Huskers Face Alabama A&M in Lone December Home Game

>>>Game Information
Game: 8
Game Date: Dec. 17, 2006
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color)
TV: None
Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats, video)
Halftime Entertainment: Scarlet Dance Team
Anthem: Big Red Express (Nebraska pep band)
Corporate Sponsor: Pepsi

The Nebraska men's basketball team returns home to play its second game in 15 days when it takes on Alabama A&M on Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The game will start at 1:05 p.m. with doors opening for fans 90 minutes before tip off.

Nebraska basketball games can be heard on the radio on the Husker Sports Network, a 25-station network that broadcasts the game throughout Nebraska. All Husker regular-season games can also be heard around the world on the Internet at Huskers.com, which will also have free live statistics during the game. The new play-by-play voice of the Husker basketball program, Kent Pavelka will call the action on Sunday while Matt Davison serves as color analyst.

The Huskers are looking forward to playing at home again as they are in the middle of a seven-game stretch where they tip off at the Devaney Center just once. Nebraska has played the past two weekends in New Jersey (vs. Rutgers) and Oregon (vs. Oregon), respectively, but embraces a chance to return to its home court where the Huskers have produced a 5-0 record this season.

NU has won 10 straight home non-conference games dating to last season and 17 of the last 18 overall. The Huskers' last loss to a non-conference opponent at the Devaney Center came in a one-point setback against UAB last year that wasn't decided until Jamel White's attempt at a game-winning 3-pointer rimmed out.

Nebraska has been a solid shooting team throughout the season and entered the week ranked fourth nationally in field-goal percentage. The Huskers have hit 53.8 percent from the field this year, including 54.7 percent at home. NU has hit at least 50 percent from the field in five of its seven games to date with a season-high 67.6 percent against nationally ranked Creighton. Nebraska also hit better than 55 percent against UNO and Lubbock Christian at home and against Rutgers on the road.

>>>Making a Splash
Nebraska made a solid showing in front of a national audience as it never backed down and continued to grind away before falling to Oregon last Saturday in Portland. The Huskers got an unexpected surprise as sophomore guard Paul Velander came off the bench to provide much of the firepower.

A walk-on, Velander had played just seven minutes in two games this year and a total of 10 minutes in four games during his career. While Doc Sadler and the coaching staff loved his effort and shooting ability, his time had been limited by injuries, including a stress fracture in his foot and a shoulder injury.

Velander proved his worth as he drew a foul and forced a turnover on an inbounds during his first play in the game, and then hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing trip down court. Velander added three more treys and finished the day with a career-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range. The four 3-pointers are the second-highest total by a Husker this season, and left him shooting 83.3 percent (5-of-6) from long range in his career.

After shaking off the rust, Velander stayed in the game to play 20 minutes, double the previous amount of time he had seen on the floor in his career. His strong shooting and effort will likely gain him more playing time.

>>>The Series
Nebraska and Alabama A&M are meeting for the second time in the series and the second time in as many years. The Huskers will look to extend the series lead to 2-0 after picking up a tough 67-60 victory last season over the Bulldogs in Lincoln.

Last year Nebraska shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the first half but led by just four points at the intermission. NU then hit five 3-pointers after the break and held off a pesky AA&M squad that forced 18 turnovers and had 12 steals. Nebraska had just three points from its bench in the game, with a basket and one free throw by Kyle Marks.

The Huskers are 6-1 against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, including a 1-0 record already this season. NU defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a team picked near the top of its league in the coaches preseason poll, by a 71-42 margin on Nov. 27.

>>>Scouting the Bulldogs
Alabama A&M enters the weekend with a 5-3 record after winning four of its last five games. The lone loss in that string was an 80-36 setback on the road against Georgia.

Three of the Bulldog's wins have come by a combined seven points, including a one-point victory over Stillman College, 65-64. AA&M's last contest was a 59-57 victory over Tuskegee on Dec. 2.

The Bulldogs have struggled from the field with a young team as they had four freshman starters in the lineup during their last game. AA&M has shot just 39.7 percent from the floor while averaging 60.9 points per game, and has also hit just 28.0 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Despite a lackluster performance on the offensive end that has seen just one player average double figures through the first eight games of the year, Alabama A&M has been solid on the defensive end this season. The Bulldogs have allowed only 66.4 points per contest, with only IUPUI in the season opener and Georgia scoring more than 66 points. They have also held opponents to a paltry 41.6 shooting percentage, including 31.1 percent from 3-point range. Opponents own a +4.7 rebounding margin over the Bulldogs.

Cornelius Hester leads the Bulldogs with 11.4 points per contest while pacing the squad in scoring three times, including one 25-point effort. Hester has hit 34.8 percent from the floor and 31.3 percent from long range while accounting for nearly half (21-of-44) of the team's made 3-pointers. He is also one of three players with at least 10 steals and one of eight players averaging more than 15 minutes per game.

Along with Hester, Trant Simpson has aided the Bulldogs' cause with 8.1 points and 5.9 assists per game. Simpson also leads the team with 12 steals and has played a team-high 30.1 minutes per game. Mickell Gladness has averaged just 5.9 points per game but has made his living on the defensive end as he paces the team with 8.4 rebounds per contest. Gladness has also added 4.8 blocked shots per game to rank fourth nationally. His 38 blocks this season are 18 more than Nebraska has recorded as a team through seven games.

Alabama A&M is coached by Vann Pettaway (Alabama A&M, 1980), who is in his 20th year at AA&M. Pettaway owns a 402-197 career record, all at his alma mater.

>>>3s All Around
Nebraska has knocked down the long ball with amazing frequency through the early portion of the non-conference schedule. The Huskers entered the week ranked 11th nationally by hitting 43.0 percent from 3-point range as a team. NU has hit better than 40 percent four times this season and better than 57 percent twice, including a season-high 64.7 percent against Rutgers.

The Huskers scorched the net against the Scarlet Knights, hitting a season-high 11 treys on 17 attempts (64.7 percent), NU's highest percentage in a game since hitting 66.7 percent (10-of-15) against Pacific in 2000. Nebraska's accuracy reached a pinnacle in the second half when the Huskers hit 8-of-11 3-point attempts (72.7 percent).

Freshman Ryan Anderson leads the way with 13
3-pointers this season, but is one of six Huskers with at least five treys through the first seven games. Marcus Perry is second on the squad with 10 3-pointers in four contests since returning from an injury while Charles Richardson Jr. and Jay-R Strowbridge have added six treys. Jamel White and Paul Velander have each added five baskets from downtown.

Anderson tied the school record for 3-point field-goal percentage in the contest at Rutgers as he hit 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line. He matched the effort of Cary Cochran ? the Huskers' all-time 3-point leader ? and Brian Conklin ? the Big 12's single-season 3-point percentage leader ? as the only Huskers with a 1.000 shooting percentage in a single game (minimum five 3-point attempts).

>>>Getting Back on Track
While senior guard Charles Richardson Jr. has been a catalyst for the Husker offense early in the season, his lone classmate ? senior guard Marcus Perry ? is just getting back into action.

One of nine Huskers to miss time during the preseason with an injury, Perry played the first exhibition game of the year but suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. He missed the final exhibition game and the first three regular-season games before making his season debut against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 27.

One of the team's top long-range threats, Perry got untracked quickly despite the extended injury layoff, which also included a stress fracture in his foot that required him to wear a boot when not on the court.

Perry hit nine of his first 17 attempts (52.9 percent) from 3-point range in his first three games back and averaged 10.3 points per game during that span. Perry, who last year ranked fourth on the team with 31 3-pointers in 32 games while hitting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc, is currently second on the team with 10 3-pointers while shooting 43.5 percent from long range. He is one of five Huskers averaging at least 8.0 points per game entering the weekend.

>>>Road Warriors
The Nebraska basketball team can easily take on the title of 'Road Warriors' during the month of December. After opening the regular season with five straight home games, the Huskers hit the road for six of seven contests in December, with only one home game (vs. Alabama A&M on Dec. 17) at the Devaney Center between Nov. 29 and Jan. 3.

The trek began with a trip to New Jersey where NU suffered a 75-73 setback to Rutgers on Dec. 2. Nebraska followed with a trip to Portland, Ore., that ended in a 68-56 loss to the Oregon Ducks on Dec. 9 at the Rose Garden.

Following the Alabama A&M game at home this weekend, the Huskers leave Monday morning for Hawaii, where they will play three games in the Outrigger Rainbow Classic (Dec. 20-23) before returning home for Christmas break. Nebraska ends the month with a road trip to the Orange Bowl Classic in Miami against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 30.

All told, the Huskers will travel at least 15,400 miles during the month, according to the Indo.com web site which tracks distances between cities "as the crow flies." The following are the distances the site lists as one-way trips from Lincoln, Neb. The total for one-way trips from Lincoln is 7,700 miles.

Destination Distance From Lincoln
Piscataway, N.J. 1168 miles (1880 km, 1015 nautical miles)
Portland, Ore. 1345 miles (2165 km, 1169 nautical miles)
Honolulu, Hawaii 3783 miles (6088 km, 3287 nautical miles)
Miami, Fla. 1404 miles (2259 km, 1220 nautical miles)
Total 7,700 miles (12,392 km, 6,691 nautical miles)

The trek around the country will be a new experience for the Huskers. Last year, Nebraska played 10 of its first 11 games of the year at home with the lone road game coming just 60 minutes up I-80 at the Qwest Center Omaha against Creighton. NU's first out-of-state road game last year came on Dec. 31 when the Huskers fell to Florida State in Miami at the Orange Bowl Classic.

Nebraska's most recent long stretch of road games was in 2000-01 when the Huskers played five straight road games. NU played Miami in the Orange Bowl Classic before winning three straight games and the tourney title at the San Juan Shootout, and then ended the road stretch with a contest at Minnesota.

The last time Nebraska played at least six road contests in a seven-game span was 1997-98 when the Huskers played seven straight games away from Lincoln. That stretch started with true road games at Creighton and Minnesota before playing three games at the Rainbow Classic, NU's last appearance in the tournament. NU finished the road trek with games at Kansas and Oklahoma State to open Big 12 Conference play.

>>>One to Remember
After recording 28 assists in his first five games combined, senior point guard Charles Richardson Jr. set the tables in record fashion at Rutgers. Richardson posted a career high with 15 assists, becoming the first Husker to record double-figure assists in a single game since Jake Muhleisen had 10 assists against Minnesota in 2002. Richardson's previous game high was nine assists on two occasions, including earlier this season in an upset of No. 20/25 Creighton.

The 15 assists were the most by a Husker since Brian Carr set the school single-game record with 18 assists at Evansville on Jan. 5, 1985. Following his 15-assist performance, Richardson posted seven assists against Oregon, giving him 50 through the first seven games of the year. Last season, Richardson posted a team-high 100 assists in 30 games.

Richardson is just the eighth Husker since 1984 to post double-figure assists. Tom Wald in 1994-95 and Beau Reid in 1988-89 are the only Huskers since Carr to post two double-figure assist games in a season. Carr had eight double-figure assist games in 1984-85, five in 1985-86 and two in 1986-87.

Here is a quick look at all of the regular-season double-digit assist totals by a Husker since 1984:

Assists Player (Opponent) Season
15 Charles Richardson Jr. (at Rutgers) 2006-07
10 Jake Muhleisen (Minnesota) 2002-03
10 Cookie Belcher (Pittsburgh) 1999-2000
11 Tom Wald (Kansas State) 1994-95
11 Tom Wald (Appalachian State) 1994-95
10 Chris Cresswell (Eastern Washington) 1991-92
10 Clifford Scales (Arkansas State) 1988-89
10 Beau Reid (Wyoming) 1988-89
10 Beau Reid (Sam Houston State) 1988-89
13 Brian Carr (Missouri) 1986-87
11 Brian Carr (Northwest Missouri State) 1986-87
11 Brian Carr (Northeast Missouri State) 1985-86
10 Brian Carr (vs. Alabama) 1985-86
11 *Brian Carr (Creighton) 1985-86
14 *Brian Carr (UC Irvine) 1985-86
10 Brian Carr (Southern Illinois) 1985-86
14 *Brian Carr (at Kansas) 1984-85
12 *Brian Carr (Oklahoma) 1984-85
12 Brian Carr (at Iowa State) 1984-85
11 Brian Carr (Colorado) 1984-85
12 Brian Carr (Kansas State) 1984-85
18 ^Brian Carr (at Evansville) 1984-85
11 Brian Carr (vs. UC Irvine) 1984-85
10 Brian Carr (Wyoming) 1984-85
*consecutive games ^school record

>>>Setup Man
Senior point guard Charles Richardson Jr. has been on a tear to open the season. The 5-6, 165-pounder from Illinois has gotten the Husker offense into high gear, much like his days running the powerful Proviso East High School squad that included current NBA players Dee Brown and Shannon Brown, each also a college standout at Illinois and Michigan State, respectively.

This season, Richardson has collected 50 assists against just 18 turnovers through seven games. His 7.14 assists per game ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big 12 Conference entering the weekend, while his 2.78:1 assists-to-turnover ratio leads the Big 12.

Richardson's 50 assists in seven games are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage (53.8 percent) to open the week.

As a freshman, Richardson recorded 66 assists in 31 games and then had 54 assists in 26 games as a sophomore. Last season, Richardson recorded a career-high 100 assists in 28 games, becoming the first Husker since 2002 to record at least 100 assists in a season.

Only one player in school history has averaged at least 5.0 assists per game for a whole season. Brian Carr, the Huskers' all-time assist leader, surpassed the mark in each of his final three seasons, including posting a school-record 7.90 assists per game as a sophomore in 1985.

>>>Getting the Job Done
Nebraska's strong shooting performances this season can be attributed in part to better shot selection, but another big reason is the presence center Aleks Maric has made in the paint. A junior from Sydney, Australia, Maric ranks fourth in the conference and in the top 50 nationally with 19.4 points per game this season, including three 20-point contests.

Despite drawing constant double teams, Maric has dominated the paint and leads the Big 12 Conference by hitting 67.9 percent (53-of-78) from the floor. Maric has been extremely efficient recently as he has hit 22-of-33 (66.7 percent) field-goal attempts over the last three games while scoring 58 points in 74 minutes played.

In the season opener ? just 11 days after he had his appendix removed ? Maric scored 29 points in 29 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha. Three times this season Maric has scored as many points as he played minutes, including a season-best ratio of 19 points in 18 minutes against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Also knocking down shots early this season, freshman guard Ryan Anderson has been a pleasant surprise as he is second on the team by connecting on 60.0 percent (39-of-65) from the floor. Anderson is seventh in the league statistics and second among Big 12 freshmen, just behind Kansas' Darrell Arthur (60.4 percent).

Anderson is second on the team in scoring at 13.7 ppg and rebounding with 6.0 rpg. His scoring average ranks 16th in the conference and is third among freshmen, trailing only Kevin Durant of Texas (21.6 ppg) and Arthur (13.8 ppg).

>>>Locking Down
Coach Doc Sadler has always had his teams ready to play solid defense for 94 feet, whether on the Division I level or when he was a head coach in the junior college ranks. Sadler's first Husker squad is showing similar traits and improving in that area each game.

To date, the Huskers have allowed just 58.1 points per game, a mark that ranks third in the league only behind Texas A&M (53.2 ppg) and Oklahoma (55.1) entering the weekend. It makes sense that Nebraska and Texas A&M would be near the top of the defensive statistical categories as the school's head coaches have the same approach to playing the game: play hard and play every foot of the floor on defense. They have a long history together as well, as A&M coach Billy Gillispie hired Sadler at UTEP as an assistant and when Gillispie left to coach the Aggies, Sadler took over as the Miners' head coach.

>>>Shutting the Door
Nebraska has had a solid offensive performance to open the season as the Huskers rank among the national leaders by hitting 53.8 percent from the floor through their first seven games. While its defensive effort may have been overshadowed early on, this year's NU squad has already proven to be among the stingiest in recent NU history.

The Huskers held three straight opponents under 60 points in one stretch, and have allowed more than 62 points only twice this season, with both games on the road. At home, NU has held three of five opponents to below 60 points.

In fact, the Huskers held two opponents ? Lubbock Christian and Arkansas-Pine Bluff ? to 42 points each in back-to-back games, both NU wins. That two-game stretch marked the first time since 1982 that Nebraska held consecutive opponents to less than 50 points apiece. That year it accomplished the feat on two occasions, most recently in a pair of victories against Air Force (W, 63-47) and Northern Iowa (53-42).

This year's occurrence is only the seventh time since 1958 ? a span of 50 seasons ? that NU has combined to keep consecutive opponents to fewer than 50 points each. The 1957-58 campaign is also the last time Nebraska limited three straight opponents to fewer than 50 points.

By holding Lubbock Christian and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 42 points apiece, it was only the third time since 1958 that the Huskers allowed 84 or fewer combined points in consecutive games. The last time it happened was three seasons ago, when NU held Bethune-Cookman and Lipscomb to a combined 78 points, including a 70-26 romp over BCC. According to the NCAA record book entering 2006-07, Nebraska ranked 11th in fewest points allowed in a single game since 1986 by holding Bethune-Cookman to 26 points in that contest.

>>>Heating Up the Floor
Entering the season, Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said that he thought the Huskers would be a solid shooting team. Through the first seven games of the season, Sadler's prediction has been an understatement.

Heading into Sunday's contest against Alabama A&M, the Huskers have connected on 53.8 percent of their shots from the floor, including a solid 43.0 percent from 3-point range. According to the first NCAA statistics released on Dec. 11, the Huskers ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percentage, trailing only Florida (54.9), Air Force (54.3) and Georgia (53.9). NU also ranked 11th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage.

Nebraska shot 59.7 percent (77-of-129) from the field over the first three contests of the season, and in fact hit at least 55.0 percent from the floor in each game. That is the longest stretch a Nebraska squad has hit at least 55.0 percent in each game since the 1991-92 team connected on 55.2, 55.2 and 63.4 percent against Wisconsin, Texas A&M and Eastern Washington, respectively.

Nebraska opened the season hitting 56.5 percent (26-of-46) from the floor against Nebraska-Omaha, the second time in three years the Huskers hit at least 50 percent of their shots in a season opener. As a follow-up, NU scorched the nets by hitting more than two-thirds of its field-goal attempts (67.6 percent, 25-of-37) in an upset of No. 20/25 Creighton in the second game of the year and first against a Division I team. Nebraska continued its strong shooting by hitting 56.5 percent (26-of-46) against Lubbock Christian.

The Huskers' strong streak ended against Arkansas-Pine Bluff when NU was limited to 44.0 percent shooting. Nebraska played all 13 Huskers who were in uniform, including nine for at least 10 minutes apiece while trying multiple lineups as the Huskers led by more than 20 points for the majority of the contest.

In its first road trial of the season, Nebraska hit 59.6 percent from the field at Rutgers, its highest road percentage since 2000. Last week against Oregon in Portland, Nebraska tied its season low by hitting just 44.0 percent against the Ducks.

The Huskers have hit better than 50 percent in five of seven games this season, and better than 55 percent in four contests. Nebraska hit better than 50 percent from the floor in only five games all of last season.

>>>Maric Earns Big 12 Honors
Junior Aleks Maric was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, Nov. 20, following his performance in the Huskers' first two games of the season. The 6-11, 270-pound center led Nebraska to a 2-0 start by averaging 23.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while hitting 65.5 percent (19-of-29) from the floor.

Maric, who returned to the court for the season opener just 11 days after an appendectomy, posted 29 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha in the Huskers' first regular-season game. He hit 11 field goals on a career-high 18 attempts and missed his second career 30-point contest by just one point. Last year, Maric had 37 points at Iowa State, the fifth-highest single-game mark in program history and the first 30-point game by a Husker since 1997.

Against No. 20/25 Creighton on Nov. 18, Maric posted 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the Huskers to a 12-point victory. Maric was saddled with foul trouble in the first half and played just nine minutes, but came on to play 19 minutes in the second period when he recorded 15 points and eight boards.

Maric was the first Husker to be named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week since 1999 when Venson Hamilton won it in back-to-back weeks on Jan. 18 and 25. Maric is only the third Husker to earn the conference's top weekly award, joining Hamilton and Tyronn Lue, who won the award three times including twice in 1997-98.

Maric earned Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors as a freshman on Feb. 28, 2005. He was one of nine Husker newcomers to earn the honor since the formation of the league for the 1996-97 season.

>>>More Honors
Junior center Aleks Maric was not the only Husker to earn an honor following the first week of the season. On Monday, Nov. 20, Nebraska coach Doc Sadler was tabbed the Coach of the Week on collegeinsider.com's Weekly Honor Roll. The web site said:

"Expectations at Nebraska just got a little higher, and credit new coach Doc Sadler. The Huskers finally ended a seven-game losing streak to in-state rival Creighton, surprising the mid-major darlings 73-61 to open the season 2-0. Nebraska shot 67% from the field, scored on its final 13 possessions of the game, and discovered it has a clutch performer in freshman guard Ryan Anderson (19 points and a key 3 in the final minutes). Yet, it all comes back to Sadler, who came to Lincoln this year after an impressive two-year stint at UTEP. With the win, he has already made a difference, earning some much-needed positive attention for the basketball team at a traditional football school."

>>>Unfamiliar Territory
First-year Husker coach Doc Sadler opened his career in Lincoln in territory rarely seen before among the fraternity of coaches at Nebraska.

With five straight wins to open the season, Sadler was undefeated as NU's head coach longer into his tenure than any previous Husker mentor in more than eight decades. The last time a Nebraska first-year coach won at least five games to open his career in Lincoln was 1919 when Paul Schlisser went 6-0 to start the 1919-20 campaign. Overall, Sadler is only the fifth coach in program history to win his first five games as the Huskers' mentor.

>>>First Time
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler has won at every level, but the Huskers' victory over No. 20/25 Creighton gave Sadler another first in his career. Not only was it his 50th win as a head coach at this level, but Sadler earned his first career victory over a ranked Division I team. Sadler entered the game with the Bluejays with an 0-3 record against ranked squads over the past two years at UTEP, with all three games played away from home.

Here is a look at Sadler's career matchups with ranked squads:

Date Team (rank) Result
Nov. 18, 2006 Creighton (20) W, 73-61
Feb. 2, 2006 at Memphis (4) L, 56-66
March 3, 2005 vs. Utah^ (18) L, 54-60
Feb. 19, 2005 at Pacific (19) L, 66-73
^NCAA Tournament

>>>Hot Shots
Nebraska scorched the nets in a 12-point victory over nationally ranked Creighton on Nov. 18. The Huskers hit an impressive 67.6 percent (25-of-37) from the floor, their top single-game shooting percentage since hitting 72.3 percent (34-of-47) against UNC-Wilmington nearly nine years ago on Dec. 5, 1997.

The single-game percentage ranks fifth in the country in the NCAA statistics released Dec. 4, but does not top the Big 12 rankings as Oklahoma State has already hit 67.9 percent (36-of-53) against Florida Atlantic to take the top spot in the league. Last year in all of Division I, a 67.6 field-goal percentage for a single game would have ranked sixth nationally on the season.

>>>For (Freshmen) Starters
While first-year coach Doc Sadler would like to give his younger players time to adjust to the rigors of college basketball, he has had little choice but to start two freshmen in all of the Huskers' games this season. Guards Sek Henry and Ryan Anderson have performed well under pressure so far, especially Anderson who at 6-4 is playing out of position at the 4 spot.

Henry led the team in scoring in the exhibition season with 20.0 points per game. In his first seven regular-season games at the college level, Henry has averaged 6.1 points per game and is also second on the team with 20 assists.

Anderson has shown a strong all-around game as he ranks second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg) and field-goal percentage (60.0 percent). He has scored in double figures in five of the first seven games. In the two games he failed to reach 10 points, Anderson added double-figure rebounds to lead the team.

According to official box scores, Henry and Anderson were the first pair of true freshmen to start the season opener for the Huskers since the 1973-74 season when Mark Enright and Ron Taylor also opened the season in the lineup. Henry and Anderson are the third and fourth true freshmen since 2001 to start their first career game at Nebraska, joining Jake Muhleisen (2001) and Marcus Walker (2005).

>>>Anderson Steps Up Big for Huskers
Freshman guard Ryan Anderson made his presence felt early in the 2006-07 campaign. The Seattle native has started every game and is second on the team in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.

He started off in good fashion in the Huskers' first exhibition game, as he hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining to help NU to a 74-72 victory over Nebraska-Kearney. In his first regular-season contest, Anderson posted nine points with a game-high 11 rebounds, becoming the second Husker freshman in three years to post double-figure rebounds in his first career game.

Anderson came back with an even bigger performance against No. 20/25 Creighton as he led the Huskers in scoring with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He hit his first six attempts from the floor and his only miss of the game was a long 3-point attempt in the final 10 seconds of the first half. Against Creighton and Lubbock Christian, Anderson connected on 12-of-14 field-goal attempts to pace the squad. He added a game-high 10 boards vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, giving him his second double-figure rebounding game of the season.

Anderson continued his torrid pace as he scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting against North Texas before coming back with the best long-range performance in school history. At Rutgers, Anderson tied the school single-game record for 3-point percentage by going 5-for-5 from long range, and then added a team-best 15 points on the road in front of his family and a national television audience against Oregon in Portland.

>>>Injuries Deplete Frontcourt Depth
The Huskers entered the season thin on experience across the front line, and the rash of injuries already seen this season has been felt most significantly in the paint.

Because of the lack of depth, Nebraska has started 6-4 freshman Ryan Anderson, who is listed as a guard, at the 4 spot in each exhibition contest and regular-season game so far. Sophomore Jim Ledsome, who had played 61 career minutes entering the season, started each exhibition game before center Aleks Maric gave the Huskers a bit of good news with his return to the lineup in the season opener. Nebraska's only other front-court returnee to play in a regular-season game is sophomore Kyle Marks, who returned from knee surgery to make his season debut against Lubbock Christian, but was then sidelined again with soreness in the knee before returning to play 12 minutes against Oregon. Marks played 122 minutes last season.

Redshirt freshman Chris Balham (legs) also missed time earlier this season and was not cleared to play until just hours before the first exhibition game. He then missed the regular-season opener but has played each game since. Freshman forward Kris Douse is the only Husker taller than 6-4 who has not had an injury and missed practice time this season.

>>>Earning Their Keep
Following a rash of injuries, the Nebraska coaching staff held open tryouts for students on Oct. 12, a day before the official start of preseason practices. At times this fall, the Huskers have practiced with only six healthy players who are currently listed on the official roster.

From the open tryout, the coaching staff took six players who are working out with the team on a limited basis. Forward Ben Nelson (#35, 6-7, 210, So., Atwater, Minn.) and Choul Laam (#40, 6-5, 230, Sr., Lincoln, Neb.) were the only walk-ons to see action in the exhibition games, while Laam and Nick Krenk (#11, 6-0, 170, Nebraska City, Neb.) are the only two to dress during the regular season. Krenk was the only non-roster player to travel to Rutgers and Oregon.

Krenk joined the team as a manager one month before the season opener and practiced only one time with the team on the day before the season opener, but was cleared in time to play in place of Jay-R Strowbridge (injury).

Laam and Krenk, the son of former Chicago Bear and Husker football player Mitch Krenk, are the only two walk-ons added during the fall who have played in the regular season. Andrew Wicklund (#30, 6-5, 170, So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) also dressed for the exhibition games but has not suited up in the regular season.

>>>Bumps, Bruises and Much More
Seven Huskers returned from last season's 19-14 squad that reached the NIT, including three starters in guards Charles Richardson Jr. and Jamel White and center Aleks Maric. Among the returnees, Richardson is the only Husker with significant experience who has not missed practice time with an injury or illness this fall.

Last year, Richardson had surgery on his knee during the preseason and missed the first three games of the season before coming on to start 23 contests. This season, he is one of four players ? including freshmen Sek Henry, Ryan Anderson and Kris Douse ? who did not miss practice time because of an injury or illness during the preseason.

On the other hand, nine Huskers have missed time this year with a wide range of injuries that have relegated them to the bench, including: Jamel White (collarbone), Kyle Marks (knee cartilage), Paul Velander (foot and shoulder), Chris Balham (legs), Jim Ledsome (ankle), Jay-R Strowbridge (thigh, arm and broken nose) and Mike Smith (thigh).

Aleks Maric joined the growing injured list as he had an appendectomy on Nov. 3. He was not available for the two exhibition games but returned to practice on a limited basis Monday, Nov. 13 and made his season debut on Tuesday, Nov. 14 in the season opener.

The 6-11, 270-pounder provides the majority of Nebraska's bulk in the paint and returned as one of the top centers in the conference after leading the Big 12 in double-doubles in league-only games last year with seven. In his season debut, Maric posted an impressive 29 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes and then added 17 points and nine boards against Creighton to earn honors as the Big 12 Player of the Week.

The Huskers also suffered a loss following the first exhibition game as senior guard Marcus Perry, who had already missed practice time because of foot problems, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 9. Perry, who scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range off the bench in the first exhibition, tore cartilage in his left knee.

Perry made his regular-season debut against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, hitting 3-of-6 3-point attempts on his way to 11 points with a career-high tying four rebounds. In four games since his return, Perry has made one start and averaged 8.5 points per game while ranking second on the squad with 10 3-pointers.

While Perry made his return, the Huskers were without a pair of players as Paul Velander (shoulder) and Kyle Marks (knee) were in street clothes for the UAPB and UNT contests. Maric has played each of the past four games but has been limited in practice by a hip injury.

Velander suited up for the Rutgers game, but did not play. He returned to the floor against Oregon and played a career-high 20 minutes off the bench while scoring a career-high 12 points by hitting 4-of-5 3-point attempts.

Overall, five Nebraska players have already combined to miss 14 games so far this season because of injury.

>>>Leading by Example
Senior guard Charles Richardson Jr. is the proven veteran of the squad as he is the Huskers' only returning three-year letterwinner. In fact, Richardson and junior center Aleks Maric are the only players on the squad with more than one year of Division I experience.

The 5-9, 165-pound Richardson helped the Huskers to a 19-14 campaign in 2006 that included their second NIT bid in three years. Richardson, who has quietly become one of the top floor generals in the Big 12, is chasing his third postseason appearance at Nebraska this season.

Behind his solid junior campaign setting up the Husker offense, Richardson ranked fourth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.92:1 and was 10th in the league with 3.33 assists per game after gaining 100 assists on the year. His strong hand helped lead the Huskers to two victories at the Big 12 Championship in 2006, only the third time in school history that NU posted more than one win at the league postseason tournament.

For his career, Richardson has 270 assists in 94 games, including a team-high 50 assists in seven games this season. He leads the current squad in both categories and is second on the squad in games started with 42. Only Aleks Maric, who has started 43 of 65 career games, has more experience in the starting lineup.

With similar statistics to last year, Richardson could move into the Nebraska career top 10 for assists. Currently sitting in 10th place on the list is former Husker and current 13-year NBA veteran Eric Piatkowski, who had 322 assists in his career.

>>>Early (Bird) Rankings
When Nebraska and Creighton played on Nov. 18, it was the earliest contest for the Huskers against a ranked team in school history. The previous earliest game was in the season-opener for the 1996-97 campaign when Nebraska fell to No. 17 Texas, 83-81, in Austin on Nov. 23, 1996. That season was the first year of Big 12 Conference play, but the Huskers and Longhorns played twice, including the season opener which served as a non-conference game for both teams.

Nebraska improved to 2-0 all-time against ranked non-conference teams in the month of November. The only other time Nebraska has played a ranked non-conference opponent that early came on Nov. 28, 1990, when NU stunned No. 5 Michigan State, 71-69, at home.

Before the win over Creighton, the Huskers' last victory over a non-conference team in the regular season came on Dec. 8, 2002 when NU defeated No. 20 Minnesota, 80-60, in the Devaney Center.

The Huskers now own a 9-31 record against ranked non-conference teams in the regular season. Here is a quick look at the Huskers' early season matchups with ranked teams over the past 20 years:

Date Team (rank) Result
Nov. 18, 2006 Creighton (20) W, 73-61
Dec. 21, 2002 Creighton (20) L, 73-81
Dec. 8, 2002 Minnesota (20) W, 80-60
Dec. 12, 1999 vs. Arizona (4) L, 59-80
Dec. 19, 1998 Minnesota (17) L, 51-55
Dec. 31, 1996 vs. Cincinnati (6) L, 73-84
Dec. 21, 1996 Minnesota (16) L, 56-70
Nov. 23, 1996 at Texas (17) L, 81-83 (ot)
Jan. 1, 1996 Texas (23) W, 85-69
Dec. 30, 1995 vs, Mississippi State (17) L, 66-69
Dec. 10, 1994 Michigan State (15) W, 96-91 (ot)
Dec. 28, 1992 vs. Michigan (6) L, 73-88
Dec. 4, 1991 at Michigan State (22) L, 78-101
Nov. 28, 1990 Michigan State (5) W, 71-69
Dec. 14, 1988 at Ohio State (14) L, 76-103
Dec. 19, 1987 at Wyoming (6) L, 58-87

>>>Overtime
? Nebraska forced Arkansas-Pine Bluff (24) and North Texas (25) into a combined 49 turnovers, the most in consecutive games for the Huskers since 1993. That season the Huskers forced 19 against Southern Cal (Dec. 23, 1992) and 33 against Texas-Arlington (Dec. 21, 1992). In the game before the UTA matchup, the Huskers forced Appalachian State into 25 turnovers on Dec. 19.

? With a win over North Texas on Nov. 29, Nebraska improved to 5-0 to start the season. The win marked the second time in school history that NU started consecutive seasons with a 5-0 record and the first time in more than 80 years since the 1911-12 and 1912-13 campaigns.

? The Huskers have been outrebounded each of the past three games after leading on the glass in the first four games of the season.

? Nebraska recorded 15 steals against North Texas, the most by a Husker squad since posting 15 against Oklahoma in 2001.

? Charles Richardson Jr. has led or tied for the team lead in steals in every contest and owns 19 steals through seven games. He recorded 17 steals as a freshman in 31 games and 16 as a sophomore in 26 games. Last year he had 34 steals in 30 games.

? Aleks Maric owns two double-doubles this season and has moved his career total to 15 to rank eighth on the NU career chart. Last year he tied for fifth in NU single-season history with 10 double-doubles. Maric needs four to move into the top five and with another eight, he would move to sole possession of third on the list. Venson Hamilton, the 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the list with 45 double-doubles, while Carl McPipe is second with 25 and Dave Hoppen third with 22.

? Maric has 491 career rebounds entering the weekend matchup against Alabama A&M. By posting the same rebound total as he had last year (251), Maric would move into 10th on the Husker career rebounds chart. Entering the season, Maric was just 10 rebounds behind the total Venson Hamilton had at the end of his sophomore season. Hamilton is the only player in NU history to post more than 1,000 career rebounds.

? Maric moved into the NU career top 10 for blocked shots with four against North Texas. He now owns 69 blocks in his career, good for 10th place on the Husker chart and one behind Carl Hayes, who sits in ninth with 70 blocks between 1990 and 1992.

? Nebraska's game against Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 14 marked the earliest season-opener in program history, tying the mark set in the 1998-99 campaign. Prior to this season, Nebraska had played only four games before Nov. 19, but played twice this year before that date.