Huskers Head to Hawaii for Rainbow Classic

>>>Tournament Information
Games: 9-11
Game Dates: Dec. 20, 22, 23
Release Date: Dec. 18
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color)
Internet: Huskers.com (live radio)
Event: 43rd Annual Outrigger Rainbow Classic
Venue: Stan Sheriff Center (University of Hawaii)

>>>Following the Huskers this Week
Nebraska will fly via commercial airline to Honolulu on Monday, Dec. 18. The Huskers will bus to Omaha at 6 a.m. CST and then fly to Chicago before making the nine-hour flight to Honolulu, landing a little before 3:30 p.m. Hawaiian time. Once on the island, the Huskers will stay at the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel (2335 Kalakaua Ave.; phone: 808-923-0711; fax: 808-921-9749). NU leaves on Dec. 23 at 10:40 p.m. Hawaiian time, and reaches Lincoln about 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 24.

Local media in Hawaii wanting interviews with Nebraska coaches or players should contact Assistant Media Relations Director Jerry Trickie at the hotel or via cell phone at 402-540-0269. Players are available only following requests sent through the Media Relations Office. Players and coaches will not be available for interviews on game days until after the contest is completed.

Nebraska media can follow the Huskers on the Internet as all three games in the Outrigger Rainbow Classic will be broadcast live on Huskers.com.

>>>Huskers Continue Trek Around the Country
After a brief stay in Lincoln, the Nebraska men's basketball team hits the road for its longest trip of the season when it heads to Hawaii for the 43rd Annual Outrigger Rainbow Classic hosted by the University of Hawaii.

The eight-team tournament will run from Dec. 20 to Dec. 23 with each team slated to play three games. Nebraska opens play on Wednesday, Dec. 20 in the first game of the tournament when it takes on Wyoming at the Stan Sheriff Center, the home court of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The Huskers will tip off at 9 p.m. CST (5 p.m. Hawaiian time) and the game can be heard on the radio and the Internet at Huskers.com. The new voice of the Huskers, Kent Pavelka will call the play-by-play while fourth-year analyst Matt Davison provides color commentary for all the games.

Following the first-round matchup with the Cowboys, Nebraska will have a practice day before getting back on the court on Friday, Dec. 22 against either host Hawaii or San Francisco. The Huskers will conclude tournament action with a contest against a team from the other side of the bracket, which includes instate foe Creighton, Valparaiso, UNC Charlotte and Houston.

This week's road action will be something of a common event for the Huskers. It will be the third time in as many weeks that Nebraska has hit the road, as NU has played two of its last three games away from the Devaney Center. Last weekend, the Huskers traveled to Portland, Ore., to take on an undefeated Oregon Ducks squad that broke into the national rankings after earning a 68-56 victory over the Huskers. The weekend before, NU played on the opposite side of the country as the Huskers took on Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., where Nebraska fell by two points despite holding a four-point lead with just over one minute remaining in the game.

Following the two road losses, the Huskers returned to Lincoln last weekend when they dismantled Alabama A&M, 82-55. The game was the only home game out of seven contests in the month of December.

Nebraska used a variety of lineups against the Bulldogs, clearing the bench for much of the second half with several reserves in the game for the final 10 minutes. The Husker offense, which entered the week ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage, hit 45.5 percent from the floor, aided by 53.3 percent shooting in the first half.

The Husker defense picked up the intensity as it forced 24 turnovers on the game, the second-highest opponent total this season and the third time this year an opponent has recorded at least 20 turnovers. NU finished with 14 steals ? one off its season high ? including three each by senior guard Charles Richardson Jr. and freshman guard Ryan Anderson.

Richardson may have benefited the most by the Huskers making quick work of the Bulldogs, as he finally got some rest. Richardson played just 25 minutes and posted six points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. He had played all 80 minutes of the previous two games combined and has played every minute of three different contests this season.

Anderson's game-high 19 points tied his career high while freshman guard Sek Henry set a career high with 11 points, including scoring the Huskers' first seven points of the game. Overall, Nebraska's freshmen (including redshirts) recorded 43 of the team's 82 points.

The solid effort by the Huskers' younger players was beneficial since NU was without its top offensive presence as center Aleks Maric dressed but sat out the game with a hip injury. Maric was not the only player out as reserve forward Chris Balham did not dress after having a muscle biopsy on Friday to help determine what is causing the weakness in his lower body. Filling in in the middle, sophomore Jim Ledsome responded to his first career start by grabbing a career-high six points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

>>>The Series
Nebraska and Wyoming are meeting for the 26th time in series history but only the first time since 1990 when they open the Outrigger Rainbow Classic on Wednesday in Honolulu. It will be the first time in the series the teams are meeting on a neutral court.

The Huskers own a 15-10 series lead although the Cowboys have won two of the last three matchups, including a 95-65 victory over the Huskers in 1990. Nebraska is just 4-8 against Wyoming when facing the Cowboys outside of Lincoln.

The teams first faced off in 1934 in Lincoln with the Cowboys winning the first two contests before Nebraska posted a four-game win streak. Nebraska also owns the longest win streak in the series as it took five straight between 1982 and 1986. That streak came during a stretch where the Huskers and Cowboys played eight consecutive seasons between 1980 and 1987.

>>>Scouting the Cowboys
The Wyoming Cowboys enter the tournament with a solid 8-2 record, including a 6-0 mark at home. Their losses have come on the road against UAB, 92-71, and Wichita State, 83-69, but overall they have been .500 away from Laramie, as UW has picked up a true road win at Big 12 foe Colorado, 76-73, and a neutral site victory over Montana State, 73-62.

Wyoming has put up solid offensive numbers by averaging 79.0 points per game, including topping 90 points on three occasions. UW has hit 46.8 percent from the floor and 40.1 percent from 3-point range while grabbing a +5.3 scoring margin. Opponents have gained 73.7 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting.

The Cowboys have three players averaging at least 10 points per game, including one of the top scorers in the nation in guard Brandon Ewing, who has gained 22.2 points per contest. Ewing has hit 48.1 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from long range as he leads the team with 24 3-pointers. He has also hit 79.1 percent from the free throw line while getting to the stripe an average of 8.6 times per game and has added 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals while playing a team-high 35.7 minutes per game.

Brad Jones has been an impressive compliment to Ewing as Jones has averaged 17.7 points per game while grabbing 5.3 rebounds. Jones has added team highs with 4.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game and is tied for second on the squad with James Spencer with 14 3-pointers. Spencer is third on the squad in scoring at 12.2 points per game and has hit 55.3 percent from the floor. Ewing, Jones and Spencer each average more than 28 minutes per game.

Wyoming is coached by Steve McClain, a 1984 graduate of Chadron State. McClain is in his ninth season guiding the Cowboys and owns a 148-102 career record, all at Wyoming. He has the fifth-highest winning percentage in school history while gaining 17.5 wins per season to open his career.

>>>Making a Splash
After an injury-plagued redshirt freshman year with the Huskers last season, guard Paul Velander looked to be on the same track this year as he had ankle surgery in the offseason and then had a stress fracture in his foot during preseason workouts.

After getting back on the court for two games, he suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the rotation for three more contests. But his outlook has quickly changed since his return against Oregon as Velander, a walk-on, has been nothing less than stellar while giving the Husker offense an unexpected lift over the last two contests.

Quickly proving his worth, Velander drew a foul and forced a turnover on an inbounds during his first play against Oregon, 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 and played a career-high 20 minutes, double the previous amount of time he had seen on the floor in his career. The four 3-pointers are the second-highest total by a Husker this season.

His strong shooting and effort helped him get back on the court for eight minutes against Alabama A&M, when he scored 10 points on 2-of-5 shooting from long range while hitting all four of his free throw attempts. Velander is now 7-of-11 from 3-point range this season.

>>>3s All Around
Nebraska has knocked down the long ball with amazing frequency through the early portion of the non-conference schedule. Last week, the Huskers ranked 11th nationally in 3-point percentage after hitting 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 14
3-pointers this season, but is one of six Huskers with at least six treys through the first eight games of the season. Marcus Perry is second on the squad with 10 3-pointers in five contests since returning from an injury while Jay-R Strowbridge and Paul Velander have added seven treys apiece. Jamel White and Charles Richardson Jr. have each added six 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 41.7 percent from long range.

Despite his strong overall start, Perry has struggled a little while in the starting rotation. He has hit just one 3-pointer in his two starts (Oregon and Alabama A&M) after averaging three 3-pointers per game while coming off the bench in his first three contests.

>>>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 before snapping the two-game streak with an 82-55 victory over Alabama A&M last weekend.

Now, the Huskers head to Hawaii this week to 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 and three in limited time against Alabama A&M, giving him 53 through the first eight 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 53 assists against just 20 turnovers through eight games. His 6.63 assists per game rank first in the Big 12 Conference entering the week, while his 2.65:1 assists-to-turnover ratio is tied for second in the Big 12. Last week, he also ranked sixth nationally in assists per game.

Richardson's 53 assists in eight games are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage last week. NU has hit 52.6 percent from the field to lead the Big 12 and will remain among the national leaders when the statistics are released later this 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 in his last three games (North Texas, Rutgers and Oregon) while scoring 58 points in 74 minutes played. Maric sat out the last game against Alabama A&M because of a hip injury.

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 57.9 percent (44-of-76) from the floor. Anderson is sixth 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 14.4 ppg and rebounding with 5.9 rpg. His scoring average ranks 12th in the conference and is second among freshmen, trailing only Kevin Durant of Texas (20.4 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 57.8 points per game, a mark that ranks third in the league only behind Texas A&M (53.6 ppg) and Oklahoma (55.7) entering the week. 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 52.6 percent from the floor through their first eight 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 four of six 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 eight games of the season, Sadler's prediction has been an understatement.

Heading into the Outrigger Rainbow Classic, the Huskers have connected on 52.9 percent of their shots from the floor, including a solid 41.5 percent from 3-point range. According to last week's NCAA statistics (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.

On the road, Nebraska hit 59.6 percent from the field at Rutgers, its highest road percentage since 2000, but tied its season low by hitting just 44.0 percent against the Ducks in Portland.

The Huskers have hit better than 50 percent in five of eight 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 eight regular-season games at the college level, Henry has averaged 6.8 points per game and is also second on the team with 23 assists. He had his best effort of the season in the Huskers' last contest, as he had a career-high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

Anderson has shown a strong all-around game as he ranks second on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (5.9 rpg) and field-goal percentage (57.9 percent). He has scored in double figures in six of the first eight games, including leading the team in scoring twice. 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. He then paced the squad with a career-high tying 19 points against Alabama A&M last weekend.

Anderson has also posted nine steals to rank second on the squad and is fourth in assists with 14. He has also led the Huskers from downtown where he owns a team-best 14 3-pointers.

>>>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. Maric played the first seven games of the year but missed the last contest against Alabama A&M with a hip injury.

The Huskers suffered another 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.

While Perry made his return against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 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.

Velander suited up for the Rutgers game, but did not play. He returned to the floor against Oregon along with Marks, and both played against Alabama A&M.

Overall, six Nebraska players have combined to miss 16 games during the regular 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 273 assists in 95 games, including a team-high 53 assists in eight games this season. He leads the current squad in both categories and is tied for the team lead in games started with 43. Only Aleks Maric, who has started 43 of 65 career games, has been in the starting lineup as much as Richardson.

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.

>>>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.

? Nebraska forced a third team into at least 20 turnovers this season as Alabama A&M had 24 turnovers on Sunday.

? 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 were outrebounded in three straight games before posting a 38-26 advantage on the glass against Alabama A&M. It was the fifth time NU led on the glass, as the Huskers posted a rebounding advantage in each of 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. NU came back to nearly match the mark with 14 steals last weekend against Alabama A&M.

? Charles Richardson Jr. has led or tied for the team lead in steals in every contest and owns 22 steals through eight 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 Outrigger Rainbow Classic matchup against Wyoming. 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.