three-pointers in 11 games, McCray ranks fifth on the Husker freshman three-pointer chart and is halfway to reaching the NU single-season top 10 (10th place is 59 treys). Nebraska has had a player hit at least 65 treys in three of the past four seasons, including four of the top six marks in school history.

McCray had two treys in his last game to pass Cookie Belcher (30 in 1997) for fifth place. He needs one more three-pointer to move into a tie for fourth with Erick Strickland (31 in 1993). Current senior Jake Muhleisen ranks third on the list with 35 treys in 2001-02 while Cary Cochran had 39 in 1998-99 to rank second. The NU freshman record is 44 three-pointers by Eric Piatkowski in 1990-91.

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 regular season.

Neal has hit 42-of-104 shots from the floor while averaging 11.7 points to rank second on the team. He is second on the squad with 24 three-pointers and is shooting 40.0 percent (24-of-60) from three-point range to rank fifth in the league statistics, while adding 3.3 rebounds with a team-high tying 12 steals.

Over the past five games, Neal has done a terrific job of distributing the ball as he has had a career high with six assists three times while gaining 5.0 assists per game overall. He recorded 25 assists against 11 turnovers combined in those five games, after gaining only 13 assists against 14 turnovers in his first six games.

Neal, who played with an illness throughout the Marquette contest, has recorded 38 assists in 11 games (3.5 apg) this season to pace the squad and rank 13th in the Big 12 Conference. His total is more than half of his mark (62) in 31 games last year.

Neal is averaging more than twice as many points as last year (5.3) and nearly twice as many rebounds per game (1.8). He has averaged 9.5 field-goal attempts per game this year compared to 4.5 last season. Neal's 12 steals are just one less than he recorded in 31 games last season.

Neal has also 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.

Neal's career-high tying four three-pointers against Creighton helped push the Bluejays throughout the game, while his six assists against just one turnover helped jump start the offense after halftime against North Carolina A&T. He came back with four threes against Tennessee, including two treys in an 8-0 surge before he iced the game with three free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining.

Neal came back to hit 2-of-3 free throws with 1.3 seconds left in regulation against KSU, sending the game to overtime where he scored 13 of his career-high tying 19 points to help NU to a 95-85 double-overtime win.

McCray Making a Splash
Freshman guard Joe McCray has played just 11 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. At his current pace, McCray will contend for all-freshman honors on the conference and national levels.

McCray has already been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week on two occasions this year (Nov. 29 and Dec. 20). He is the first Husker freshman to earn more than one rookie-of-the-week honor in a season.

Through Jan. 9, McCray ranks 12th in the conference in scoring at 14.1 points per game ? the third-highest scoring freshman in the Big 12 Conference ? while hitting 40.6 percent from the floor. He is second in the conference with 2.82 three-pointers per game by leading the Huskers with 31 three-pointers, and is 10th in the conference in three-point percentage by hitting 35.6 percent beyond the arc.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native began his career in high style as he 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, while adding six rebounds and two steals. McCray's point total was the most by a freshman in an NU season opener since freshmen regained eligibility in 1972-73. He came back with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting (3-of-6 three-pointers) with four rebounds against Texas Southern to earn co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 29.

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. Tyronn Lue owns the NU freshman record with 30 points in his second career game.

McCray became just the fourth Husker freshman to record three 20-plus point games in his rookie season when he had 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting against North Carolina A&T. McCray had just two points at halftime but came back with 18 points in the second frame on six treys. He hit five straight three-pointers in one stretch and added a career-high seven rebounds in the contest. With the strong performance, McCray earned his second Big 12 Rookie of the Week honor on Dec. 20.

Maric in the Middle
Freshman Aleks Maric has also been making noise for the Huskers early in his rookie season. The 6-11, 265-pound native of Sydney, Australia, has been a workhorse in the paint, averaging 8.1 points and 7.5 rebounds over the first 11 games of his career.

Through Jan. 9, Maric ranks fourth in the league in rebounding, including sixth in offensive and eighth in defensive rebounding. He is hitting 50.8 percent (31-of-61) 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 and three boards against Texas Southern, 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 in 31 games 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 just his third career game.

Wilkinson Rounding Back Into Form
Junior forward Wes Wilkinson raised expectations after his solid play in the Huskers' Australian Summer Tour in August. He averaged 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds over six games, including a pair of double-doubles.

Wilkinson's progress made him a candidate for a significant increase in playing time early in the year, but his efforts were hindered on the first day of fall practice when he suffered a broken bone in his left foot. After sitting out of practice for five weeks, Wilkinson returned to workouts before NU's second game.

Wilkinson saw limited minutes in the first four games after his return. In his fifth contest against Creighton, he finally started to show that he was rounding back into form as he recorded eight points and six rebounds over 24 minutes. He picked up a pair of blocked shots and tied his career high with two three-pointers.

Wilkinson came back with eight points, five rebounds and a career-high four assists without a turnover against North Carolina A&T in his first start of the season. He had not recorded an assist in his first five games.

Wilkinson recorded 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from long range, at Marquette. Making his second straight start as junior Jason Dourisseau was out with an illness, Wilkinson added three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes. He came back with seven rebounds and three blocks while scoring eight points in a road victory against Tennessee.

Wilkinson had 13 points and eight rebounds against Montana State, adding three blocks and a career-high three steals in 26 minutes. He came back with a career-high 22 points with four boards, three assists and a block in a career-high 34 minutes against Kansas State.

Over the past five games, Wilkinson has averaged 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while adding 11 assists against five turnovers with three steals. He has hit 52.9 percent from the floor in that span, and is third on the team this season by hitting 50.8 percent overall.

In his previous five games to open the year, Wilkinson averaged 3.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while recording zero assists against seven turnovers. Last year, he had just 15 assists on the season, and only 23 in his first two years combined.

Wilkinson has added 15 blocked shots in 10 games to tie for sixth (1.5 bpg) in the Big 12 Conference. He had just 13 blocks in 29 games last year.

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

Dourisseau is fourth on the team in scoring (9.1 ppg) and second on the team and 16th in the Big 12 Conference in rebounding with 6.1 boards per game. He also ranks fourth on the team by hitting 44.6 percent (33-of-74) from the floor.

After starting 10 games this year, Dourisseau has 61 rebounds, 10 steals and is third on the squad with 25 assists. Last year he recorded 60 rebounds, 17 assists and 13 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. The Huskers nearly added another 50-board game as they had 49 rebounds against Montana State in their last non-conference contest.

The Huskers are third in the Big 12 Conference in rebounding margin at +8.2 and second in rebounds per game with 41.7. In the Jan. 5 NCAA statistics, the Huskers ranked 14th in the nation in rebounding margin. NU has outrebounded nine of its 11 opponents this season.

Freshman Aleks Maric ranks fourth in the league with 7.5 rebounds per game to lead the Huskers. Maric has recorded 15- and 14-rebound games this season. Junior Jason Dourisseau ranks 16th in the league after gaining 6.1 rebounds per game over his first 10 games.

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 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff is NU's the largest rebounding margin since at least 1972-73. The previous high was +30 (72-42) against Oklahoma in 1991-92.

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.

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 Wednesday's contest against Colorado with 782 career points and 591 rebounds, just 70 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 141 blocked shots and needs just three blocks to move into the top five, has led Nebraska in blocked shots each of the past three years, including tying the NU freshman record with 39 blocks in 2001-02. He currently ranks second on the squad with 13 blocks, two behind Wes Wilkinson's 15 blocked shots.

If he were to lead 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. Currently, King, Hamilton, Turek and Mikki Moore are the only players with at least 600 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocked shots in their Husker career.

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, entered the year with a 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 reached those marks, Muhleisen would join Eric Piatkowski, Erick Strickland and Cookie Belcher on the elite list.

Muhleisen enters the matchup with Colorado with 788 points, 289 rebounds, 240 assists and 81 steals in his career. In the Big 12 opener, Muhleisen set a season high with nine assists against three turnovers in a caeer-high 48 minutes in NU's double-overtime victory. He now has 34 assists against just 13 turnovers this season to rank fifth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6:1)

All About Defense
Under Coach Barry Collier, the Huskers have continued to rewrite the Nebraska defensive record book over the past four seasons. Nebraska got off to a strong start again this year, as the Huskers:

? ranked fifth in scoring defense (55.5) in the NCAA statistics of Jan. 5, sixth in field-goal percentage defense (36.3) and rebound margin (+8.4).

? 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.

? 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.

? limited Creighton to 34.0 percent shooting, including 31.6 percent from three-point range while holding the Bluejays to their lowest total in the series in more than 20 years.? held Marquette to just 39.7 percent shooting, including 34.3 percent (11-of-32) inside the arc.

? allowed Montana State just 45 points on 30.0 percent shooting, including 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Last year, the Huskers posted some of the best defensive numbers at NU in the last four decades, as they allowed 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. NU also had a scoring defense of 62.9 points per game, the program's best defensive mark since the 1982 campaign.

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.

Among the outstanding single-game marks the Huskers posted in 2003-04 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; 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; and 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.

Home Sweet Home
The Huskers have a strong record of success playing in front of their home crowd the past 29 seasons.

Nebraska, which is 6-2 at home this season, earned a perfect 10-0 mark 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 and had its nonconference home winning streak reach 16 games before coming to an end this season against Minnesota on Dec. 8.

Nebraska has been outstanding at home since moving into the Devaney Center in the 1976-77. The Huskers own a 338-105 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 50-21 at home under Coach Collier with nine of the losses coming against ranked teams.

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
? Freshman Joe McCray's six three-pointers against North Carolina A&T ranks as the individual game high among all Big 12 Conference players this season. Freshman Aleks Maric's 15 rebounds against UAB ranks third in the league in that category.

? McCray needs one three-pointer to tie for fourth on the NU freshman chart with 32 treys. Erick Strickland also had 32 three-pointers as a frosh in 1993. The NU freshman record is 44 by Eric Piatkowski in (1991).

? Marcus Neal Jr. has recorded 12 steals in 11 games this season to lead Nebraska. The total is just one less than he recorded all of last season in 31 appearances.

? Jason Dourisseau has 25 assists against 23 turnovers this season in 10 games played. Dourisseau had just 17 assists against 41 turnovers in 30 games last season.

? Dourisseau also has 61 rebounds in 10 games played after gaining just 60 in 30 games last year.

? Wes Wilkinson has 15 blocks in 10 games this season after gaining 13 blocked shots in 29 games last year. Wilkinson has had at least two blocks in a game five times this season, including four times in the past six contests.

? Wilkinson also has 11 assists in 10 games this year after gaining just 23 assists in his first 59 games.

? Aleks Maric owns 82 rebounds to lead the team, and is more than half way to moving into the NU freshman top 10. Jerry Fort and Tyronn Lue are tied for 10th with 106 rebounds. The NU freshman record is 162 rebounds by John Turek in 2002.

? John Turek will be playing in his 99th career game when NU faces Colorado on Wednesday, the most of any current Husker. He is second on the team after having played 2,379 minutes ? behind only Jake Muhleisen who has played 2,400 minutes in 83 games. Muhleisen leads the Huskers in games started with 82 in his career. Only 17 former Huskers have recorded at least 2,500 minutes and only 30 have played in 100 career games.

? Turek needs 70 rebounds to move into the Nebraska career top 10, and just nine to become the 14th player in Nebraska history with at least 600 boards.

? The last time a freshman led the Huskers in points scored was 1983, when NU's career scoring leader Dave Hoppen recorded 445 points as a rookie to pace the Huskers. Freshman Joe McCray currently paces the Huskers with 14.1 points per game.