Huskers End Regular Season at Kansas State

The Nebraska men's basketball team ends the regular season on the road this weekend when it takes on Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. The game will tip off at 12:47 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum and can be heard on the Pinnacle Sports Network and Huskers.com with Randy Lee handling play-by-play duties and Matt Davison adding color commentary.

The game will also be seen on ESPN+ (Channel 4 in Lincoln; Cox 2 in Lincoln; KIIT in North Platte) with Fred White (play-by-play) and Paul Splittorff (color) calling the action.

The Huskers look to continue their late-season surge as they try for their fourth straight victory when they face K-State. Nebraska last won three straight conference games in 2004, and has not won four consecutive league contests since the 1998-99 campaign.

During Nebraska's last three games ? all wins ? the Huskers have averaged 73.3 points per game on 46.5 percent shooting from the field while holding a +6.3 advantage (39.3-33.0) on the glass. It is the first time in conference play this season NU has recorded at least 70 points in three consecutive games. Nebraska is 6-1 this season in Big 12 action when topping the 70-point plateau, including a pair of road wins.

Freshman center Aleks Maric has been in the starting lineup each of the past four games, and has played a major role in NU's success. He has averaged 11.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while hitting better than 56 percent from the floor. Maric also has hit an impressive 84.6 percent (11-of-13) from the free throw line during that stretch.

Nebraska's strong shooting has not been limited to inside the paint. The Huskers have hit 40.0 percent from three-point range during the win streak while holding opponents to 30.9 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman Joe McCray has hit 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from outside the three-point line in that stretch while averaging 18.0 points and adding 5.3 rebounds per game.

McCray hit five three-pointers Wednesday against Colorado on his way to a game-high 21 points, the ninth time he has scored at least 20 points in a game this season. He now owns 75 treys on the season to rank third in Nebraska single-season history. McCray needs four treys to move into second place on the NU chart, as he would pass Tyronn Lue (1998) and Cary Cochran (2001) who each had 78 treys in their junior season.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., McCray currently ranks third on the Big 12 Conference frosh three-pointer chart and needs just five treys to set the Big 12 freshman record. Bernard King (Texas A&M, 1999-2000) and Jeff Boschee (Kansas, 1998-99) currently own the league mark with 79 three-pointers in their freshman season.

McCray has 399 points this season to rank second in NU freshman history behind Dave Hoppen (445 points, 31 games, 1983). With one point Saturday, McCray will become just the sixth freshman since the formation of the Big 12 Conference to score at least 400 points in a season. With eight points, he will move into fifth place on the freshman scoring list, passing Antoine Wright who had 406 points for Texas A&M in 2003.

The Huskers' leading scorer, McCray is also sixth on the NU freshman rebounding chart with 128 boards this season. Maric is currently fourth on the list with 160 rebounds and needs just three boards to set the NU freshman record, which currently stands at 162 by John Turek in 2002.

McCray and Maric have been set up well lately by the Husker point guards, especially Marcus Neal Jr. The senior, who started the first 22 games of the season, has been great off the bench the past three games, gaining 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while dishing out 14 assists against just two turnovers. After struggling from long range earlier in the conference slate, Neal has hit four of his last seven three-point attempts (57.1 percent), but has knocked down just 2-of-10 inside the arc in that span.

Red Zone Ready to Road Trip
The student section at the Bob Devaney Sports Center ? the Red Zone ? is making the trip to Manhattan for the Huskers' final regular-season game.

As a way to thank the students for their outstanding support of the men's basketball program, the Nebraska athletic department offered the first 200 Red Zone members that sign up a chance to see a road game for just $10. Red Zoners will get breakfast, lunch and a game ticket, as well as travel with their friends on a bus, and the chance to cheer the Huskers as they go for their fourth straight win.

The deal was announced on Wednesday night before Nebraska's 70-55 victory over Colorado. More than three bus loads (approximately 150 students) were filled before mid-afternoon Thursday.

Playing the Guessing Game
With only one game remaining in the regular season, the Huskers' postseason fate has not yet been determined. Nebraska will put itself in position for at least a No. 7 seed with a victory on Saturday, and could finish as high as tied for fifth in the regular-season standings and earn a No. 6 seed. Nebraska can not finish lower than a tie for eighth in the final standings, although it could still be the No. 9 seed with a loss.

If Nebraska wins, it will be either the No. 6 or 7 seed and its opponent in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament would most likely be the Kansas State Wildcats.

If the Huskers fall in Manhattan, Nebraska may have to wait until Sunday to find out its seed and opponent as the outcome of the Kansas-Missouri game will come into play.

Meeting the Kansas State Wildcats
The Kansas State comes into the contest looking to send out its senior class on a high note in their last home game of their career. The Wildcats have won two of their last three after dropping seven straight games, and now own a 15-11 overall mark and a 5-10 league record. Two of the losses during that streak were by three points or less, including a last-second setback, 69-68, at home against Oklahoma.

The 'Cats have averaged 69.0 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting, including hitting 43.6 percent in conference play. KSU has allowed 66.0 points per game, but have been outscored by 2.4 points per game in league action. K-State has allowed opponents to hit 45.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents have also held a +1.4 advantage on the glass in conference play this season.

Over the last five games, K-State has hit a solid 45.2 percent from the floor, but connected on just 25.4 percent (18-of-71) from outside the arc. KSU has outrebounded foes by nearly six boards per contest in that stretch while opponents have hit 47.9 percent from the floor.

Senior forward Jeremiah Massey leads the way with 17.6 points per game, which ranks sixth in the conference standings. Massey has added 6.8 boards and 1.5 steals per game and has hit 50.5 percent from the floor and 79.7 percent from the charity stripe. Massey has averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds over the past five games while hitting 56.9 percent from the field.

Along with Massey, guard Fred Peete and forward Cartier Martin are each averaging double figures with 13.5 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.

Peete is one of the league's top transfers, as the sophomore has added 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 3.7 assists per game. He has hit 42 three-pointers to rank second on the team behind only Lance Harris (45). Peete is also second on the squad behind freshman Clent Stewart for assists, as Stewart averages 3.9 apg.

Martin is second on the team with 4.9 boards per game and second in field-goal percentage by hitting 47.2 percent from the floor. He has added 31 three-pointers on the season to rank third on the squad.

The Wildcats are guided by Coach Jim Wooldridge (Louisiana Tech, 1977), who is in his 18th year as a head coach and fifth year at Kansas State. Wooldridge owns a 295-223 career record, and a 66-77 record with the Wildcats.

Series History
The Cornhuskers and Wildcats are meeting for the 208th time in the series that dates back to the 1905-06 campaign, with Kansas State holding a 118-89 all-time advantage.

The Wildcats lead the series in Manhattan 68-29, and have won 12 of 16 matchups in Bramlage Coliseum. The Huskers have lost seven of eight matchups in Manhattan since the formation of the Big 12 Conference, including the last three straight. Nebraska's last road victory over KSU came in 2001 when the Huskers pulled out a 63-61 victory to snap an 18-game road losing streak.

NU then won at home against the Wildcats to sweep the 2001 regular-season series. The teams then met in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament later in the season, with KSU picking up a 62-58 win to end the Huskers' three-game win streak dating to the previous season. It was the longest NU win streak over Kansas State in nearly 20 years since a four-game win streak in 1982-83 to 1983-84.

Last year, the Huskers hit just 32.0 percent from the floor before falling to the Wildcats, 78-61, at Manhattan. Marcus Neal Jr. led Nebraska with a season-high 15 points and John Turek had nine points on 9-of-10 shooting at the free throw line with seven boards. NU, however, went through an 11-minute dry spell as KSU increased its lead from three, 39-36, at the 15:55 mark to 17, 61-44, with 6:36 left to play. KSU hit 63 percent from the field to put a Husker comeback out of reach.

The Last Time We Met
Lincoln, Neb. (Jan. 8, 2005) ? Marcus Neal Jr. scored 13 points in overtime and Wes Wilkinson had 22 points to lead Nebraska past Kansas State in a 95-85 double overtime win at the Devaney Center.

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 before the 1996-97 season. The last time NU opened league play at home was in 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 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. Harris hit a three-pointer with nine seconds left to forge the tie and force double overtime.

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 added 12 points and tied McCray with six boards, as the Huskers earned a 39-33 advantage on the glass.

Wilkinson then started the Huskers’ 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 12-point deficit midway through the second half, the Huskers finished the game hitting 52.5 percent from the floor. The Huskers drained 58.3 percent from the field in the overtime sessions.

Wilkinson led the way with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting while adding four boards. 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 total. John Turek added 17 points with five boards.

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.

After leading 36-26 at the break, NU opened the lead to 12 points, 50-38, early in the second period 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.

Nebraska extended the lead back out to nine points, but the ?Cats would not go away as they whittled the lead to one point, 62-61, with just under five minutes to play. Marques Hayden then 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 with a jumper with 26 ticks left on the clock and, following a Stewart free throw, Neal stepped up big again for the Huskers.

Solid Point Play Key for Huskers
Nebraska's solid production at point guard has played a prominent role in its recent surge to end the season on a strong note. Seniors Jake Muhleisen and Marcus Neal Jr. and sophomore Charles Richardson Jr. have been efficient with the ball in the past three games while combining for 28 assists against 13 turnovers.

Against Iowa State, Neal had arguably his best game since posting a career-high 19 points while pushing NU to a two-overtime victory over Kansas State in the conference opener. Neal came off the bench to post 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, including hitting 3-of-5 from three-point range, and added a career-high seven assists without a turnover.

Neal added another seven assists against two turnovers while grabbing a career-best six rebounds against Colorado in the regular-season home finale. With his recent run of 14 assists and just two turnovers in the past two games, Neal has moved to 14th in the league standings with 3.5 assists per game, including 3.53 in league play to rank 14th. He also ranks ninth overall (1.9:1) and seventh (1.89:1) in conference action in assist:turnover ratio.

Neal and Richardson helped push the Husker offense against the Buffaloes and continually set up teammates. For Richardson, it was the fifth straight game he had seen significant minutes (at least 18) while helping NU get past opposing teams' pressure in the back court. During that five-game stretch, Richardson has averaged 4.6 points, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game, including his only start of the season against Missouri when he posted seven assists against one turnover in 20 minutes. Richardson had a career night against CU when he hit 5-of-6 field-goal attempts for a career-high 10 points with three assists in 18 minutes.

Muhleisen has also been a key contributor lately. In the Huskers' upset of then-No. 4 Oklahoma State in Lincoln, Muhleisen posted 11 points and added four assists with four boards and two steals as the Huskers earned their first win of the season over a ranked team.

On the Line
After not finding much success at the free throw line early in the season, the Huskers have seen better efficiency at the charity stripe in the past 13 games.

During that 13-game stretch, NU has hit 71.7 percent (215-of-300) overall at the foul line and has hit at least 66.7 percent 11 times. NU had connected on 66.7 percent from the line in just three of its first 13 games.

The Huskers drained 32-of-45 free-throw attempts in their 10-point win over Texas A&M. Both the attempts and made free throws were season highs. In fact, the attempts were the second-highest in the Collier era, trailing only the 47 attempts NU had in 2001 in a victory over nationally ranked Texas.

Nebraska made its first eight free throw attempts against the Aggies and its final 10, including eight made in the last five minutes of the game by Jake Muhleisen. The senior guard hit 10-of-11 from the stripe and is now connecting on 77.8 percent at the line in league play. He is one of four Huskers ? along with Marcus Neal Jr. (77.6), Wes Wilkinson (76.9) and Aleks Maric (76.7) ? hitting at least 70 percent from the line against Big 12 foes.

NU came back with 10 consecutive made free throws to open the game at Texas Tech, giving it 20 straight over two games. Nebraska finished the game hitting 19-of-25 from the charity stripe, the first time this season NU has hit better than 75.0 percent from the line while attempting at least 20 free throws.

The Huskers had their best night at the line this season when they hit 20-of-22 (90.9 percent) at the stripe against Utah Valley State. NU connected on the first 10 free-throw attempts of the night and missed only one attempt each half. It was NU's highest percentage since hitting 12-of-12 attempts in a 74-55 victory over No. 12/13 Kansas in Lincoln last year.

Fab Freshmen
The Huskers have been getting amazing production out of their freshman class of guard Joe McCray and center Aleks Maric. The tandem has combined for 23.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game this season while making an impression on the rest of the league, and each has been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week (McCray twice, Maric once).

McCray is 10th in scoring (15.3 ppg) in the league, while Maric is 10th in rebounding (6.4 rpg) on the season. McCray is second in three-pointers per game (2.88) and is seventh in three-point shooting percentage (36.2). McCray is also 13th in league-only games for steals, with 1.33 per game.

Both McCray and Maric have moved onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 charts, with McCray likely to post one of the top rookie seasons in NU history. For complete NU freshman records, see page 13.

McCray has already moved into second on the rookie points scored chart with 399 and is currently on pace to break the freshman scoring average mark set by Jerry Fort in 1973 when he averaged 14.5 ppg. With one more point, he will become only the second freshman in NU history to break the 400-point plateau, joining Dave Hoppen, who had a record 435 points in 31 games in 1983

Maric moved onto the freshman rebounding chart, taking over fourth place as he has 160 boards this season. Maric needs just three rebounds to break the NU rookie record set by John Turek in 2002 (162 rebounds). McCray is also on the NU freshman top 10 rebound chart, as he ranks sixth with 128 boards this season.

McCray Making a Splash
By ranking among the top 10 in the conference in scoring with just one game left in the regular season, freshman guard Joe McCray has shown he is one of the top freshmen in the Big 12 Conference this season. McCray will contend for all-freshman honors on the conference and national levels.

McCray was 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 March 4, McCray is 10th in scoring at 15.3 points per game on the season, the third-highest scoring freshman in the Big 12 Conference and one of five freshmen in the top 20. McCray has hit 40.5 percent from the floor to rank 14th in the Big 12.

McCray is second in the conference with 2.88 three-pointers per contest and ranked 40th nationally last week. He also paces the Huskers with 75 three-pointers to rank fourth on the NU single-season chart, just three out of a tie for second place. McCray is seventh in the conference in three-point percentage by hitting 36.2 percent beyond the arc on the year.

In league-only games, he is 12th in scoring at 15.9 points per game. He is also tied for second with 2.87 treys per game and is ninth in Big 12 play by hitting 34.7 percent from long range. McCray is also 13th in steals with 1.33 per game in conference play.

Simply a Sensational Scorer
Freshman guard Joe McCray broke a 33-year old Husker record when he scored a team-best 21 points on the road against No. 21/22 Oklahoma. The rookie from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., picked up his seventh 20-point contest of the season to set the Nebraska mark formerly held by Jerry Fort, who had six such games in 1972-73.

Since then he has added an eighth and ninth 20-point games. McCray had a game-high 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting as Nebraska stunned No. 4/4 Oklahoma State, 74-67, and then came back a week later to post 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting against Colorado. McCray has scored at least 19 points in four of five games against ranked teams this year, including three 20-point games. He has also scored in double figures in every road contest this season.

McCray's nine 20-point games lead the Huskers, as only senior guard Jake Muhleisen (2) has more than one. Overall, the Huskers have produced 14 20-point contests this season as a team. McCray's nine 20-point games are the most by an NU player since Cookie Belcher had nine as a senior in 2000-01.

McCray 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) 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 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.

McCray became just the third Husker freshman to record five 20-plus point games in his rookie season when he gained 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-12 from long range, against No. 10/9 Texas. It was his second straight 21-point contest, as he also hit 5-of-8 three-pointers to score 21 points in a 68-61 win over Colorado on the road as NU opened the league slate 2-0 for the first time since 1993-94.

The scoring phenom tied the Nebraska record for 20-plus point games when he posted a career-best 26 points against Iowa State in Lincoln. He hit 7-of-15 from the field, including four treys, and hit 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. All three times he went to the free throw line came after he was fouled while shooting three-point attempts. The 26 points tied for fifth on the NU freshman single-game scoring chart.

McCray has also added a pair of 19-point contests, including a game-high 19 points with seven rebounds at No. 2/2 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse. McCray had 16 points against Utah Valley State while adding a career-high five assists without a turnover.

Maric in the Middle
Freshman Aleks Maric has been making some noise in the paint for the Huskers in his rookie season. The 6-11, 265-pound native of Sydney, Australia, has been solid inside, averaging 7.9 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds to open his career.

Maric now ranks 10th in the league in rebounding, including ninth in offensive rebounding. In conference-only games, Maric is adding a team-best 5.6 boards per game to rank 18th.

The big man has started the last four games ? and eight overall this season ? and has responded with some of his best performances of the year.

Maric was named the Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week on Feb. 28 after helping the Huskers to two straight wins the previous week. The Aussie averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while hitting 64.7 percent from the field in wins over No. 4 Oklahoma State and on the road at Iowa State.

In one of his best offensive games of the year, Maric scored a career-best 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting against the Cowboys while helping NU to a 74-67 victory. Maric connected on 7-of-8 attempts inside the arc and added a career-best three assists without a turnover.

At ISU, Maric recorded his third double-double of the season to tie the NU freshman record. He had 11 points and 10 boards at the intermission. Maric finished with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting with 12 rebounds in 23 minutes, as he sat much of the second half after getting his third and fourth fouls less than one minute into the second period.

Before that stretch, Maric started the strong performance with a solid game when he recorded 13 points with nine boards and one blocked shot against Missouri in Lincoln in his first start in league play. He hit 4-of-7 attempts from the field and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe and set a career high for the second straight game by playing 35 minutes.

That solid performance came on the heels of a seven-point, seven-rebound effort at Oklahoma and a 10-point, seven-rebound game at Baylor. In the games immediately before that, Maric sat out the Utah Valley State contest with the flu and was not at 100 percent in games against Kansas and Iowa State. During that three-game stretch when he was under the weather, Maric dropped nearly 15 pounds, but has since regained most of that weight.

The Aussie 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. The big man just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds against Morgan State in his first career start. He also had eight points and 11 rebounds against Colorado on the road to help NU to a 2-0 mark to open conference play.

Maric hit 6-of-8 shots from the floor to score 14 points at Missouri, and came back with nine points, including connecting on 5-of-8 from the free throw line against Texas A&M. His offensive surge came after struggling through three games when he was 7-of-28 from the field. Maric then added eight points and nine boards at Texas Tech for another near-miss.

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.

Dourisseau Getting Into the Act
Despite struggling with an ankle injury that has sidelined him for three games ? at two different times ? in conference play, guard Jason Dourisseau has made his presence felt within the Husker offense this year.

Dourisseau is second on the team in scoring and rebounding at 9.7 points and 5.1 boards per game. He also ranks second on the squad by hitting 49.7 percent (80-of-161) from the floor, including a team-best 54.8 percent in conference play.

In the past four games, Dourisseau has hit 22-of-36 (61.1 percent) from the field, including a 6-of-7 effort against Missouri. He has averaged 12.5 points per game with 4.8 rebounds per contest during that stretch.

During a five-game stretch from Jan. 26 to Feb. 8, Dourisseau averaged 11.8 points per game while hitting 52.5 percent (21-of-40) from the floor, including 2-of-7 from outside the arc. That came after a two-game absence from an ankle injury.

Dourisseau poured in a career-high 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting against No. 3 Kansas in Lincoln. The Omaha native also hit 7-of-12 from the free throw line and added five boards and three steals in 26 minutes.

Following the strong performance, Dourisseau re-entered the starting lineup against Iowa State at home. He scored 11 points with three boards, one block and two steals in 33 minutes. He also started against Baylor but played just 13 minutes before re-injuring his ankle. He did not return to the game in the second half and then missed the Oklahoma game.

Dourisseau has started 16 of his 22 games played this year, with NU holding an 11-5 record in games Dourisseau has been in the opening lineup. He has nearly doubled his numbers from last season, as he has 113 rebounds, 19 steals and is fourth on the squad with 36 assists. Last season, he had 60 rebounds, 13 steals and 17 assists against 41 turnovers in 31 games.

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

Dourisseau followed with 18 points and set a career high for the second straight game by grabbing 12 rebounds. He also hit 8-of-11 free throw attempts after getting fouled repeatedly while slashing to the basket.

In the Huskers' road victory over Colorado on Jan. 12, Dourisseau had his best game in nearly a month, as he recorded 11 points with seven rebounds in 26 minutes. He slashed past the Buffs at will while recording eight points in the opening frame as NU opened a 15-point halftime lead on the road.

Turek Shooting Lights Out
Senior forward John Turek has picked up his play as his final season winds down.

During a six-game stretch from Jan. 26 to Feb. 12, the Council Bluffs, Iowa, native hit 70.6 percent (24-of-34) from the field while ranking fourth on the team with 9.7 points per game. Turek also led the team with 6.2 rebounds per game during that stretch with four blocked shots and three steals.

In conference play, Turek is second on the team by hitting 50.6 percent (40-of-79) from the floor and is third in rebounding at 4.8 boards per game. He is averaging 6.5 points and paces the squad with 1.47 blocks per game in league action to rank among the top 15 in the conference.

Only Jason Dourisseau (54.8 percent, 46-of-84) joins Turek in shooting at least 50.0 percent from the field against Big 12 foes this year.

Wilkinson Gaining Confidence With Solid Play
Junior forward Wes Wilkinson has come on strong in his third season in the Husker program and is quickly turning into one of Nebraska's top offensive threats.

A 6-9, 220-pounder from Grand Island, Neb., Wilkinson raised expectations after his solid play in the Huskers' Australian Summer Tour in August when he averaged 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds over six games. But his progress was hindered on the first day of fall practice when he suffered a broken bone in his left foot forcing him to sit out of practice for five weeks, including NU's season opener. After seeing limited minutes in the first four games after his return, Wilkinson has finally worked his way back into the mix and found his groove.

In Big 12 play, Wilkinson is third on the team by averaging 8.6 points per game while hitting 44.7 percent from the floor. He has scored in double figures seven times in 15 league games, including a career-high 22 points against Kansas State in the league opener. He had not recorded a double-figure scoring game against Big 12 foes in his first two seasons. Wilkinson is also averaging 3.8 rebounds per game against conference foes, including posting a career-high nine rebounds against Iowa State in Lincoln.

Wilkinson has also hit 76.9 percent from the free throw line against the league. In fact, he has hit 32 of his last 37 attempts (86.5 percent) over the past 12 games.

Wilkinson had 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting with five boards while helping the Huskers at No. 2/2 Kansas. Nebraska lost the game by just two points, 59-57. He came back with 13 points and two steals against KU in a loss in Lincoln. At Missouri, he hit a career-high four three-pointers en route to 14 points and six boards.

After helping the Huskers to a 74-67 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma State, Wilkinson recorded his best performance on the road since the Kansas contest when he posted 16 points with five boards in the win at Iowa State. He had scored just 14 points in the previous five games combined and had 15 points in his previous three road games combined before hitting 6-of-12 from the floor against the Cyclones.

Wilkinson has added 1.2 blocks per game (30 total) this season to rank ninth in the Big 12 Conference this year. He has had at least two blocks in eight games this year, after having just 13 blocks last year.

Huskers Hitting the Glass
Nebraska has been relentless on the boards throughout the season. On the year, the Huskers are second in the league in rebounding with 38.9 boards per game and first in rebounding margin at +6.2. In conference play, NU is second in rebounding at 36.7 boards per contest and third in rebounding margin at +3.7.

In the March 1 NCAA statistics, the Huskers ranked 17th in the nation in rebounding margin (+6.2).

Freshman Aleks Maric ranks 10th in the league with 6.4 rebounds per game to pace the Huskers. Maric has recorded four double-figure rebound games (15, 14, 11, 12) this season. Junior Jason Dourisseau ranks second on the team after gaining 5.1 rebounds per game over 22 games and just fell out of the top 20 in the conference. In league-only games, Maric paces NU with 5.6 boards to rank 18th.

Overall, the Huskers have taken a rebounding advantage in 20 of 26 games. Nebraska has outrebounded 11 of 15 Big 12 opponents it has faced this year, including No. 10/9 Texas and at No. 2/2 Kansas and Iowa State.

Nebraska pulled down 51 boards in the road victory over Iowa State, outrebounding the Cyclones 51-37. It was a conference season high for rebounds and was the first time NU grabbed at least 50 boards against a league foe since pulling down 51 boards in a 72-44 victory over No. 25 Texas Tech in 2004. NU also had 50 rebounds earlier that season in a 70-26 win over Bethune-Cookman.

The Huskers opened the season on a strong note by pulling down 55 boards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and added 50 against Texas Southern and at UAB. Nebraska grabbed 47 rebounds against Morgan State and nearly added another 50-board game with 49 rebounds against Montana State.

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. The last time NU had three straight 50-rebound games came in 1999-2000. Overall, the Huskers have had 68 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.

Sports Illustrated Highlights Freshmen
Freshman center Aleks Maric received his first major national recognition when he was listed by Sports Illustrated (Feb. 21, 2005) as one of the 10 most prominent Australians currently playing collegiate basketball in the United States.

In a sidebar that complemented a feature on Utah's Andrew Bogut ? who Maric played with on Australia's Under 20 World Championships gold medal team ? the magazine noted there were more than 100 Aussies playing in U.S. colleges. The note on Maric read: Hulking (265 pounds) big man averages only 19.1 minutes per game (including four starts) but still leads Cornhuskers in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and is seventh on team in scoring (7.3 ppg).

Along with Maric, the other Aussies mentioned in the sidebar were: Aaron Bruce (Baylor, Fr., G), Chris Cameron (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., C), Ian Crosswhite (formerly Oregon, Jr., C), Martin Iti (Charlotte, So., C), Blagoj Janev (New Hampshire, So., F), Daniel Kickert (St. Mary's, Jr., F), Matthew Knight (Loyola Marymount, So., F/C), Alex Loughton (Old Dominion, Jr., F/C) and Luke Schenscher (Georgia Tech, Sr., C).

Maric is not the only Husker freshman to gain recent recognition from Sports Illustrated. Guard Joe McCray was listed as one of the five best freshmen in the Big 12 Conference on the magazine's website, SI.com, on Tuesday, Feb. 22. College basketball writer Kelli Anderson listed McCray alongside Daniel Gibson (G, Texas), Aaron Bruce (G, Baylor), Joseph Jones (F, Texas A&M) and Richard Roby (F, Colorado) as the league's top freshmen. Maric was listed as honorable mention.

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

After finding great improvement each of his first three seasons, Turek ranks among Nebraska's best rebounders and shot blockers of all time. Turek enters the contest against Kansas State with 886 career points, 671 rebounds and 162 blocked shots.

With his first rebound against Iowa State, Turek moved into a tie for 10th place on the Nebraska career rebound chart. He added eight boards against Colorado on Senior Night to move into sole possession of ninth place.

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 moved into fourth in NU history with 162 blocked shots after posting a career-best seven blocks at home against Colorado, 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 leads the team with 34 rejections, four ahead of Wes Wilkinson.

If he were to lead the team in blocks this season, Turek would be the first Husker ever to pace 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 entered the season looking to become just the third Husker ever with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks. The only Nebraska players who have reached those marks 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 currently enters the matchup with Kansas State with 903 points, 337 rebounds, 278 assists and 97 steals in his career. With six rebounds against Texas A&M, he became the eighth player in NU history with at least 800 points, 300 rebounds, 250 assists and 50 steals. When he added 11 points in a 74-67 upset of No. 4/4 Oklahoma State, Muhleisen became the 31st player in Nebraska history to top the 900-point plateau.

In the Big 12 opener, Muhleisen set a season high with nine assists against three turnovers in a career-high 48 minutes in NU's double-overtime victory over KSU. He came back with five assists and seven points in a win at Colorado, and has now recorded at least five assists in four games this season, including six assists against one turnover at home against Iowa State.

Overall, Muhleisen now has 72 assists against just 40 turnovers this season. He is second on the team in assists, behind only senior point guard Marcus Neal Jr. who has 91. The Lincoln native has recorded a 1.7:1 assist-to-turnover ratio to rank 11th in league contests. Muhleisen struggled through most of the non-conference slate while being bothered by a wrist injury, but has seen a surge in his play since moving into the Big 12 slate.

Muhleisen has hit 40.0 percent (38-of-95) from the field in league action after hitting just 32.2 percent (19-of-59) against non-conference opponents. Outside the arc, Muhleisen has improved his shooting percentage from 20.0 percent (5-of-25) to 33.3 percent (13-of-39). Over the past 12 games, Muhleisen has hit 36.3 percent (12-of-33) from long range.

The three-year captain had possibly his most complete Big 12 game ever while helping Nebraska to a 77-67 win over Texas A&M. It was a great birthday present for his father, Dave, who turned 50 that day when the younger Muhleisen had a game-high 25 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including hitting 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Jake also added six boards and several hustle plays.

Against Kansas on Feb. 5, Muhleisen posted nine points with a career-high tying eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. He added six assists against just one turnover in NU's loss to Iowa State.

On the road against Baylor, Muhleisen record 18 points after the intermission and finished with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting. It was his second 20-point game in six contests, after recording two 20-point games in his first 87 career contests.

Muhleisen recorded 11 points, four boards and four assists in 31 minutes in an upset of No. 4 Oklahoma State. While those are solid stats, his biggest contribution came in the hustle department, as he recorded two steals and drew four charges against the Cowboys. Nebraska drew five charges as a team in its 11th victory over a top-five opponent in program history.

All About Defense
Under Coach Barry Collier, the Huskers have rewrote the Nebraska defensive record book. Nebraska is again putting up some solid numbers, as the Huskers: ? ranked 17th rebound margin (+6.2) in the NCAA statistics of March 1.

? 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 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.? held Marquette to just 39.7 percent shooting, including 34.3 percent (11-of-32) inside the arc.

? gave up just 45 points to Montana State on 30.0 percent shooting.

? limited Colorado to 34.6 percent (18-of-52) from the floor, including 27.3 percent in the first half, as Nebraska won its conference road opener for the first time since 1993-94 with a 68-61 win at Colorado.

? held No. 10/9 Texas to just 22.2 percent (4-of-18) shooting from three-point range, including 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) in the second half.

? allowed No. 2/2 Kansas to hit just 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) from beyond the arc while scoring just 59 points at home in Allen Fieldhouse.

? forced No. 4/4 Oklahoma State into 19 turnovers and held the Cowboys to 44 percent shooting in the second half as NU used a 10-0 surge to open the period (and 17-4 run overall) to earn its 11th victory ever against a top-five team.

? limited Iowa State to just 37.7 percent shooting, including 9.1 percent (1-of-11) from three-point range in an NU road victory, 76-69. NU also gained a 51-37 advantage on the glass, including a 23-14 margin on the offensive end.

? allowed Colorado to score just 55 points on 37.1 percent shooting in Lincoln, including 29.0 percent in the first half. The Buffs hit just 5-of-20 (25.0 percent) from long range