Huskers Set for Clash with Hilltoppers

>>>Game Information
Game: 14
Game Date: Jan. 6
Release Date: Jan. 5
Television: None
Radio: Husker Sports Network
    (Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color)
Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats, video)
Satellite Radio: Sirius channel 155
Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595)
Corporate Sponsor: Windstream
National Anthem: Big Red Express (Nebraska pep band)

 

Nebraska Ends Non-Conference Slate vs. Western Kentucky
After a long, grueling month that included six road games and stops in more than 25 airports, the Nebraska men's basketball team will enjoy its second straight contest in the friendly confines of the Bob Devaney Sports Center this weekend when it takes on Western Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 6.

Doors to the Devaney Center open 90 minutes before the 7:05 p.m. tipoff, and great tickets are still available. Reserved tickets for the Red Zone ? including seats on the floor level ? still remain for just $15. Fans can purchase tickets on-line at Huskers.com, by contacting the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8BIGRED or in person at the athletic ticket office across from Memorial Stadium. Tickets can also be purchased at the Devaney Center starting 90 minutes before tipoff at the ticket office located next to the North entrance ramp.

The contest between the Huskers and Hilltoppers can be heard on the radio throughout Nebraska on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, as well as on the Internet at Huskers.com and on satellite radio on Sirius channel 155. Kent Pavelka, the basketball voice of the Huskers, will call the action from court side while Matt Davison adds color commentary for the game.

In their final matchup before the start of Big 12 play, the Huskers are looking to cap a perfect home non-conference slate for the first time since recording a 9-0 mark in the 2003-04 regular season and only the second perfect non-league season since 1997-98. Nebraska has won 11 straight non-conference games at home dating to last season, including a 7-0 mark this season. All of Nebraska's wins this year ? home and away ? have come by at least 12 points, including four by more than 20 points. The Huskers have had only one game ? a 75-73 setback in the road opener at Rutgers ? decided by fewer than nine points all year.

Much of Nebraska's success has come behind a solid shooting effort, as the Huskers rank among the national leaders by hitting 50.8 percent from the field. That high percentage has led to an increase in scoring over recent seasons, as NU is averaging 73.1 points per game and has topped 70 points in all but two contests. Opponents have reached 65 points only four times.

Nebraska is in a streak of six straight games scoring at least 70 points. The Huskers have topped 80 points three times in the first 13 games this season, including each of the past two contests. NU hit the 80-point plateau just four times in 33 games last year when Nebraska won 19 contests and reached the Big 12 Championship semifinals.

Nebraska's strong scoring punch has come from several places but starts in the paint with junior Aleks Maric. One of the top centers in the country, Maric is averaging 18.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while connecting at a 65.4-percent clip from the floor. He also leads the Husker defense as he has 19 blocked shots and ranks seventh in the league standings.

While Maric has been consistent throughout the season, the Huskers have had plenty of other players step up. Recently, senior Marcus Perry and freshman Sek Henry have led the way with their strong shooting performances.

Despite limited practice time because of a foot injury, Perry has averaged 21.0 points over the past two games behind a 12-of-19 shooting effort from 3-point range. The Anniston, Ala., native drained 5-of-7 attempts from long range Wednesday against Savannah State, collecting 17 points in 16 minutes of action. Against Miami last weekend, he had a career-high 25 points while tallying the second-highest 3-point total (7) in school history.

Henry has also picked up his overall game in the past two weeks. Over the last three contests, Henry has averaged 15.3 points while hitting 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the floor. He has drained 5-of-13 3-point attempts in that time after connecting on 4-of-22 to open the season. He also had 10 assists against five turnovers and added 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while averaging 30.7 minutes per contest.

>>>Following Up Savannah State
? Nebraska has held each of its last two opponents to season-low rebounding totals. Miami had just 24 rebounds on Saturday before Savannah State set a season opponent low with 20 boards on Wednesday.

? The Huskers tied their season low with only 10 turnovers against Savannah State. Nebraska has averaged 12.8 turnovers over the past four games, after averaging 16.9 through its first nine games.

? Nebraska had 20 assists against Savannah State, one off its season high of 21 against Rutgers. NU also had a season-high 30 field goals while attempting just 49 shots for its second-highest field-goal percentage (61.2) of the year.

? On the season, NU has had an assist on 69.98 percent of all made field goals (229 assists, 332 field goals), including assists on 20-of-30 baskets against SSU.

? Sek Henry and Charles Richardson Jr. combined for 10 assists without a turnover against Savannah State. Nine Huskers had at least one assist in the game.

? Sek Henry went 7-of-7 from the floor, two off the school single-game record for best field-goal accuracy. The NU record for multiple games is 13 straight made field goals. Aleks Maric had 10 consecutive made field goals between the Creighton and Lubbock Christian games earlier this year.

>>>The Series vs. Western Kentucky
Nebraska and Western Kentucky are meeting for just the third time in the series and first time in more than 20 years when they face off this weekend. WKU holds a 2-0 advantage in the series.

The last time the teams met was a memorable occasion as it marked Nebraska's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Hilltoppers ran away with that victory in Charlotte, N.C., handing the Huskers a 67-59 setback, the first of six straight defeats in NCAA play.

NU has never met the Hilltoppers in Lincoln before as the only other matchup was a road loss at Western Kentucky, 74-56, on New Year's Eve in 1946.

The Huskers own a 12-5 record in 17 previous matchups with Sun Belt Conference teams. The last meeting with a team from the Sun Belt came earlier this season when Nebraska ran away with a 76-57 victory over North Texas. The Mean Green opened its conference season on Dec. 19 with an 86-85 road victory over Western Kentucky.

>>>Scouting the Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky comes to Lincoln looking to improve on a solid start to the season. The Hilltoppers own a 12-4 record including a 4-1 mark in Sun Belt Conference play to lead the East Division.

WKU is 6-2 away from home this season including a 5-1 record in true road games. Among their top victories this season is a 70-67 win over Georgia, the only non-conference loss for the Bulldogs this year. The Hilltoppers' only losses in non-league play this season are to defending national champion Florida (101-68), Southern Illinois (75-70) and Tennessee (93-79).

Western Kentucky has a potent offense powered by a high-scoring backcourt trio that combines for nearly 40 points a game. Overall, the Hilltoppers have averaged 79.7 points per game this season, with eight contests over 80 points and three scoring at least 90 points.

WKU has hit a solid 47.5 percent from the field this season, including 40.9 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 8.6 3-pointers per game. When the shots are not falling, the Hilltoppers have cleaned up the boards where they own a +2.9 rebounding advantage (35.4-32.5). Western Kentucky has also hit 73.0 percent from the charity stripe as a team.

Leading the way for the Hilltoppers this season is Courtney Lee, a 6-5 junior guard who paces the squad with 17.6 points per game. Lee has dominated games while hitting 52.6 percent from the floor and 44.9 percent from beyond the arc. The hot-shooting Lee has also hit 85.5 percent from the free throw line while leading the team in steals (24) and ranking second in 3-pointers (31), rebounding average (4.6) and blocked shots (11).

Joining the talented Lee are guards Tyrone Brazelton and Ty Rogers, who average 10.8 and 10.2 points per game, respectively. Brazelton also leads the team with 59 assists, four more than guard Orlando Mendez-Valdez, while Rogers is the team's deadliest weapon from long range as he has 40 3-pointers this season while hitting 44 percent from beyond the arc.

In the frontcourt, forward Jeremy Evans leads the way with 4.9 rebounds per game and 20 blocked shots while Daniel Emerson has produced 4.1 boards per contest. Together they have averaged just over 11 points per game while hitting better than 50 percent from the floor.

The Hilltoppers are coached by Darrin Horn (Western Kentucky, 1995), who is in his fourth season leading his alma mater. Horn owns a 72-34 record as a head coach, all at WKU, where he was a four-year letterman and all-conference guard while earning academic All-America honors in the classroom.

Among Horn's three assistant coaches is former Nebraska women's head coach Paul Sanderford. A native of North Carolina, Sanderford coached the Husker women from 1997 to 2002, earning an 88-69 (.561) record and three NCAA Tournament berths. His 88 wins are second-most in school history.

>>>On the Rise
Coach Doc Sadler took over the Husker program after gaining a reputation as a strong defensive coach at Texas-El Paso. The Miners finished last season ranked 15th nationally by allowing just 59.5 points per game, including setting a Conference USA season record by giving up just 56.0 points per contest in league action. That defensive effort has carried over to Lincoln as the Huskers in their first year under Sadler have held nine of their first 13 opponents to 62 or fewer points.

While that defensive effort has been expected, the Huskers have seen an impressive rise on the offensive end under Sadler as well. Nebraska has averaged 73.1 points per game this season, including topping the 70-point plateau 11 times in 13 games. The last time the Huskers scored at least 70 points in 11 of their first 13 games was 1996-97, when the Huskers recorded at least 70 points in 16 of their first 18 games of the year.

Nebraska's current six-game streak scoring at least 70 points is NU's longest since a six-game streak in 2003-04. The last time NU scored at least 70 points in seven straight games was 1996-97 when the Huskers had a pair of seven-game streaks.

>>>Getting to the Point
The Huskers posted a season-high tying 82 points against Miami, the most points by a Husker squad away from the Devaney Center since posting 83 in a one-point loss to Hawaii in the 2004 National Invitation Tournament. The last time NU scored at least 82 points away from home during the regular season was also 2004, when the Huskers dropped an 87-83 overtime decision against No. 7 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.

Nebraska added 81 points on Wednesday against Savannah State, marking the first time since 2001-02 that the Huskers scored at least 80 points in back-to-back regular-season contests. The last time NU scored at least 80 points in three straight contests was 1999-2000, when the Huskers had a season-long three-game win streak with victories over Oral Roberts, Minnesota and Pacific to end the non-conference slate.

>>>Plus 20
Nebraska has seen a surge in its team scoring this year as the Huskers have averaged more than 73 points per contest through 13 games. During that span, a Husker has had a least 20 points in a contest eight times.

Junior center Aleks Maric leads the way as he has recorded five games with at least 20 points, including a season-high 29 points in 29 minutes in the season-opener. Along with Maric, a pair of freshmen in Sek Henry and Ryan Anderson have each added games scoring at least 20 points, including 29 points by Anderson against Hawaii, the second-highest single-game scoring total by a Husker freshman in history.

Senior guard Marcus Perry became the most recent 20-point scorer for the Huskers as he dropped in 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting against Miami. His total included seven 3-pointers ? the second-highest single-game total in school history ? as he nearly doubled his previous career scoring high of 13 points set last season.

>>>Digging the Long Ball
A pair of Husker guards have had impressive nights recently, scoring career highs while scorching the net from long range.

Freshman Ryan Anderson was the first as he scored 29 points against Hawaii. Hitting primarily from long range, the rookie hit seven 3-pointers on a school-record tying 13 attempts. Anderson's 3-point total was the second-highest single-game effort in school history and tied the NU freshman record. He is the first true freshman to ever record seven 3-pointers in a game (Cary Cochran was a redshirt freshman in 1998-99).

Senior Marcus Perry matched Anderson's effort with seven 3-pointers of his own against Miami. Perry scored a career-best 25 points, 12 more than his previous scoring high, and led Nebraska to a season-best 15 3-pointers on 33 attempts. The school team record for 3-pointers is 18 set against No. 1 Kansas in 2002.

Perry took over the team lead as he now has 24 3-pointers in nine games after cashing in on 5-of-7 attempts from long range against Savannah State, giving him 12 treys in the past two games. Perry has hit 49.0 percent (24-of-49) from long range this year. Last year, he had 31 3-pointers (36.0 percent) in 32 games.

Anderson ranks second on the squad with 21 3-pointers despite sitting out the last two games. He has hit an impressive 47.7 percent (21-of-44) from long range this year and needs two 3-pointers to tie for 10th place on the NU freshman chart, matching the 23 treys by Brian Conklin in 2001. Anderson has already had at least five treys in a game twice this season, including a 5-of-5 effort at Rutgers that tied the NU single-game mark for 3-point percentage (minimum of five attempts).

>>>New Day, New Lineup
After opening with the same lineup for the first six games of the season, the Huskers put a different starting five on the floor for six straight games starting with the Oregon contest.

During that six-game span, the Huskers earned a 4-2 record with the setbacks at Oregon and Hawaii. NU went 3-2 away from home during the stretch which saw eight players make starts, including three true freshmen.

>>>3s All Around
Nebraska has knocked down the long ball with amazing frequency through the non-conference schedule as the Huskers ranked 38th nationally in 3-point percentage entering the week. Currently, NU has hit 40.8 percent from long range this year, including a season-high 64.7 percent against Rutgers.

The Huskers scorched the net against the Scarlet Knights, hitting 11 treys on 17 attempts, connecting on 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 against RU when the Huskers hit 8-of-11 3-point attempts (72.7 percent).

Freshman Ryan Anderson tied the school record for 3-point field-goal percentage (minimum five 3-point attempts) at Rutgers as he hit 5-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line. Anderson also posted the second-highest single-game effort in school history with seven 3-pointers against Hawaii. He was only the fourth player in NU history to record at least seven treys, joining Cary Cochran (twice), Cookie Belcher and Chris Cresswell.

Senior Marcus Perry became the fifth player to reach the mark as he hit seven 3-pointers against Miami, helping Nebraska to a season-high 15 treys on the game. The 15 3-pointers were the third-highest total by a Nebraska squad ever, and tied the record for most 3-pointers away from the Devaney Center.

>>>Back on Defense
Over the last three games, the Huskers have put up some solid defensive numbers, including stretches of outstanding team defense. In each of those three contests the Huskers have held their opponent without a field goal for at least 6:50 on the clock.

The longest defensive stand came against the Houston Cougars in the third-place game of the Rainbow Classic. UH hit its first five shots and seven of its first eight 3-point attempts, but NU clamped down near the end of the first half and put on a defensive show in the second period.

Houston was held to two baskets over the final 4:49 of the first period and then Nebraska allowed just one bucket in the first 16:08 of the second half. The Cougars first basket of the second period came at the 18:22 mark and NU did not allow another basket until the 3:54 mark, as span of 14:28 between baskets, likely one of the longest streaks in school history.

Against Miami, the Huskers broke open the game on the way to a 15-point victory as they held UM without a field goal for 7:28 in the middle of the second half. Nebraska continued its strong stand as it put away Savannah State during a first-half streak that went 6:50 without allowing a field goal, and only one basket over the final 13:07 of the first half.

>>>Anderson Hits Scoring Stride
Coach Doc Sadler said that freshman guard Ryan Anderson was the first young player to fully buy into the new coaches' system this year and it paid dividends for the rookie on Dec. 22 against Hawaii as he scored a career-high 29 points.

Anderson's 29 points were the second-highest total by a Husker freshman in school history, trailing only the 30 points Tyronn Lue ? who is currently playing for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks ? posted against Oregon in 1995. Anderson had missed the 20-point plateau two times earlier this year when he had 19 points in a game, but finally broke the barrier as he hit 8-of-20 shots, including seven 3-pointers, against the Rainbow Warriors.

>>>Fabulous Freshmen
Guard Ryan Anderson became the 19th Husker freshman in history to score at least 20 points in a contest when he had 29 against Hawaii on Dec. 22, the second-highest single-game scoring mark by a freshman in school history.

Anderson must have pushed fellow freshman Sek Henry into high gear as Henry became the 20th freshman to top the 20-point plateau just one night later while helping NU defeat Houston for third place in the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

Anderson and Henry are just the fifth set of Husker teammates to each score at least 20 points in a game as freshmen in the same season. It is the second straight season the Huskers have had two freshmen top the 20-point plateau as Jamel White (28 points vs. Missouri) and Marcus Walker (20 points vs. Alabama A&M) matched the feat in 2005-06.

Other Husker freshmen teammates to reach the mark in the same season include: Jake Muhleisen (21 pts.) and John Turek (20 pts.) in 2001-02; Ron Taylor (twice), Rickey Harris (22 pts.) and Bob Siegel (26 pts.) in 1973-74; and Jerry Fort (six times) and Ricky Marsh (22 pts.) in 1972-73.

Only six NU freshmen have scored at least 20 points twice in their rookie season, with the last being Joe McCray who had a school freshman record 10 20-point games in 2004-05.

>>>Doubling Down Low
Center Aleks Maric established himself as a dual threat in the post last season as he recorded 10 double-doubles to tie the Nebraska sophomore record.

Maric's 10 double-doubles last season were third in the Big 12 Conference behind NBA Draft picks LaMarcus Aldridge and P.J. Tucker of Texas, and his seven double-doubles in conference play were a league high. Maric also was the top returning rebounder in the league after averaging 8.1 boards per game in 2005-06.

This season, the 6-11, 270-pound Australian has posted three more double-doubles and now has 16 career double-doubles. He also tied the NU freshman record with three double-doubles in 2004-05.

Since 1972 when complete game-by-game statistics are available, Maric's career total is tied for seventh in the Nebraska record book and is just three out of fifth place.

>>>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. 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.

>>>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 86 assists against just 31 turnovers through 13 games. His 6.62 assists per game rank first in the Big 12 Conference entering the weekend, while his 2.77:1 assists-to-turnover ratio also leads the Big 12. In the last NCAA statistics on Jan. 1, he also ranked fourth nationally in assists per game.

Richardson's 86 assists in 13 games are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked 22nd in the nation in field-goal percentage during the last NCAA statistics reporting period. Currently, NU has hit 50.8 percent from the field to rank fourth in the Big 12.

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 fifth in the conference with 18.3 points per game this season, including five 20-point contests. Despite drawing constant double teams, Maric has dominated the paint and leads the Big 12 Conference by hitting 65.4 percent (85-of-130) from the floor.

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 52.3 percent (58-of-111) from the floor. Anderson is ninth in the league statistics and first among Big 12 freshmen.

Despite sitting out the last two games with an injury, Anderson is second on the team in scoring at 14.3 ppg and rebounding with 5.7 rpg. His scoring average ranks 13th in the conference and is second among freshmen, trailing only Kevin Durant of Texas (21.5 ppg).

>>>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 10 Huskers to miss time with an injury this season, Perry suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery during the exhibition season. He missed 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 and still limits his practice time.

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. After a little drought, Perry nearly reached uncharted territory as he hit seven 3-pointers against Miami while scoring a career-high 25 points. He was 7-of-12 from beyond the arc against the Hurricanes, matching the second-best 3-point effort in school single-game history.

Perry added five more 3-pointers against Savannah State and now has 12 in the past two games. Last year Perry ranked fourth on the team with 31 3-pointers in 32 games while hitting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc. Currently he leads the team with 24 3-pointers while shooting 49.0 percent from long range.

>>>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 changed since his return against Oregon as Velander, a walk-on, has given the Husker offense an unexpected lift with his shooting touch, effort and toughness.

In the first extended action of his career against Oregon, Velander drew a foul and forced a turnover on an inbounds during his first play, 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.

After struggling a little in the tournament in Hawaii, he got back on track against Miami by hitting 4-of-7 from long range for 12 points off the bench. He added 10 points and a career-high seven rebounds against Savannah State, two more boards than he recorded in the first 10 games of his career combined.

This season, Velander has hit 13-of-28 from 3-point range, one of six Huskers with at least 10 treys this year. He has not attempted a shot from inside the arc in his career.

>>>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 59.8 points per game, a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (51.9 ppg), Oklahoma (55.1) and Kansas (58.1) entering the game against Savannah State.

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 50.8 percent from the floor through their first 13 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 four times this season, with all of those games on the road. At home, NU has held five of seven 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 13 games of the season, Sadler's prediction has been an understatement as the Huskers have connected on 50.8 percent of their shots from the floor, including a solid 40.8 percent from 3-point range, heading into Saturday's game with Western Kentucky.

The Huskers have hit at least 50 percent from the floor in six of 13 games this season, and better than 48 percent in three other contests. Nebraska hit at least 50 percent from the floor in only five games all of last season.

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.

In its road opener, Nebraska hit 59.6 percent from the field at Rutgers, its highest road percentage since the 2000 season. Overall, NU has hit 47.2 percent from the floor in games away from Lincoln this season.

>>>Stepping Up
Coach Doc Sadler continually talks about the need for the Huskers to play hard on every play, every time they step on the court. He has repeatedly told his players that they need to be ready to step up on any given night, and that they may never know when the opportunity for increased playing time may present itself.

That was exactly the case in the opening round of the Rainbow Classic against Wyoming as freshman point guard Jay-R Strowbridge was called on to step in for injured senior Marcus Perry. A native of Ardmore, Ala., Strowbridge had played in eight games and logged more than 11 minutes in a contest just three times before earning the start.

Strowbridge responded in solid fashion as the sharpshooter connected on 4-of-7 shots from the floor and all five free throw attempts for a career-high 14 points. More impressively, Strowbridge ? who was the second point guard on the floor along with senior Charles Richardson Jr. ? easily set a career high with eight assists against zero turnovers. Strowbridge, who had recorded just 10 assists in his first eight games combined, recorded the most assists by a Husker freshman since Richardson had nine assists against Tennessee in 2003.

>>>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."

>>>More Honors . . . Part 2
Individual awards have come in bunches for the Huskers this year. Junior center Aleks Maric was the first Husker honored as he was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 20.

Maric followed up with an impressive showing at the Outrigger Rainbow Classic as he helped the Huskers to a third-place finish. Maric averaged 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while being named to the all-tournament team. He also hit 62.9 percent from the floor and had two 20-point contests as well as a season-high 15 rebounds against Houston.

In the first game back from the trip to Hawaii, senior guard Marcus Perry was honored as the player of the game for the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic as he scored a career-high 25 points. Perry hit 8-of-13 from the field, including 7-of-12 from 3-point range, while nearly doubling his previous scoring best. He helped Nebraska to 15 3-pointers on the day, the most ever by a Husker squad away from the Devaney Center.

>>>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. Ten of the first 25 head coaches in Nebraska history have recorded at least 10 wins in their first season, although only three have recorded more than 15 in their initial campaign in Lincoln.

>>>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, 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.

>>>Anderson Steps Up Big for Huskers
Freshman guard Ryan Anderson made his presence felt early in the 2006-07 campaign. The Seattle native started the first 11 games of the year before an injury 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 game, he posted nine points with a game-high 11 rebounds, becoming the second NU 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.

At Rutgers, Anderson tied the school single-game record for 3-point percentage by going 5-for-5 from long range. He then scored 29 points ? the second-highest scoring performance by a freshman in NU history ? while tying the school freshman record with seven 3-pointers, the second-highest total ever by a Husker.

Anderson has also posted 12 steals to rank second on the squad. He is fourth in assists with 22 and is second on the team from downtown as he owns 21 3-pointers, a mark that ranks ninth in the Big 12 Conference at 1.91 treys per game.

>>>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, Nelson and Nick Krenk (#11, 6-0, 170, Nebraska City, Neb.) have dressed during the regular season.

Krenk is the only new walk-on to travel this season. He 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.

>>>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.

>>>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 has forced five teams into at least 20 turnovers.

? 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. Since then, NU gained an advantage on the boards in two of three games in Hawaii and against Miami and Savannah State, and have now won the rebounding matchup eight times this 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 against Alabama A&M.