Huskers Get Back on Court With Road Game at OU

>>>Game Information<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Game: 16

Game Date: Jan. 17

Release Date: Jan. 15

Television: FSN Midwest (in <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska only) (Greg Sharpe, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color)

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

Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats)

Satellite Radio: None

Venue: LloydNobleCenter (12,000)

 

>>>NU Looks Forward to Getting Back on Court

The Nebraska men's basketball team is eager to get back on the court this week despite hitting the road for another tough test when it takes on Oklahoma on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla. NU will be making just its second appearance in a Big 12 game this season while nine other league teams are competing for the fourth time in conference play during the midweek matchups.

 

The Huskers, who will be playing their eighth away contest in the past 11 games, will be competing for the first time in a week, although not by design. NU was part of the first-ever weather-related postponement of a game in the Big 12 era when last Saturday's contest against OklahomaState was pushed back because of safety concerns with OSU traveling to Lincoln. A winter storm prevented the Cowboys from leaving Oklahoma City on both Friday and Saturday. Nebraska and OklahomaState are in communication with each other and the Big 12 Conference office while trying to work out a mutually agreeable makeup date.

 

The unintended off weekend means the Huskers will open Big 12 play with two straight road games for the first time since 2004. That season, NU dropped three straight games on the road to open league play (at Iowa State, Colorado and Texas), and went just 1-6 through the first seven games before winning five of the last nine to earn a postseason NIT bid. Nebraska has opened league play with two straight road games on three occasions, going 1-1 in 1998, 0-2 in 2002 and 0-2 in 2004.

 

The game between the Huskers and Sooners can be seen throughout the state of Nebraska on FSN Midwest, per Big 12 Conference rules. Greg Sharpe will call the action and Matt Davison adds color commentary. According to FSN Midwest, the game 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 (448).

 

The game 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 Andy Markowski adds color commentary.

 

>>>Getting Back in Gear

After an unexpected layoff, Nebraska will need to get back into high gear on the offensive end if hopes to knock off the Sooners on their home court for the first time since 1999. NU has lost three straight games at the LloydNobleCenter by an average of 19.7 points per contest.

 

Nebraska has shown that its offensive abilities are among the nation's best, as NU ranked eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage last week, 28th in 3-point percentage and 17th in assists. The Huskers will put their offense on the line against one of the top defenses in the conference, as OU ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense by allowing just 57.5 points per game while ranking third with a 38.4 field-goal percentage defense.

 

The Huskers also rank fourth in the league ? and among the top 40 nationally ? in scoring defense, giving up just 61.3 points per game. That type of defensive effort will be needed after giving up a season-high 44 points in the second half of their last contest against IowaState.

 

 >>>Following Up IowaState

? Nebraska shot 44.0 percent against IowaState, its second-lowest percentage of the season. NU hit just 37.0 percent in the second half after connecting on 52.2 percent in the opening period. Nebraska's 22 field goals also tied its season low.

? Nebraska allowed 44 points in the second half, the most it has allowed after halftime in a game this season.

? NU posted just 11 turnovers, one off its season low of 10 against Hawaii and SavannahState. NU has now had 12 or fewer turnovers in four of the last six games.

? Center Aleks Maric recorded his sixth 20-point contest of the year and fourth double-double. He had 13 rebounds, his second-highest total of the season and three more than his previous two games combined.

? Charles Richardson Jr. asserted himself on the offensive end in the second half when Nebraska needed an offensive boost, scoring all 11 of his points after the break. Richardson has 128 points this year and needs four points to set a personal season best.

? Freshman Sek Henry had four assists against the Cyclones and now has 14 assists over the past four games. Henry has 40 assists this year and needs 25 more to move onto the NU freshman top-10 list.

 

>>>The Series vs. Oklahoma

Nebraska and Oklahoma are meeting for the 183rd time in the series with OU holding a 102-80 all-time advantage. Oklahoma has won seven of the past 10 meetings and 13 of the last 20, although the Huskers own a two-game win streak heading into Wednesday's matchup.

 

Last year, NU picked up two wins over the Sooners in one season for the first time since 1990-91. Both of the victories came against nationally ranked Sooner squads, including one in the league tournament that pushed Nebraska into the semifinals for only the second time in the Big 12 era. The other victory was in the Big 12 opener, when the Huskers topped 12th-ranked OU at the DevaneyCenter to snap a seven-game losing series streak.

 

The Huskers last win in Norman came in 1999, but that 96-81 victory was one of just four NU wins in 25 attempts in the building. Overall, OU holds a 58-20 series lead on its home court. The 15-point victory margin in 1999 was NU's largest ever in Norman, and was the second-worst lost in building history for Oklahoma at the time.

 

Nebraska-Oklahoma (last five meetings)

Date     Location            Result   AP Rank

2004     Lincoln  OU, 52-50         No. 25 OU

2004     Dallas   OU, 63-59         --

2005     Norman OU, 83-60         No. 21 OU

2006     Lincoln  NU, 59-58          No. 12 OU

2006     Dallas   NU, 69-63          No. 22 OU

 

For a complete listing of the Nebraska-Oklahoma series, see pages 104-105 of the 2006-07 Nebraska Media and Recruiting Guide. The last two box scores and career statistical information for the Husker-Sooner series can be found on page 10 of the game notes.

 

>>>Scouting the Sooners

Oklahoma enters the mid-week contest with a 9-6 overall record and 1-2 mark in the Big 12 standings.

 

OU has lost three of its last four contests, all by double figures, including an 80-69 setback against nationally ranked Texas on the road last Saturday. The Sooners' lone victory in that stretch was a 78-54 win over Colorado, their only home game during the past four contests.

 

Oklahoma has been led this season by center Longar Longar, who has averaged 12.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, both team bests. Longar will be unavailable to the Sooners for Wednesday night's game against the Huskers as he completes a two-game suspension by the Big 12 Conference.

 

Without Longar last weekend, senior forward Nate Carter stepped up and now leads OU with 15.3 points per game in Big 12 play while hitting 56.3 percent from the field. He also has added 7.7 boards against league foes. On the season, Carter has averaged just 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

 

Freshman guard Tony Crocker has been a consistent force for the Sooners, as he has averaged 10.9 points per game this year, including 10.3 points in conference action. Crocker has hit 48.3 percent from the floor and 34.0 percent from beyond the arc, and is one of four Sooners with at least 18 3-pointers on the year.

 

As a team, OU has been one of the top defensive units in the league, allowing opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent from the floor while scoring 57.5 points per game, the second-best scoring defense in the Big 12. Those numbers have risen to 46.1 percent and 67.3 points per game in league play. OU's rebounding margin has dwindled against Big 12 teams, as it has a +0.3 rebounding margin in conference action while holding a +6.8 margin on the year.

 

The Sooners are guided by first-year coach Jeff Capel, who took over the program when Kelvin Sampson left to guide the Indiana Hoosiers. Capel owns an 88-47 record in four years as a head coach, including the past three at VirginiaCommonwealth.

 

>>>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 15 opponents to 62 or fewer points in their first year under Sadler.

 

The Huskers have also seen an impressive rise on the offensive end under Sadler as well. Nebraska has averaged 72.9 points per game this season, including topping the 70-point plateau 12 times in 15 games.

 

Nebraska had a streak of seven straight games scoring at least 70 points snapped against IowaState, its longest streak 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. Last year, Nebraska scored at least 80 points in a game only four times during a 19-win season.

 

>>>Plus 20

Nebraska has seen a surge in its team scoring this year as the Huskers have averaged nearly 73 points per contest through 15 games. During that span, a Husker has had a least 20 points in a contest 10 times.

 

Junior center Aleks Maric leads the way as he has recorded six 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 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.

 

Sophomore Jamel White became Huskers' fifth 20-point scorer this year by leading NU past Western Kentucky while scoring a season-high 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting. It was his third career 20-point game.

 

>>>Know the Huskers

The Nebraska roster has gone through a makeover in recent 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.

 

>>>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 26 3-pointers in 11 games, including 14 in the past four games. Perry has hit 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from long range. 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 46.8 percent (22-of-47) 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).

 

>>>3s All Around

Nebraska has knocked down the long ball with amazing frequency throughout the early season schedule and into conference play as the Huskers ranked 38th nationally in 3-point percentage entering last week. NU has hit 40.4 percent from long range, 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 put away SavannahState during a first-half streak that went 6:50 without allowing a field goal, and only one basket in 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 he finally broke the barrier by hitting 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 NU teammates to each score at least 20 points in a game as freshmen in the same season. It is the second straight season NU has 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 four more double-doubles and now has 17 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 two out of fifth place.

 

>>>Setup Man

Senior point guard Charles Richardson Jr. has been on a tear this 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 91 assists against just 34 turnovers through 15 games. His 6.06 assists per game rank second in the league while his 2.68:1 assists-to-turnover ratio leads the Big 12. In the NCAA statistics from Jan. 8, he ranked 10th nationally in assists per game.

 

Richardson's 91 assists in 15 games are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage during last week's NCAA statistics reporting period. NU has hit 51.0 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 nine 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. The total was also the third-highest in the conference during the Big 12 era.

 

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 18.2 points per game this season, including six 20-point contests. Despite drawing constant double teams, Maric has dominated the paint and leads the Big 12 Conference by hitting 62.2 percent (97-of-156).  

 

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.

 

Freshman guard Ryan Anderson also has been a pleasant surprise as he is second on the team by connecting on 51.3 percent (59-of-115) from the floor.

 

Anderson is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 ppg. He ranks 19th in the conference in scoring and is third among freshmen, trailing only Kevin Durant (23.7 ppg) and D.J. Augustin (13.4) of Texas, the only other freshmen ranked in 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 nine current 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 requires 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 26
3-pointers while shooting 47.3 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-31 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 61.3 points per game ? a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (53.6 ppg), Oklahoma (57.5) and Kansas (58.3) ? 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 51.0 percent from the floor through their first 15 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. Sadler's prediction has been an understatement as the Huskers have connected on 51.0 percent of their shots from the floor, including a solid 40.4 percent from 3-point range, heading into the game with Oklahoma.

 

The Huskers have hit at least 50 percent from the floor in seven of 15 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 46.7 percent from the floor in games away from Lincoln this 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 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, but played 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.

 

>>>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 and Nelson are the only new walk-ons to travel this season, as both went to IowaState. Krenk, who has traveled to every game this season, 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.

 

>>>Overtime

? With the win over Western Kentucky, Nebraska finished 11-3 in non-conference play. 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 against Western Kentucky, 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 when NU shot at least 60 percent in three straight games.

? 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.

? Maric has a team-best 110 rebounds this year and 530 career rebounds entering the matchup against OklahomaState. 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 75 blocks in his career, good for ninth place on the Husker chart and eight 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.