Huskers Open League Action Against Cyclones

>>>Game Information

Game: 15

Game Date: Jan. 10

Release Date: Jan. 9

Television: Cornhusker telecast -- FSN Midwest in Nebraska (Greg Sharpe, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color); Cyclone telecast -- ESPN FullCourt (Dave Armstrong, play-by-play; Paul Splittorff, color)

Radio: Husker Sports Network (Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Andy Markowski, color)

Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats)

Satellite Radio: None

Venue: Hilton Coliseum (14,092)

 

>>>Huskers Open Big 12 Play On the Road

Following a 14-game non-conference schedule that led the Cornhuskers to nearly every corner of the nation, the Nebraska men's basketball team opens its second season as it travels to Ames, Iowa, to begin Big 12 Conference play against the Iowa State Cyclones on Wednesday, Jan. 10.

 

The Huskers will tip off against ISU in Hilton Coliseum at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised throughout the state on FSN Midwest, per Big 12 Conference rules, with Greg Sharpe calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. According to FSN Midwest, it can be seen in Lincoln on Time Warner (Channel 37); Cox (47) and Qwest (33) in Omaha; Charter (26) in Grand Island/Kearney; Cable One (32) in Norfolk; Arapahoe Cable (41) in Arapahoe; Cable TV (19) of Stanton; Glenwood Telecomm (17) in Blue Hill; and Huntel (23) in Blair. In Nebraska, satellite subscribers can view the Husker telecast on DirecTV (channel 648) and Dish Network (447). The IowaState telecast of the game will also be available in the state of Iowa and on satellite as part of ESPN's FullCourt package.

 

The contest can also be heard on the radio throughout Nebraska on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, as well as on the Internet at Huskers.com. Kent Pavelka, the basketball voice of the Huskers, will call the action from court side while former letterwinner Andy Markowski adds color commentary for the game.

 

Nebraska hits the court as the next-to-last team to start league play after having its open conference date last weekend when it played host to Western Kentucky while most of the Big 12 got underway. Kansas, which tips off at 8 p.m. Wednesday night, will be the last team to open conference action after playing an out-of-league game against South Carolina on Sunday.

 

Nebraska hopes to continue its strong start to the season after running to an 11-3 record in non-conference action. NU finished a perfect pre-Big 12 home slate as it improved to 8-0 at the DevaneyCenter last weekend with an 11-point victory over a tough Western Kentucky squad. All 11 of the Huskers' victories this season have been by double figures, and only one game ? a two-point loss in the first road game of the season ? has been decided by fewer than nine points.

 

The Huskers own a 3-3 mark away from Lincoln this season. With a win Wednesday against the Cyclones, NU would move above .500 away from home, the first time since 1998-99 that the Huskers would own a winning road record after at least seven games outside of Lincoln.

 

The Huskers' solid 11-3 mark through non-conference play gives Coach Doc Sadler the best record through 14 games for a Husker first-year coach since Paul Schlisser posted a 12-2 mark to open the 1919-20 season. Schlisser finished the year with an NU first-year head coaching-record 22 victories against two losses.

 

For the Huskers to pull off their third straight win in Ames, Nebraska will have to continue its hot shooting, which has been near perfect over the past two games. The Huskers have hit better than 60 percent from the floor in each of the last two contests ? 61.7 percent from the field for the week ? and have connected on better than 48 percent in 10 games this season. Behind the strong effort, NU moved back into the top 10 in the nation in shooting percentage, as it ranks eighth this week at 51.5 percent.

 

Sophomore guard Jamel White averaged 18.5 points per game last week while hitting 61.9 percent from the floor to lead the Huskers. He also hit all nine attempts from the free throw line and posted nine assists against two turnovers for his best output of the season.

 

Along with White, the Huskers hope to continue to receive solid production from junior center Aleks Maric, who leads the league and ranks 15th nationally in field goal percentage at 63.8 percent. Last year, Maric hit 13-of-15 attempts from the floor against the Cyclones in Ames on the way to a school sophomore record 37 points.

 

Maric hit 52.4 percent last week, while freshman guard Sek Henry hit an amazing 84.6 percent of his attempts. Henry drained 11-of-13 shots, including all seven attempts against SavannahState, while adding 13.5 points per game.

 

>>>Following Up Western Kentucky

? With the win over Western Kentucky, Nebraska finished 11-3 in non-conference play and moved to 8-0 at home this season. It marked NU's most wins before conference play since 1994-95, when the Huskers also had 11 pre-conference wins. The last time NU had more than 11 wins before league play was 1990-91, when it had 13 wins before the start of Big Eight action.

? Nebraska hit 62.2 percent from the floor, its second straight and third overall game above 60 percent this season. The last time Nebraska had consecutive games of shooting at least 60.0 percent from the field was February 1984. NU shot at least 60 percent in three straight games that year, including at OklahomaState (67.6), vs. Colorado (63.5) and vs. KansasState (66.7).

? Nebraska recorded its sixth straight game scoring at least 70 points. The Huskers have topped 80 points four times in the first 14 games this season, including each of the past three 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 and earned an NIT berth.

? WKU’s 52.7 percent shooting was an opponent season high at the DevaneyCenter. Only Rutgers, Hawaii and Miami have shot at least 50.0 percent against NU this season, all away from Lincoln. NU is now 2-2 when opponents shoot better than 50 percent from the floor.

? The Hilltoppers committed 23 turnovers, marking the sixth time this season NU has forced its opponent into at least 20 turnovers.

? Nebraska improved to 11-1 overall and 8-0 at home when leading with 5:00 to play in the game.

? Senior Marcus Perry did not play in the opening period as he arrived late for the game after being out of town tending to family matters. Perry played in the second half against WKU, finishing with three rebounds and an assist while not taking a shot from the floor.

 

>>>Getting to Know the Huskers

The Nebraska roster has gone through a makeover in the past two weeks as a pair of players announced they were leaving the team while another was added.

 

On Dec. 27, true freshman forward Kris Douse announced his decision to transfer and left the squad before the trip to Miami. Then on Jan. 7, sophomore forward Jim Ledsome, a native of Severna Park, Md., announced he was transferring to Delaware to be closer to his family and concentrate more on academics while still playing Division I basketball.

 

The Huskers also made an addition to the roster as 6-8, 265-pound forward Jeremy Barr enrolled at Nebraska and joined the basketball team. Barr, who played last season at USC and was a top-125 recruit out of Houston's WestburyChristianHigh School, began practicing with the Huskers on Jan. 8 (the first day of second semester classes). He will be eligible following the completion of the 2007 fall semester and will have five semesters of eligibility remaining.

 

>>>Opening Up

Nebraska begins the 11th Big 12 season looking for its third straight win in a conference opener. The Huskers have begun league play with a victory in each of the past two seasons on the DevaneyCenter court against KansasState and nationally ranked Oklahoma.

 

NU opened the first eight years of the league on the road, drawing an 0-8 record including a loss at IowaState in 2004, the last time Nebraska opened Big 12 play away from home. The Huskers also posted league-opening losses at Colorado, Kansas (twice), Missouri (three times) and KansasState before opening Big 12 play at home for the first time in the Big 12 era in 2005.

 

Despite the losing streak in Big 12 openers away from Lincoln, the Huskers will actually be looking for their third straight win in their first league road game of the year. Each of the past two years, NU opened Big 12 play with a home win and followed with a road victory, picking up wins at Colorado in 2005 and at KansasState last season.

 

>>>The Series vs. IowaState

Nebraska and IowaState renew a series that began in the 1908-09 campaign when the Huskers won three-of-four games. NU went on to win 39 of the first 51 matchups, including a series-long 16-game win streak between 1911 and 1915, and now enjoys a 128-96 series advantage.

 

Iowa State dominated the series in the late 1980s and the mid-1990s, but the teams have been fairly matched the past five seasons. The squads have split the regular-season series each year since 2001-02. The home team won the matchup between 2001-02 and 2003-04, while the road team has won each of the last four meetings since the 2004-05 season.

 

Entering the mid-week matchup, Nebraska is looking for its third straight victory in Ames, which would be the longest win road streak in the series for the Huskers since winning six consecutive away games over the Cyclones between 1976 and 1981. ISU owns a 57-47 series lead over NU in Ames, and a 20-15 lead in Hilton Coliseum.

 

Many of the matchups have been tight affairs, especially in recent years as 16 of the past 28 meetings have been decided by six points or less. Overall, 26 of the past 33 contests between NU and ISU have been determined by 10 or fewer points.

 

For a complete listing of the Nebraska-IowaState series, see page 100 of the 2006-07 Nebraska Media and Recruiting Guide. Last year's box scores and career statistical information for the Huskers against IowaState can be found on page 11 of the game notes.

 

 >>>Scouting the Cyclones

Iowa State will be playing its Big 12 home opener under first-year head coach Greg McDermott Wednesday night when the Huskers head to Hilton Coliseum.

 

McDermott owns a 100-68 record in his sixth season coaching at the Division I level. He guided Northern Iowa to 90 wins in five seasons before taking over the Cyclone program, and spent one year at North DakotaState (15-11) and six years in Nebraska at WayneState (116-53).

 

The Cyclones own a 10-5 overall record and 1-0 mark in Big 12 play after winning their last three contests, including a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the league opener on Saturday against Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

 

ISU trailed by 16 points early in the second half but raced to the lead in the final seconds on a Wesley Johnson tip-in. Johnson finished the game with 14 points and 13 rebounds to earn Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week accolades, while Dodie Dunson came off the bench for a game-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Mike Taylor scored 17 points for the Cyclones, who improved to 2-4 away from Hilton Coliseum.

 

ISU returns to its home court where the Cyclones have won eight-of-nine games, with the only setback a two-point decision against in-state foe Drake.

 

On the season, IowaState is averaging 67.6 points per game and has connected on 42.5 percent of its shots from the floor. ISU holds a +5.6 rebounding margin (38.1 to 32.5) and has limited opponents to 63.7 points per game while shooting just 41.4 percent from the field.

 

Taylor has been the Cyclones' top scorer as he averages 16.1 points per game while also posting a team-best 66 assists, although he has committed 84 turnovers. A long-range threat, Taylor has hit 38 3-pointers, more than three times as many treys as all but one other Cyclone (Dunson, 15). 

 

Johnson is second on the squad with 12.3 points per game, the only other double-figure scorer on the team. Johnson has been one of the team's most consistent performers as he has hit 47.1 percent from the floor. One of three Cyclones averaging better than 5.8 rebounds per contest, he has added a team-best 8.7 rebounds per game.

 

 >>>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 have held nine of their first 14 opponents to 62 or fewer points in their first year under Sadler.

 

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 73.7 points per game this season, including topping the 70-point plateau 12 times in 14 games. The last time the Huskers scored at least 70 points in 12 of their first 14 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 seven-game streak scoring at least 70 points is its longest since NU had a pair of seven-game streaks in 1996-97. The Huskers have not had an eight-game streak of scoring at least 70 points per game since the first 11 games of the 1995-96 season.

 

>>>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 DevaneyCenter 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 against SavannahState and 82 points against Western Kentucky, marking the first time since 1999-2000 that the Huskers scored at least 80 points in three consecutive contests.

 

The last time NU scored at least 80 points in four straight games was the first four games of the 1996 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Huskers scored 91 at ColoradoState, 82 vs. WashingtonState, 83 at FresnoState and 90 vs. Tulane before winning the NIT title while scoring just 60 points in the championship game against St. Joseph's.

 

>>>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.

 

Perry took over the team lead as he now has 24 3-pointers in 10 games after cashing in on 5-of-7 attempts from long range against SavannahState, giving him 12 treys over 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 22 3-pointers despite sitting out two games recently. He has hit an impressive 48.9 percent (22-of-45) from long range this year and his next 3-pointer will tie him 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.

 

The Huskers had started the same lineup for each of the past three games (Miami, SavannahState and Western Kentucky) but that will change against IowaState as forward Jim Ledsome, who had started those three games and four overall this season, on Sunday announced his decision to transfer to Delaware for the second semester.

 

>>>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. NU has hit 40.7 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, and connected 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 NU 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 DevaneyCenter. The team record for 3-pointers is 18 set against No. 1 Kansas in 2002.

 

 >>>Back on Defense

During a recent three-game streak, the Huskers put up some solid defensive numbers, including stretches of outstanding team defense. In each of those three contests the Huskers 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, a 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 by holding UM without a field goal for 7:28 in the middle of the second half. Nebraska continued its strong stand as it put away SavannahState 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.

 

Nebraska Defense

Date     Opponent ............ Time between FG

12/23    vs. Houston........... 14:28 (2nd half)

12/30    vs. Miami................ 7:28 (2nd half)

1/3       Savannah State......... 6:50 (1st 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 he finally broke the barrier by hitting 8-of-20 shots, including seven 3-pointers, against the Rainbow Warriors.

 

Nebraska Freshman Single-Game Scoring

Rank    Player (season).................. Points

1.         Tyronn Lue (1995-96)................ 30

2.         Ryan Anderson (2006-07).......... 29

3.         Jamel White (2005-06).............. 28

           Erick Strickland (1992-93)......... 28

5.         Dave Hoppen (1982-83)............. 27

           Jerry Fort (1972-73)................. 27

 

>>>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.

          

 >>>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 ProvisoEastHigh School squad that included current NBA players Dee Brown and Shannon Brown, each also a college standout at Illinois and MichiganState, respectively.

 

This season, Richardson has collected 89 assists against just 32 turnovers through 14 games. His 6.36 assists per game and 2.78:1 assists-to-turnover ratio rank second in the Big 12 this week. In the NCAA statistics from Jan. 8, he ranked 10th nationally in assists per game.

 

Richardson's 89 assists in 14 games are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage during the last NCAA statistics reporting period. NU has hit 51.5 percent from the field to rank second 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. With 11 more assists this season, Richardson will become the first Husker since Tyronn Lue to record at least 100 assists in consecutive seasons. Lue reached the mark each of his three years at Nebraska (1996-98).

 

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.

 

>>>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. 

 

 >>>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 sixth in the conference with 18.1 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 63.8 percent (90-of-141) 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 52.7 percent (59-of-112) from the floor.

 

Despite sitting out two games with an injury, Anderson is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 ppg and rebounding with 5.3 rpg. His scoring average ranks 15th in the conference and is third among freshmen, trailing only Kevin Durant (22.6 ppg) and D.J. Augustin (13.6) of Texas. They are the only three freshmen ranked among the top 20 scorers in the conference.

 

>>>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. He also suffered a stress fracture in his foot that required him to wear a boot when not on the court and still limits his practice time.

 

One of the team's top long-range threats, Perry got untracked quickly despite the extended injury layoff as he 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 SavannahState to give him 12 over 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 SavannahState, two more boards than he recorded in the first 10 games of his career combined.

This season, Velander has hit 14-of-30 from 3-point range, one of seven 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 60.6 points per game ? a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (52.7 ppg), Oklahoma (56.1) and Kansas (57.8) ? entering the game against IowaState.

 

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.

 

>>>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 IowaState, 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 DevaneyCenter.

 

>>>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 OklahomaState 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 third on the squad. He is fourth in assists with 22 and is second on the team from downtown as he owns 22 3-pointers, a mark that ranks 13th in the Big 12 Conference at 1.83 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, although Nelson is likely to make his travel debut on Wednesday against IowaState. 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.

 

>>>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 DevaneyCenter.

 

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 six teams into at least 20 turnovers this season.

? 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 SavannahState, 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.

? Charles Richardson Jr. has led or tied for the team lead in steals in 11-of-14 contests and owns 30 steals through 14 games, ranking among the national leaders at 2.14 steals per game. Richardson recorded 17 steals as a freshman in 31 games and 16 as a sophomore in 26 games. Last year he tied for the team lead with 34 steals in 30 games.

? Maric has 512 career rebounds entering the matchup against IowaState. 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 73 blocks in his career, good for ninth place on the Husker chart and 12 behind Cookie Belcher, who sits in eighth place with 83 blocks between 1997 and 2001.

? 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.