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Huskers Return Home Looking to Continue Momentum
Following a two-game road swing, the Nebraska men's basketball team returns home to the friendly confines of the BobDevaneySportsCenter for a showdown with Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 18.
The game will tip off at 3:01 p.m. and can be seen regionally on ESPN+, including: Channel 8 (KLKN) in Lincoln and southeastern Nebraska; Cox 2 in Omaha; and KIIT in North Platte. Fred White will call the action while Charlie Spoonhour adds color commentary. A veteran coach, Spoonhour spent two seasons (1981-82 and 1982-83) on the sideline as an assistant for the Huskers.
All NU men's basketball games can also be heard on the radio through the Pinnacle Sports Network. The 26-station network can be heard throughout Nebraska and parts of western Iowa, and is available worldwide on the Internet at Huskers.com.
Veteran broadcaster Kent Pavelka will handle the play-by-play duties for the second straight game and will again be joined by the voice of NU women's basketball, Matt Coatney, who will provide color commentary. The Huskers' normal broadcast team of Randy Lee and Matt Davison will return to action for the Colorado game next week after spending most of the past week handling prior commitments with Pinnacle Sports Productions.
Honoring Husker Legends
Several of the most notable names in recent Nebraska history will be honored Saturday at the contest against Texas Tech.
During the first media timeout, members of the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame will be honored including its most recent inductee, Eric Piatkowski, who is also back for the 15-year reunion of the 1990-91 team, the winningest squad in school history.
Following a special recognition of the 1990-91 team at the beginning of halftime, Piatkowski will then have his jersey No. 52 permanently retired.
Nebraska Gets Ready for Showdown with Red Raiders
The Huskers get back into action this weekend looking to continue building momentum toward the postseason. With a 6-5 league record (16-8 overall), Nebraska is currently in fifth place in the Big 12 Conference standings with five games remaining, and is one game out of a tie for third place (Colorado and Oklahoma are both 7-4). Nebraska will play three of its last five games at home starting with the Red Raiders on Saturday.
Nebraska began its stretch run earlier this week by adding another piece to its resume with its third conference road win of the season. NU avenged an earlier loss with a 73-63 victory against IowaState in Ames.
Sophomore center Aleks Maric grabbed all the headlines as he posted one of the most dominating road performances in Nebraska history to lead the way against the Cyclones.
The 6-11, 265-pounder from Sydney, Australia, scored career highs with 37 points and four blocked shots while finishing with 16 rebounds. Maric was unstoppable as he went strong to the basket and hit 13-of-15 attempts from the floor while posting the fifth-highest scoring game in Nebraska history.
While Maric ? who has averaged 17.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over the past five games ? had the most eye-popping numbers, several other Huskers stepped up at key times to help NU hold off the Cyclones. Freshman Jamel White added 13 points including three key 3-pointers and Charles Richardson Jr. and Wes Wilkinson each added seven assists while helping the Huskers distribute the ball efficiently.
Nebraska scorched the nets as it shot a season-high 53.3 percent from the floor, but more impressive may have been its defense. The Huskers held ISU to 34.2 percent shooting on its home court, including 23.8 percent from beyond the arc, while posting a 45-28 rebounding advantage.
Over the past six games, the Huskers own a 4-2 record and playing solid defense has been a major part of the winning formula. Nebraska has allowed opponents to hit just 38.6 percent from the field while averaging 60.7 points per game in that stretch. In the Huskers' first five games of the conference season, opponents hit 46.6 percent from the floor while gaining 73.0 points per game.
The Matchup
Nebraska and Texas Tech are meeting for the 21st time in series history with the Huskers holding a 12-8 all-time advantage. It is one of six series against conference opponents that the Huskers have an advantage.
NU won the first four games of the series and 7-of-10 as non-conference opponents before the Red Raiders joined the Big 12 Conference for the 1996-97 campaign. The teams first played for three straight years starting in the 1955-56 season and had three meetings in the 1960s and four in the 1980s.
Overall, the Huskers own a 7-2 series lead in games played in Lincoln, including a 5-1 mark in the DevaneyCenter.
Since the formation of the Big 12, the teams have traded nine straight regular-season games with the home team winning every contest. NU also won a Big 12 Tournament contest against TTU in 1999.
In Nebraska's four home games against TTU since the start of the Big 12 Conference, the Huskers are 4-0 while averaging 76.0 points per game, compared to 64.6 points per game in five loses to the Red Raiders on the road. Each of the Huskers' last two victories over TTU have been against ranked squads, as Tech was No. 20 in the AP poll when it fell 80-69 in Lincoln in 2002 and was No. 25 when the Huskers won 72-44 in 2004.
2004 in Lincoln (NU 72, TTU 44) --- Nate Johnson scored a game-high 17 points to lead Nebraska to a 72-44 rout of No. 25 Texas Tech at the DevaneyCenter.
The senior from Kansas City, Kan., was 7-of-9 shooting from the field and added nine rebounds, as the Huskers clinched their first winning season since 1998-99 with a 28-point victory. Johnson was one of three Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska grabbed its second win over a ranked opponent nine days after toppling No. 12 Kansas, 74-55, on Feb. 15.
Andrew Drevo finished with 13 points and five rebounds, while Brian Conklin added 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and four rebounds, as Nebraska enjoyed a commanding 50-24 advantage on the glass. The 26-rebound advantage played a major role in NU’s 21-1 dominance in second-chance points.
The 28-point win was NU’s largest over a ranked foe, bettering the 21-point victory over No. 23 Kansas State during the 1992-93 season. It was only the third time that Nebraska has ever beaten a ranked team by at least 20 points.
The 44 points not only equaled Texas Tech’s lowest offensive output under Hall of Fame Coach Bob Knight at the time, but equaled the lowest total by a Red Raider team since 1990. The 28-point loss was Tech’s worst since a 90-50 setback to Kansas in the semifinals of the 2002 Big 12 Tournament.
The Huskers held the Red Raiders to just 18 points on 5-of-27 shooting in the second half in the 28-point victory. On the evening, Tech was held to a season-low 30.8 shooting.
Jarrius Jackson was the only Red Raider to finish in double figures with 10 points, as NU held Andre Emmett to nine points on 4-of-11 shooting from the floor. It marked just the third time in two seasons that Emmett, a two-time All-Big 12 selection, was held in single figures.
The Huskers set the tone early, using a 25-12 advantage on the boards to take a 34-26 halftime lead.
Johnson and Drevo combined for 12 points in a 15-4 Husker spurt, as the Huskers turned a one-point lead into a 32-20 cushion after Johnson’s offensive putback with 2:51 left in the half. Johnson had 11 of his 17 points in the opening frame, hitting 5-of-6 shots, including several of the acrobatic variety.
Nebraska put the game out of reach with a 10-0 run early in the second half. The Huskers held Texas Tech scoreless for 5:02, turning a 44-34 lead into a 20-point cushion after Corey Simms’ three-point play with
12:04 remaining.
The Red Raiders never got back within striking distance. Nebraska led by at least 20 points over the final 10 minutes of the game, helping to erase the sting of a 26-point loss in Lubbock the previous season.
Scouting the Red Raiders
Texas Tech enters the weekend trying to win back-to-back conference games for only the second time this season as it sits one game behind the Huskers with a 5-6 league mark. Overall, the Red Raiders are 13-12 on the season but are just 1-10 away from Lubbock, including 0-5 in Big 12 action.
Tech picked up a solid 70-56 win over KansasState at home on Wednesday to snap a two-game losing streak. The Red Raiders, who average just 5.0 3-pointers per game, hit 10-of-26 from long range and 14-of-16 from the charity stripe while forcing 17 Wildcat turnovers. TTU got 16 points from Jon Plefka and 15 from Jarrius Jackson while Alan Voskuil came off the bench to hit five treys for 15 points in the win.
On the season, Tech has averaged 68.6 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting while allowing 67.7 points as foes have hit 41.9 percent from the floor. The Red Raiders have been outrebounded 37.7 to 34.0 on the year but hold a +1.6 turnover margin.
Jackson is one of the league's top scorers at 19.0 points per game this year, including 19.5 points per contest in league action. He has hit just 43.6 percent from the floor, but leads Tech with 50 3-pointers and has been impressive at the charity stripe where he has hit 105-of-128 (82.0 percent). Jackson, who has played 433 out of 440 possible minutes in league play, has added 46 steals and 76 assists to lead the Red Raiders.
Jackson's backcourt mate, Martin Zeno, has also been productive by averaging 15.2 points per game on 49.1 percent shooting and leads the squad with 5.6 rebounds per game. Zeno is as well-rounded as Jackson as Zeno has produced 75 assists and 32 steals. Martin has also averaged more than 37 minutes per game.
In the frontcourt, Dior Lowhorn and Darryl Dora have combined for 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game with Lowhorn owning the team lead with 18 blocked shots. The Red Raiders have 57 blocked shots on the season, just 13 more than NU's Wes Wilkinson has posted.
The Red Raiders are guided by head coach Bob Knight (Ohio State, 1962). Knight is in his 40th year as a head coach and owns an 867-345 career record. In his fifth year in Lubbock, Knight has gained a 103-56 record with the Red Raiders and is 2-2 against Nebraska.
Quick Shots
? Nebraska has had seven players lead the team in single-game scoring, although only once this year has a player topped the squad in points for consecutive games. Wes Wilkinson paced the squad against SoutheastMissouriState (25) and tied for the lead against Marquette (15). He has led the Huskers a team-high nine times this year.
? Freshman Jamel White came off the bench to score 28 points for the Huskers against Missouri, the most points by any non-starter in a Big 12 contest this season. White outscored the MU bench 28-0.
? Sophomore Aleks Maric (8.0), senior Jason Dourisseau (6.9) and senior Wes Wilkinson (6.3) are on pace to give Nebraska its first trio of rebounders with at least 6.0 boards per game since the 1991-92 campaign. That season, Derrick Chandler (8.2), Dapreis Owens (6.8) and Eric Piatkowski (6.3) each reached the mark.
? The Huskers tied their second-best start at home in the past 15 years by winning 11 of their first 12 tilts in Lincoln. The Huskers now own an 13-3 record at the DevaneyCenter this season, marking the 13th time in the building's 30-year history that NU has had at least 13 home wins.
? With a 10-3 mark through non-league play, the Huskers won at least 10 non-conference regular-season games for just the second time since the formation of the Big 12 (also 2003-04 season when Nebraska went on to reach second round of NIT).
? With 16 total victories this year, Nebraska has secured a winning record in the regular season for the third straight campaign. Nebraska earned a 14-13 mark in the regular season last year and finished 14-14 overall. That campaign followed an 18-13 season which included a 16-11 regular season. NU's 29 regular-season games are its most in five years.
? Nebraska has held an advantage in bench scoring in 7-of-11 league games this season.
? NU is 13-0 this season when outshooting its opponent and 13-1 when leading with 5:00 remaining in the game.
? The 11-point deficit the Huskers overcame against Baylor was the largest deficit they erased to win a game this season and the largest since NU came back from an 11-point deficit in a 74-67 victory over fourth-ranked OklahomaState on Feb. 22, 2005. NU also erased a six-point deficit with four minutes left in a win over OklahomaState on the road and a 10-point deficit against Oklahoma at home to open league play.
? Before the Oklahoma game, the last time Nebraska won after trailing at halftime was on Feb. 15, 2004, against No. 12 /13 Kansas when the Huskers rebounded from a one-point, 28-27, deficit at the intermission to win 74-55 over the Jayhawks. NU had lost 15 straight contests when trailing at the half before the win over Oklahoma.
? The eight-point halftime deficit against Oklahoma was the largest the Huskers have overcome since also coming back from eight down at the intermission against Kansas State on Jan. 30, 2001. It is tied for NU's second-largest halftime deficit overcome in the Big 12 era, trailing only the 18-point deficit Nebraska fought back from against KansasState on Jan. 15, 1997.
? The Huskers held KansasState to 42 points in a 15-point victory in their first conference game away from home. It was the fewest points the Huskers had allowed a conference opponent in a true road game since 1966 when NU won 45-41 in overtime at OklahomaState.
? Nebraska’s 58 points in the opening frame against North Carolina A&T were its most points in any half this season and its 49 points in the second half rank second. It was the most points by the Huskers in any half since scoring 60 in the first half against Texas A&M on Feb. 28, 2001.
? Wilkinson played in his 100th career game at KansasState and Jason Dourisseau joined him in reaching 100 career games on Jan. 17 against IowaState. It is the second straight season the Huskers had at least two seniors reach their 100th career game.
? Nebraska recorded seven turnovers against North Carolina A&T, a season-low and the fewest turnovers in a game since posting seven against ArizonaState on Dec. 3, 2003. The only other time this season Nebraska recorded 10 or fewer turnovers in a game came in a one-point victory over No. 12/14 Oklahoma, when NU had nine miscues.
? Nebraska recorded a conference season-high 16 3-pointers against North Carolina A&T, two off the school record of 18 set in 2002 against No. 1 Kansas. NU's 36 attempts from 3-point range were also one off the school record of 37 also set against KU in 2002.
NU to Honor 1990-91 Squad
The Nebraska men’s basketball program will pay tribute to the most decorated team in school history as it will host a 15-year reunion of the 1990-91 squad on this weekend. The event will include a private banquet for the team on Friday night and all members present for the reunion will be honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 18, against Texas Tech.
The 1990-91 squad earned national recognition as it was ranked in the top-25 polls for a school-record 14 consecutive weeks and finished with the highest end-of-season ranking in program history, by coming in at No. 9 in the UPI poll and No. 11 in the Associated Press poll. The team was 4-2 against ranked squads on the year, including a 71-69 victory over No. 5 Michigan State at home early in the non-conference slate.
The Huskers picked up steam early on as they rolled to a 16-1 record, including 14 straight victories following a narrow two-point defeat in the third game of the season. NU entered the national rankings before its Dec. 22 contest against Miami (Ohio) and reached as high as No. 11 in the regular season by the Associated Press following a 111-99 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma on the road.
Nebraska reached its first-ever Big Eight title game after defeating Oklahoma, 117-113, in overtime and then No. 12 Kansas, 87-83, in the semifinals. NU fell by eight to Missouri in the finals, but after finishing third in the conference regular-season standings with a 9-5 record, still earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, the first of a school-record four straight NCAA appearances.
Nebraska was led by second-team All-Big Eight selection Rich King, who finished his career with 1,475 points ? which ranked fourth in program history at the time ? and went on to become the Huskers’ first-ever NBA first-round selection when he was taken 14th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics. King led the team with 15.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as the Huskers won a school-record 26 contests. King was one of five double-figure scorers for the Huskers along with Carl Hayes (13.5 ppg), Tony Farmer (12.4), Eric Piatkowski (12.4) and Clifford Scales (10.2). The Huskers averaged a school-record 87.6 points per game on its way to a 26-8 final record.
Three members of the team went on to play in the NBA, including King, Piatkowski (1st round selection, 15th overall by Indiana Pacers) and Farmer (free agent), while two others (Scales and Bruce Chubick) also went on to play professionally. Currently, three members ? King, Scales and Beau Reid ? are members of the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame.
Scorching the Net
Sophomore center Aleks Maric etched his name into the Nebraska record book with a dominating performance at IowaState. The Sydney, Australia, native scored a career-high 37 points with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Maric's point total was the fifth-highest in school single-season history and tied for the second-most by a Big 12 player this season. It was the most points by a Husker since Eric Piatkowski set the school record with 42 points in the 1994 Big Eight Tournament against Oklahoma and the first 30-point performance by a Husker since Tyronn Lue had 31 against Colorado in 1998.
The total was also the most points ever scored by a Husker in a regular-season road contest and set the NU sophomore single-game record, which previously 33 points shared by Fred Hare in 1964 and Jerry Fort in 1974.
Maric scored 18 points in the first half and grabbed eight rebounds. He came back with 19 points and eight more rebounds in 16 minutes in the second period. Maric finished the game hitting 13-of-15 attempts from the field and 11-of-15 from the charity stripe. In his previous three games, Maric combined to hit 16-of-42 field-goal attempts and 7-of-11 from the line.
Double Trouble
Since taking an extra few days off over the Christmas break, Aleks Maric has been nearly unstoppable in the paint for the Huskers. After returning from Australia before the Huskers' contest against FloridaState, Maric has led the team with 11.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while hitting 49.5 percent from the field. He has also led the team with 17 steals and is second with 15 blocked shots.
Most recently, Maric recorded consecutive double-doubles against OklahomaState, Baylor and Kansas, the most by a Husker since Andrew Drevo had four straight double-doubles in 2002-03. Venson Hamilton, the Huskers' all-time leading rebounder, also had four straight double-doubles in 1998-99 to tie Drevo for the most by a Husker since at least 1975-76.
Maric's impressive totals have also included five straight double-figure rebounding efforts heading into the contest with Texas Tech, the most by a Husker in at least 30 years.
Wilkinson Adds Another Dimension For Huskers
Senior forward Wes Wilkinson has made the most of his opportunities this season when healthy. After missing a game with an injury, Wilkinson returned to post a career-high 25 points against Southeast Missouri State and has been on a roll ever since.
The 6-10, 220-pounder has averaged a team-best 12.0 points with 6.3 rebounds and 1.91 blocks per game this season. He has hit 45.2 percent from the field and 45.4 percent from 3-point range.
Wilkinson had 10 treys combined in his freshman and sophomore seasons and owned 34 career 3-pointers entering the season (he has 44 treys this year). He averaged 0.39 treys per game in his first three seasons but has connected on 1.91 3-pointers per game in 2005.
Wilkinson led the Big 12 Conference in blocked shots per game and 3-point field-goal percentage for the majority of the season, but currently ranks second in blocks and does not have enough 3-pointers made to rank on the percentage chart. He also ranks in the top 15th in rebounds per game.
Block Party
Senior forward Wes Wilkinson owns 44 of Nebraska's 87 blocked shots this season, including a career-best six blocks against Creighton. He has had three other games in his career with at least five blocks, including five against Yale and Marquette this season.
Wilkinson is already sixth on the Nebraska senior class list in 2005-06 and Wilkinson's career total (96) will finish seventh in the NU record book.
Despite a slowdown in production recently, Wilkinson can still challenge for one of the top spots on the NU single-season chart. The Nebraska single-season record is 91 blocked shots by Derrick Chandler in 1992 while 10th place is held by Venson Hamilton with 56 in 1997.
Scoring Explosion
Nebraska has had a pair of freshmen produce impressive single-game results this season.
Most recently, guard Jamel White, a freshman from Brooklyn, N.Y., burst onto the Big 12 radar with a 28-point performance off the bench against Missouri. The rookie had the second-highest scoring game ever by a Husker freshman and became just the eighth freshman in NU history to produce at least 25 points in a contest.
In his first 18 games as a Husker, White had scored 95 total points to average 5.3 points per game. He had shot 28.0 percent (28-of-100) from the floor and 26.0 percent (13-of-50) from 3-point range, but drained 7-of-9 attempts from the field against the Tigers, including all four of his 3-point attempts. White also nailed 10-of-11 attempts at the free throw line against the Tigers to produce the most points by a Husker freshman in a decade.
In the last six games, White has ranked second on the team with 11.5 points per contest while hitting 46.5 percent from the floor, including 50.0 percent (12-of-24) from 3-point range.
Freshman Marcus Walker and White joined an elite club as they are just the 17th and 18th freshmen, respectively, in school history to post a 20-point game. Walker had 20 points against Alabama A&M to help him win Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors. It is the fourth time in NU history a pair of freshmen recorded 20-point contests in the same season.
On the Mark
For the second straight season, a pair of Husker freshmen have played a large role in Nebraska's offensive success.
Rookie Marcus Walker has been solid at the point for the Huskers this season, averaging 6.0 points and 2.3 assists per game. His 55 assists are second on the squad and he needs just six more to move into the NU freshman top 10 as he would tie Andre Woolridge who had 61 assists in 1993. Walker has also recorded seven double-figure scoring contests this season, including a 20-point outburst against Alabama A&M that led to him being named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Dec. 27.
Walker was especially strong in December, as he averaged 10.9 points and 3.3 assists per game over seven contests during the month. He also hit 49.1 percent from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range, ranking third on the team in scoring.
Walker's 23 3-pointers this season rank fourth on the team and are tied for ninth in the NU freshman record book with Brian Conklin, who went on to set the Big 12 single-season record for 3-point percentage as a senior in 2004. Walker is the fourth freshman to play under Coach Barry Collier to gain a spot on the Husker freshman top 10 3-pointer list.
Jamel White became the fifth freshman under Collier to make the list when he recorded his 20th trey of the year against Kansas, matching Tyronn Lue's freshman output that ranked 10th at the time. He then added two more against No. 6/7 Texas to knock Lue off the list and currently sits in eighth on the list with 25 3-pointers this season, which is third on the team.
White is fourth on the team while averaging 8.0 points per game in Big 12 contests and has hit a team-best 41.2 percent from 3-point range against league foes. On the season, White has posted solid numbers with 6.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while adding 42 assists (1.8 apg) to rank third on the squad.
White and Walker's solid play comes a year after the Huskers had a pair of freshmen earn league and team honors. Last year, Joe McCray and Aleks Maric saw significant time early in the season before setting NU records. McCray posted the best scoring average by an NU freshman in history after gaining a team-best 15.5 points per game while breaking the Big 12 Conference freshman record with 80 3-pointers. Maric set the Nebraska freshman rebound record with 169 boards.
Taking the Floor
Charles Richardson Jr. has become the Huskers' floor general this season and has taken control of the point guard spot in the starting lineup the past 11 games (14 times overall).
The Maywood, Ill., native has proven effective at getting the team up the floor and into the offense and leads the team with a career-high 68 assists against 39 turnovers in 21 games this season. Richardson, who has had at least four assists 10 times this season, ranks seventh in the league in assist:turnover ratio.
Richardson has shown glimpses of a better offensive game, setting career highs for single-game points (15) and 3-pointers made (3) in a win over No. 12/14 Oklahoma, easily surpassing his career-best point total of 10 last year against Colorado. It was the second double-figure scoring mark of his career.
Richardson hit three 3-pointers on five attempts against the Sooners after entering the game hitting just 2-of-6 treys in his first 10 games combined. He also had two offensive rebounds after posting just seven offensive boards in his first 66 career games.
Richardson has had at least five points in a game seven times in league play, mostly in part by getting to the free throw line a career-high 40 times (made 34, 85.0 percent).
Sharing Time
Entering the season, Nebraska had nine players on the roster who had never suited up in a Husker uniform. With so many new faces, the coaching staff knew it would be important to find minutes for several players and the result has been eight current players averaging double-figure minutes, including five gaining at least 20 minutes per contest.
Jason Dourisseau leads the way with 28.7 minutes per game while Wes Wilkinson is second as he has averaged 28.0 minutes per game. Over the past five games, Dourisseau has been an iron man as he has averaged 36.0 minutes per contest, while Jamel White (33.2), Aleks Maric (30.8) and Charles Richardson Jr. (30.6) have also averaged at least 30.0 minutes per game in that span.
On the road against OklahomaState, the Huskers had five athletes ? all the starters ? play at least 30 minutes in a contest for the first time this season. NU's previous high this year was four players with at least 30 minutes on one occasion ? during a road win at KansasState.
Before the win over OklahomaState, the last time the Huskers had five players record at least 30 minutes of action in a game was Jan. 8, 2005, when NU defeated Kansas State, 95-85, in double overtime at home. The last time NU had five players record at least 30 minutes in a regulation game was March 13, 2003, as NU fell to Missouri, 70-61, at the Big 12 Tournament.
Fast Break
Nebraska got off to its best start in six seasons under Coach Barry Collier with a 12-3 record through 15 games, equalling the program's best start since the 1995-96 campaign. That year, Nebraska had a 12-3 record before going on to win five straight games in the NIT and earn its only postseason men's basketball championship in program history.
Nebraska's 2-0 record to open conference play also matched its best mark to start a league slate since the formation of the Big 12. The Huskers' 5-3 record to open league play was their best through eight conference games since posting an identical 5-3 mark to open the 1999 Big 12 season ? and is only the second time in the Big 12 era the Huskers finished the first half of the season with a record above .500.
Opening Up
Nebraska opened the Big 12 Conference slate with a home win for the second consecutive year when it knocked off No. 12/14 Oklahoma, 59-58, at the DevaneyCenter on Jan. 7. The Huskers won their second straight conference opener after dropping their first eight attempts in the Big 12 era with each loss taking place away from the DevaneyCenter.
Hitting the Road
The Huskers continued their winning ways away from Lincoln as they won their league road opener for the second straight season with a 57-42 victory over the KSU Wildcats. NU snapped a 10-game losing streak in conference road openers last year with a 68-61 victory at Colorado. Before the win over the Buffaloes, Nebraska had not won a league road opener since a 78-72 victory at IowaState in 1994.
Nebraska already has three road wins in conference play this season after posting a 59-57 victory at OklahomaState and a 73-63 win at IowaState. The Huskers are now 5-5 in their last 10 regular-season Big 12 road contests dating back to last season, including 3-3 this year. In 2005, the Huskers were 3-5 on the road in league action, posting their most wins away from home in conference play since 1999 (4-4).
Velander Makes Debut
While Nebraska was already 21 games into its season, one Husker was still chomping at the bit to make his career debut for the Big Red as redshirt freshman Paul Velander (pronounced VUH-land-er) had been held out of practice and games during rehabilitation on his left ankle. A walk-on from Blacksburg, Va., Velander had surgery on the ankle in the fall and was not cleared to practice until exactly four months after the surgery on Jan. 26, the first time he hit the practice court this season.
Velander, who is considered a strong outside shooter, will fight for some minutes after working back into game shape. He made his debut in the final minute against Baylor.
Hot Shots
Nebraska owns a 3-1 record this season in games decided by five points or less thanks in part to a couple of amazing last-second shots.
The Huskers' most recent amazing finish came on the road in Stillwater, Okla., when NU pulled out a 59-57 victory thanks to the quick play of freshman Jamel White. Following a timeout with 5.6 seconds left, the Huskers inbounded the ball to senior Wes Wilkinson, who drove to the top of the key and launched a 3-point attempt for the win. Wilkinson's shot came up a foot short but White, who had slipped away from his defender and was unguarded in the paint, collected the ball for a rebound and in one motion put the ball back up off the glass and into the basket with 1.1 seconds remaining for the winning margin. The play was No. 1 on SportsCenter's Plays of the Day.
White's game-winning bucket was the Huskers' second in the final 10 seconds of a game this season. Earlier in the year, Joe McCray made all the highlight reels with his 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left that lifted Nebraska to a 59-58 victory over No. 12/14 Oklahoma in the conference opener on Jan. 7. McCray's shot was Nebraska's first game-winning field goal with less than 15 seconds remaining in a contest since Nate Johnson's running right-hander off the glass with 12 seconds left gave NU a 71-70 victory over Creighton March 16, 2004, in the opening round of the NIT in Omaha. Until White's basket vs. OSU, McCray's bucket came with the fewest ticks left on the clock for any game-winning field goal since at least 2000-01.
Johnson also kissed a jumper off the glass with 7.7 seconds remaining to send NU's game with Colorado to overtime on Jan. 18, 2003, before the Huskers pulled out an 80-77 win in the extra session. In the previous game, Johnson just missed a buzzer-beater as NU fell to Texas A&M 53-52. Johnson also hit a basket and converted the foul shot with less than eight seconds remaining in regulation to send a game at Oklahoma State in 2004 into overtime before the Cowboys won by four.
Last season, Nebraska scored the game-winning points with 1.2 seconds left as Marcus Neal Jr. drained three straight free throws to lift Nebraska past Tennessee, 62-61, on the road. Two games later against KansasState, Neal had a chance to win the game with 1.3 seconds left on the clock with NU trailing by two. Fouled on a 3-point attempt for the second time in three games, Neal missed the first attempt but drained the next two to send it to extra sessions, where NU pulled out a 95-85 double-overtime win.
In 2002, Nebraska earned an overtime win against IowaState, 86-84, as John Robinson II nailed a pair of free throws with 3.0 seconds remaining.
Walker Named Big 12 Rookie of the Week
Freshman guard Marcus Walker earned his first career league honor as he was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week, the conference office announced Dec. 27. Walker was joined by Big 12 Player of the Week David Monds, who recorded his first career double-double in OklahomaState’s win over No. 23 Tennessee in the All-College Classic.
A native of Kansas City, Walker led Nebraska to a pair of wins during the week of Dec. 19-25 by averaging a team-best 16.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.
In Nebraska’s first victory of the week, Walker helped the Huskers top the century mark for the first time since 1996 as NU posted a 107-57 win over North Carolina A&T. Walker added 13 points and a career-high tying six assists against the Aggies before coming back with a career-best 20 points and five assists against Alabama A&M in a 67-60 win. He posted four turnovers against 11 assists on the week.
Walker hit an impressive 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the floor, including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range. Against NCA&T, he helped the Huskers to a season-high 16 3-pointers, the second-highest total in school history trailing only the 18 treys Nebraska recorded in a one-point loss to No. 1 Kansas in 2002.
Walker is the third Husker to win league rookie of the week honors in the past two seasons. Last year, guard Joe McCray earned the honor twice while center Aleks Maric was tabbed once.
Doubling Up
Wes Wilkinson went the first 90 games of his career without a double-figure rebounding game but had three straight performances with at least 10 boards between Dec. 3 and Dec. 11.
After posting a 17-point, 16-rebound effort against UAB for his first career double-double, Wilkinson added a 17-point, 10-board outing against South DakotaState. He came back with a game-high 13 rebounds against Creighton, although his double-double streak ended as he had just six points. Wilkinson's double-figure rebounding streak came to an end at three games as he had seven boards against ChicagoState.
Wilkinson is not the only player doubling up this season, as sophomore center Aleks Maric owns the team lead with eight double-doubles, which also ranks third in the Big 12 Conference this season behind Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge (12) and P.J. Tucker (9). Maric's most recent double-double came against IowaState in Ames when he posted a career-high 37 points and 16 rebounds. Earlier during conference play, Maric had 15 points and 17 rebounds against KansasState, which ties P.J. Tucker for the highest single-game rebounding mark this season in the Big 12 Conference (Wilkinson and Maric each have 16-board games to tie for third).
Junior forward B.J. Walker also got into the act as he posted a career-best 11 boards for his first double-figure rebound effort of the season against South Dakota State, while guard Joe McCray picked up his second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Alabama A&M.
Jason Dourisseau, who has just missed out on a double-double with at least 10 points to go with nine boards five times this year, picked up his second career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on the road against Colorado and added another against Baylor with 16 points and 10 boards. He also had 11 boards against Creighton and equalled his season-high mark with 11 rebounds against FloridaState but did not reach double-figure points in those contests.
Boarding All Rows
For the second straight season, Nebraska dominated the boards against UAB and a Husker came away with a career game. Last year, center Aleks Maric recorded a double-double in his third career game when he posted 10 points and a season-high 15 rebounds against the Blazers. The 15 rebounds were also a team season high.
This year, it was senior forward Wes Wilkinson's turn to burn the Blazers. The Grand Island native recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, including 12 boards in the opening period.
Wilkinson's 16 rebounds tie for the second-highest total by a Husker this season, as Maric added a career-high 17 boards against KansasState, including 13 in the first half, and added 16 boards to go with 37 points in a road win over IowaState. Maric's 17 rebounds vs. KSU were the most by a Husker since 2000 when Brian Conklin also grabbed 17 rebounds at home against the Wildcats.
Spreading the Wealth
Nebraska's offensive execution was outstanding in its 107-57 victory over North Carolina A&T. The Huskers recorded a season-best 28 assists on 33 made baskets with three players finishing with at least five assists. The 28 assists were the most by the Huskers since 1994 when they posted 35 in a 101-60 win over Northeastern Illinois.
Charles Richardson Jr., a junior guard, led the way as he came off the bench to record a team season-high eight assists without a turnover. The total was one off his career high of nine assists set two years ago against Tennessee. Along with Richardson, Jason Dourisseau had a career-high tying five assists without a turnover while Marcus Walker tied his career high with six assists against just one miscue.
Nebraska had another solid performance against IowaState on the road as it posted 19 assists on 24 made field goals while hitting 53.3 percent from the field. Richardson again guided the offense with precision, picking up seven assists against one turnover against the Cyclones' pressing, trapping defense, while Wes Wilkinson had a career-high seven assists (two turnovers) while helping feed Aleks Maric in the post. Maric finished the game hitting 13-of-15 shots from the floor while scoring 37 points.
Charity Work
While the percentage is still not where they would like it to be, the Huskers have done an outstanding job of getting to the free throw line this season. Nebraska has averaged 22.8 free throw attempts per game (547 total attempts in 24 games) while allowing its opponents to get to the stripe just 15.5 times per game (371 attempts combined).
Nebraska has hit 66.0 percent (361-of-547) from the line this season after connecting on 66.0 percent (409-of-620) last year. Jason Dourisseau has gotten to the line more frequently than any Husker at 127 times while only two other Huskers (Aleks Maric, 116; Jamel White, 55) have gotten to the line 50 times.
Dourisseau has hit just 57.5 percent from the stripe on the season but has made a dramatic improvement in conference play as he has hit 69.4 percent (34-of-49).
Nebraska ? which hit 61.8 percent from the line in non-conference play ? has seen that number rise to 71.3 percent to rank fifth in league-only games. The Huskers have hit better than 70 percent in six of their last nine contests, including a season-high 90.9 percent (20-of-22) against Baylor. The Huskers, who have connected on 77-of-103 (74.6 percent) over the past five games combined, had topped 70 percent at the line in three of their first 15 games.
Record Night
Nebraska picked up its 350th all-time victory at the BobDevaneySportsCenter in high fashion as the Huskers scored at least 100 points in a contest for the first time since 1996 with a 107-57 win over North Carolina A&T on Dec. 19. Marcus Perry’s free throw with 3:00 left gave the Huskers’ their 100th point.
The last time the Huskers scored at least 100 points came against Oklahoma on Jan. 13, 1996, in a 117-100 triple overtime loss to the Sooners. In fact, each of the last two times the Huskers hit the century mark they lost, including a 109-104 setback to Northern Iowa on Dec. 16, 1995. The last time Nebraska collected at least 100 points in a victory came on Feb. 8, 1995, in a 100-86 win over Colorado.
The 107 points are the most by the Huskers since a 114-106 victory over Oregon on Nov. 25, 1995, while the 50-point margin of victory tied for the third largest in Devaney Center history and tied for the seventh largest win in program history overall.
First-Timers
Husker fans are seeing several new faces on the court in 2005-06. Nebraska's roster entering the season included nine players (six newcomers, three redshirts) who had never played a minute in a Husker uniform during a regular-season game.
During NU's three games at the season-opening John Thompson Foundation Basketball Challenge, six players saw action for the first time in their Husker careers, including three true freshmen (Marcus Walker, Jamel White and Kyle Marks), a redshirt junior (Marcus Perry), a redshirt freshman (Jim Ledsome) and a junior college transfer (B.J. Walker).
Marcus Walker went on to earn a starting nod in each of NU's first six games, and was just the second true freshman to start his first career game at Nebraska since Cookie Belcher in 1996-97. Marcus Walker, who now owns 12 career starts, is not the only newcomer to earn a start, as B.J. Walker has been in for the tip off seven times this season.
International Man
Center Aleks Maric (pronounced MAR-itch) returned from the summer in the best shape of his life, which makes sense as he played more than 30 games in Slovenia, Greece, Canada and Argentina during July and August as part of the Australian Under-21 National Team. The 6-11, 265-pounder who set the Nebraska freshman rebounding record last season helped his Aussie team, the Crocs, to a fourth-place finish at the U21 World Championships in Argentina in August.
Maric averaged 9.4 rebounds per game while helping the Crocs to a 6-2 record at the World Championships. He was second in the tournament in rebounding, behind only 7-3 Peter Ramos, who played for the Puerto Rican Olympic team and was in the NBA last season. Maric also averaged 10.6 points while hitting 50.6 percent from the floor.
Maric is the second Husker to play on a youth World Championship team, joining current Atlanta Hawk Tyronn Lue, who played for the United States at the Under-22 World Championships in 1997. Bill Johnson played at the World Championships while helping the United States to gold in 1954, and Dave Hoppen (1985) and Eric Piatkowski (1993) played on the United States' World University Games teams.
Awesome Aussie
A native of Sydney, sophomore center Aleks Maric is one of 29 Australians playing Division I college men's basketball this season. According to the NCAA, there are 396 foreign players competing at the Division I level.
Also from Sydney, New South Wales, are Blagoj Janev (New Hampshire), Martin Iti (New MexicoState) and Stefan Blaszczynski (NichollsState). Blaszczynski is one of five Australians on the NichollsState roster, the most of any school in the United States.
Along with Nebraska, major conference schools including Arizona, Baylor, Georgia, Indiana and WashingtonState have at least one Australian on its roster in 2005-06.
Five Named to Honor Roll
Bronsen Schliep (Fairfield, Neb.; business administration) was among the five Nebraska men’s basketball players selected to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2005 Fall semester. Schliep earned the award for the ninth time in his career and was one of 35 Husker student-athletes on the honor roll with a 4.0 grade-point average last semester. Schliep owns a cumulative 4.0 GPA in business administration.
Current members of the basketball team who earned the honor along with Schliep include seniors Jason Dourisseau (Omaha, Neb.; communication studies) and Tony Wilbrand (Alliance, Neb.; computer science) were selected to the honor roll along with redshirt freshman Paul Velander (Blacksburg, Va.; natural science education).
For Dourisseau, the honor was the seventh of his career while Wilbrand picked up his ninth selection. Velander was a first-time member of the team, as was Corey Simms (St. Louis, Mo.; sociology), who exhausted his eligibility in 2005 and graduated from Nebraska in December 2005.
Overall, Nebraska had 235 student-athletes named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll during the fall semester.
Fresh Faces
Nebraska had returnees at each spot on the floor to open the season but knew it would have to look for its depth this season from mostly new faces. Overall, the Huskers have three returning redshirts and six newcomers on the squad (although two newcomers have elected to redshirt). The heralded group of newcomers gives Nebraska its most athletic roster in several years.
Leading the list of fresh faces this season is junior college transfer B.J. Walker. The forward from Cincinnati nearly averaged a double-double last season with 16.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while helping Garden City (Kan.) Community College to its first-ever Jayhawk Conference West Division title. Walker has a soft touch inside 12 feet and solid offensive moves in the post and at 6-9, 245 pounds, provides another wide body to rest either Wes Wilkinson or Aleks Maric.
Along with B.J. Walker, freshmen Marcus Walker, Jamel White and Kyle Marks have earned praise from the coaching staff. Marcus Walker, who was rated the No. 25 point guard in the country as a senior last year by scout.com, gives Nebraska another lightning-quick point guard to pair with Charles Richardson Jr. Walker and White can both score and give Nebraska a different look with a bigger lineup as they go 6-2 and 6-3, respectively. Marks has been described by his teammates as "freakishly athletic" and the 6-7, 220-pounder has one of the top vertical jumps on the team.
Huskers Name Captains
After losing four veterans who had combined to play in more than 380 games over the past four seasons, it didn't take long for the Huskers to figure out who would take on more of a leadership role in 2005-06. Seniors Jason Dourisseau and Wes Wilkinson and sophomore Aleks Maric were selected as team captains for the 2005-06 season.
Dourisseau and Wilkinson are the only two scholarship players on the roster from Nebraska and have stepped up during the summer to provide leadership on and off the court. After a strong summer of play with the Australian Under 21 National Team, Maric is believed to be only the second sophomore in school history to be named a captain. Former Husker Jake Muhleisen was a three-year captain between 2003 and 2005.
Smith, Balham to Redshirt
Newcomers Chris Balham and Mike Smith are sitting out this season as redshirts, looking to gain strength, speed and improve their skills before stepping onto the court for the Huskers in 2006-07.
Balham is one of the strongest players in Nebraska men's basketball team history and has already bench pressed more than 300 pounds. Balham will continue to work on his offensive skills as he began playing basketball just six years ago when he moved to Chicago from his native Paris, France, following the sixth grade. Smith also has great physical ability but with a log-jam in the backcourt, he has decided to take the time to improve his skill set and basketball IQ in anticipation of helping the Huskers next season.
Defensive Mind Set
The Huskers look to continue a recent tradition of success on the defensive end of the court this season as Nebraska has held opponents to less than 64.0 points per game each of the past two years. The last time Nebraska held opponents to fewer than 64.0 points per game in consecutive seasons was 1983 (60.9 ppg) and 1984 (61.6 ppg).
Before Coach Collier arrived in Lincoln, the Huskers had held opponents to under 71.0 points per game only twice (1999, 64.3 ppg; 1998, 68.5) in the previous 14 seasons, dating back to the addition of the 3-point line in 1987. Under Collier's guidance, NU has held opponents to less than 71.0 points per game five times in five seasons, including four times under 70.0 points per game.
Board Games
Nebraska looked to clean the boards on a regular basis again this season as it returned 57.4 percent of its rebounding from the 2004-05 campaign when it led the Big 12 Conference in rebounding margin.
The Huskers averaged a +5.2 rebounding margin over 28 games last season to rank 30th nationally. Last year's effort marked the eighth time in the past 10 seasons the Huskers held an advantage on the glass. It was also NU's highest rebounding output since 1992, when Nebraska held a +6.4 rebounding advantage, and only the third time since 1953 the Huskers had at least a +5.0 rebounding margin.
This season, Nebraska ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference in rebound average at 38.8 boards per game and is sixth in rebounding margin at +3.0. Aleks Maric (3rd, 8.0 rpg), Jason Dourisseau (8th, 6.9 rpg) and Wes Wilkinson (11th, 6.3 rpg) rank among the top 15 individuals in the league.
Map Quest
Nebraska's roster has changed quite a bit in the past 12 months. That is most evident when looking down the state listings as the only Nebraskans on the roster are the four seniors ? Jason Dourisseau and Wes Wilkinson along with walk-ons Bronsen Schliep and Tony Wilbrand. The state following Nebraska with the most current Huskers is New York with two, while the other nine players are from eight other states and one foreign country. Overall, the Husker roster consists of players from 10 states and two countries.
Tough Schedule
Nebraska will face 11 teams in 2005-06 that reached the postseason last year. Among the eight teams to reach the 2005 NCAA Tournament were six Big 12 opponents in Texas Tech (Sweet 16), Oklahoma State (Sweet 16), Oklahoma (Second Round), Iowa State (Second Round), Texas (First Round) and Kansas (First Round), along with two non-conference foes in UAB (Second Round) and Creighton (First Round). Nebraska opponents Texas A&M (Third Round), Missouri (First Round) and Marquette (First Round) reached the 2005 National Invitation Tournament.
Home Sweet Home
The Huskers will play a BobDevaneySportsCenter single-season record 19 home games this season. The Huskers will break the record of 18 home games at the DevaneyCenter set three times before and last tied during the 2003-04 campaign when Nebraska picked up an NIT victory over Niagara on its way to a 15-3 home record. The 15 wins tied for second all-time on the building's single-season win chart.
Nebraska owns a 356-112 all-time record in its 30th year at the DevaneyCenter. The Huskers picked up their 350th all-time win in the building in grand fashion as they earned a 107-57 win over North Carolina A&T on Dec. 19. The win marked the seventh-largest victory margin in school history and the third-largest in building history. It was also the first 100-point scoring effort for the Huskers since 1996.
The DevaneyCenter is one of just three current Big 12 arenas where the home team has won at least 350 games, including Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse, Oklahoma's LloydNobleCenter and IowaState's Hilton Coliseum.
Graduate Work
Former guard Corey Simms can not suit up for Nebraska any more, but he had every reason to be proud to be a Husker as he stepped to the platform during the winter commencement ceremony on Dec. 17. Simms was the only former basketball player to graduate this winter, finishing his degree in four and one-half years, but was one of 30 current and former student-athletes to get their degree on the day.
Simms (2004-05) joins an extensive list of players who earned their degree after competing as a senior under Coach Barry Collier. In 17 years as a head coach, Collier has now had 51-of-55 seniors earn their degree with one (Marcus Neal Jr.) on pace to complete his requirements in 2006. All four seniors on this year's roster are also on pace to complete their degree requirements in 2006.
Forcing Their Hand
Nebraska's foes hit just 41.4 percent from the floor last season as the Huskers ranked fourth in the Big 12 Conference. It marked the third straight year Nebraska has held opponents to 41.5 percent or less from the floor. Since 1965, NU has held opponents to a 41.5 field-goal percentage or less just eight times, although six of those seasons have come in the last decade.
This year, opponents are hitting 39.8 percent from the field through 24 games this season, including 42.1 percent in Big 12 contests.
What's On Tap Next
The Huskers play their second straight game at home on Wednesday, Feb. 22, as they look to split the season series with Colorado. CU won the first matchup, 81-59, in Boulder, Colo.