Huskers Finally Open Big 12 Home Schedule

>>>Game Information

Game: 17

Game Date: Jan. 20

Release Date: Jan. 19

Television: ESPN Plus (Bill Doleman, play-by-play; Paul Splittorff, color)

Radio: Husker Sports Network (Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color)

Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats)

Satellite Radio: Sirius channel 125

Pregame: National Champion Volleyball Team autograph session

Halftime: National Champion Volleyball Team; Scarlet Dance Team

Corporate Sponsor: St. Elizabeth's

National Anthem: Big Red Express (Nebraska pep band)

Venue: Bob DevaneySportsCenter (13,595)

 

After playing eight of its last 11 games away from Lincoln, the Nebraska men's basketball team opens its Big 12 Conference home schedule at the BobDevaneySportsCenter this weekend when it plays host to border rival Colorado on Saturday, Jan. 20. The contest will tip off at 5 p.m. as the Huskers try to remain perfect on their home court this season.

 

The game will be seen nationally on ESPNU and can also be seen regionally on ESPN Plus as part of the Big 12 Conference syndicated package with Bill Doleman calling the action and Paul Splittorff adding color commentary. KLKN (channel 8) in Lincoln, Cox-2 in Omaha and KIIT in North Platte are scheduled to carry the contest in the state, and it can be seen on DirecTV (channel 644) and Dish Network (410). Fans in other markets around the country should check local listings for a complete schedule of Big 12 syndicated games.

 

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 Matt Davison adds color commentary.

 

At Saturday's game, the national champion Husker volleyball squad will be honored at halftime, after signing autographs for an hour before the game on the DevaneyCenter concourse. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the Huskers will sign autographs from 4-5 p.m. on the Northwest concouse of the DevaneyCenter.

 

 >>>Back in Action

Much like their fans who have seen just three home games since the start of December, the Huskers are anxious to return to the DevaneyCenter where they will try to give Coach Doc Sadler his first Big 12 Conference victory this weekend against Colorado. Sadler currently ranks ninth in victories among first-year Husker head coaches and needs just four wins to move into third. 

 

After taking over the program less than six months ago, Sadler has helped NU to an 11-5 start to the season, although the Huskers are 0-2 to open Big 12 action after playing their first two contests on the road. This year marks the fourth time Nebraska has opened the league slate with two away contests. NU went 0-2 each of the previous two times (2004 and 2002) it opened with two road games before finishing with a 6-10 conference record each year.The first time NU began the league schedule with two road games was 1998, when Nebraska started 1-1 before finishing with a 10-6 conference record. 

 

Leading the Huskers into home conference action for the fourth straight year is senior point guard Charles Richardson Jr. A native of Maywood, Ill., Richardson has helped NU to a 47-14 home record since the 2003-04 campaign, including a 5-3 record against ranked teams.

 

The speedy playmaker has posted 317 assists in his career and needs just three more to reach 100 for the second straight season, a mark that was last reached in consecutive seasons by Tyronn Lue in 1997 and 1998. With his fifth assist Saturday, Richardson will also move into a tie for 10th place on the Nebraska career chart, equaling the 322 assists Eric Piatkowski recorded in the early 1990s.

 

Earlier this week Richardson reached another milestone as he picked up his 100th career steal, joining an elite group. He is the first Husker to record 100 career steals since Cary Cochran reached the mark as a senior in 2002.

 

Richardson will try to get the offense hitting on all cylinders against the Buffaloes as Nebraska looks to get back on track after struggling the past two games. Despite entering the week ranked seventh nationally in field-goal percentage, Nebraska has hit just 39.8 percent from the floor in two league contests while averaging just 57.9 points per game, nearly 14 fewer than its season average.

 

Junior Center Aleks Maric has been a focal point of the Husker offense this season and is sixth in the league with 17.5 points per game, but was limited to just eight points on 3-of-5 shooting Wednesday. Maric leads the league in field goal percentage by hitting 62.1 percent while Colorado is last in field-goal percentage defense by allowing opponents to hit 46.5 percent from the floor.

 

>>>Save the Date

The game between Nebraska and OklahomaState orginally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13, was postponed because of winter weather conditions in Oklahoma that prevented the Cowboys from leaving Oklahoma City on Friday or Saturday. It was the first weather-related postponement of a basketball game since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.

 

On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the Big 12 Conference, in conjunction with Nebraska and OklahomaState, announced that the makeup date would be Monday, March 5. The contest will be the last Big 12 regular-season game this season, as both teams will then travel to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Championship on March 8-11. The placement of the game will give Nebraska three games in six days to end the regular season, including home contests against Iowa State (Feb. 28) and Oklahoma State with a meeting at Colorado (March 3) in between.

 

 >>>Friendly Confines

The Huskers will put a perfect home record on the line as they open league play in Lincoln Saturday against Colorado. Nebraska is 8-0 at the DevaneyCenter this season, averaging 75.8 points per game while hitting 55.1 percent from the floor. NU has also been effective on the defensive end as opponents have hit just 38.9 percent while only three teams have topped the 60-point plateau.

 

Nebraska is trying to open the season with a 9-0 home record for the first time since 2004, when the Huskers won their first 10 games at home before finishing with a 15-3 record at the DevaneyCenter. The Huskers are looking for their fourth straight win in a Big 12 home opener and the fifth win in their last six conference home openers.

 

 >>>Following Up Oklahoma

? Nebraska shot a season-low 34.9 percent against the Sooners, its second straight contest under 45 percent. NU had shot under 45 percent just three times in the first 14 games.

? The Huskers set season lows with 15 field goals and 53 points.

? NU posted just 11 turnovers for the second straight game, one off its season low of 10 against Hawaii and SavannahState. NU has now had 12 or fewer turnovers in five of the last seven games.

? Marcus Perry got back on track as he hit 4-of-7 shots from 3-point range to lead the Huskers with 14 points. He scored 11 straight for Nebraska in the first half, as he was the only Husker to recorded a basket over the final 12:38 of the first half.

? Nebraska was perfect at the free throw line against the Sooners. NU hit 12-of-12 attempts at the charity stripe, while Oklahoma connected on 15-of-22.

? NU was outrebounded for the second straight game, trailing on the glass 37-21. OU held an 11-2 advantage on the offensive glass.

 

>>>The Series vs. Colorado

The Buffs are Nebraska's second-oldest conference rival, as the teams first played in the 1902-03 season. The series, however, is NU's second shortest among former Big Eight Conference teams at 138 games (NU has faced Oklahoma State 110 times).

 

Nebraska owns a 72-66 series advantage, and has posted a 47-14 lead on its home court, including a 25-6 record against Colorado in the BobDevaneySportsCenter. The Huskers have won 21 of the last 24 matchups in the building.

 

Last year, the Huskers pulled away for a big 93-77 victory over CU, its highest scoring effort in regulation during a Big 12 Conference game since scoring 99 points against Kansas State in 2002. The only time in that span the Huskers scored more was a double-overtime victory over KansasState in 2005, when NU posted 95 points.

 

Nebraska has won three of the last four meetings overall after the Buffs took five of the previous six contests. NU has won each of the past two matchups in Lincoln by at least 15 points, and has swept the Buffs nine times since 1985.

 

Nebraska-Colorado (last five meetings)

Date  Location...... Result............ AP Rank

2004  Boulder....... CU, 78-75................. --

2005  Boulder....... NU, 68-61................. --

2005  Lincoln....... NU, 70-55................. --

2006  Boulder....... CU, 58-81................. --

2006  Lincoln....... NU, 93-77................. --

 

For a complete listing of the Nebraska-Colorado series, see page 99 of the 2006-07 Nebraska Media and Recruiting Guide. The last two box scores and career statistical information for the Huskers-Buffaloes series can be found on page 11 of the game notes.

 

 >>>Scouting the Buffaloes

Colorado owns a 5-9 overall record and 1-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play as it comes into the weekend matchup against the Huskers. CU owns a 1-3 record away from Boulder with the Buffs' lone road win a one-point (60-59) victory at Utah on Nov. 21.

 

The Buffs are looking to post back-to-back victories for the first time this season. CU has dropped at least two straight games after each win this season, including three consecutive before picking up its first conference victory of the year on Wednesday against Iowa State at home.

 

Colorado was led by Xavier Silas, who scored a game-high 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Silas, who is third on the squad this season with 10.8 points per game on 37.9 percent shooting, is one of three Buffs with at least 20 3-pointers.

 

Along with Silas, CU has relied on Kal Bal and Richard Roby to carry the load from downtown, as they have connected on 25 and 22 treys, respectively. Bal has hit 36.2 percent from outside the arc while gaining 6.7 points per game, but has hit just 3-of-18 from inside the 3-point line this season.

 

Roby was one of the league's top returning players and is averaging 18.2 points per game to rank among the conference leaders. He has struggled some from the field this season as he is hitting just 36.1 percent from the floor and 25.6 percent from long range as teams focus on him, but has found other ways to help his squad. Roby ranks second on the team in assists and steals and is third in rebounding average and fourth in blocked shots.

 

Roby joined NU's Aleks Maric and four other underclassmen to declare for last summer's NBA Draft. Roby and Maric were the only two to retain their eligibility and return to school this fall. Of the other four, three were selected in the Draft.

 

Dominique Coleman is the Buffs' third double-figure scorer as he has added 10.9 points per game while ranking second on the squad with 6.1 rebounds per contest. CU ranks among the league leaders in rebounding offense at 37.1 boards per game, but has allowed 38.4 rebounds per contest for a -1.3 rebounding margin. Colorado also has been outscored by an average of 9.6 points per game (79.4 to 69.8) and has hit just 40.5 percent from the floor. 

 

The Buffaloes are coached by Ricardo Patton, who is in his last year leading the Buffaloes. Patton, the longest-tenured coach in the Big 12 Conference, owns a 182-149 record in 11 years at Colorado.

 

>>>Nearing the Plateau

Junior center Aleks Maric has been the Huskers' most consistent scoring threat this season as he has been the focal point of the offense. Entering this weekend's contest against Colorado, Maric leads the team with 17.5 points per game, an average that ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference.

 

Maric has 263 points this season and now ranks 40th in NU history with 818 career points. He needs four points to move into 39th, as he will pass Jim Buchanan who scored 821 points between 1950 and 1952.

 

At his current pace, Maric would finish with the highest scoring total by a Husker since Tyronn Lue had 21.2 points per game in 1998 before becoming an early entry into the NBA Draft. His current pace would also push his career total over 1,000 points, where he would become the 24th member of the elite club and the first since Cary Cochran reached the mark as a senior in 2002. The eighth and most recent NU junior to top the 1,000-point plateau was Cookie Belcher in 1999.

 

 >>>Iron Man

Senior point guard Charles Richardson Jr. is giving everything he has to help the young Husker squad reach its potential this season. Richardson is looking for his third postseason appearance after leading Nebraska earn NIT bids following his freshman and junior campaigns.

 

To his credit, Richardson has held up well after averaging 34.6 minutes per game this season, a mark that ranks third in the Big 12 conference. Only Jarrius Jackson (36.1) of Texas Tech and JamesOn Curry (35.8) of OklahomaState have averaged more minutes per game this season among league foes.

 

Richardson is on pace to average more minutes on the floor (per game) in a season than any Husker since Tyronn Lue in 1997 and 1998 when he averaged 35.9 minutes per contest. Before that, Brian Carr in 1986 is the last Husker to average more than Richardson's current pace. 

 

>>>Sweet Shots

Nebraska has seen a dramatic rise in its field-goal percentage ? a mark that ranked seventh in the nation entering the week ? under first-year Coach Doc Sadler, and its free throw shooting has also taken a positive turn in recent weeks.

 

The Huskers currently rank 61st nationally in free throw percentage as they have hit a solid 73.2 percent from the charity stripe. NU connected on a season high by nailing all 12 shots from the free throw line Wednesday against Oklahoma. Nebraska's current pace would rank seventh in the NU record book and is on track to be the highest since 1994 when the Huskers finished ninth nationally by hitting 74.5 percent from the line. Only once since then (2004) have the Huskers hit better than 70 percent at the stripe.

 

Nebraska's strong shooting touch has also reached record heights from long range as the Huskers are on pace to rewrite the school record for 3-point field-goal percentage. NU is currently ranked 21st nationally by hitting 40.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Nebraska school record is 38.9 percent by the 2004 squad. 

 

 >>>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 16 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 71.7 points per game this season, including topping the 70-point plateau 12 times in 16 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.

 

>>>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, scoring career highs while scorching the net from long range late in the non-conference slate.

 

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 30 3-pointers in 12 games, including 18 in the past five games. Perry has hit 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from long range to rank fourth in the Big 12 statistics. 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 21st nationally in 3-point percentage entering the 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 three-game streak late in the conference slate, the Huskers put up stretches of outstanding team defense. In each contest 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.

 

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)

 

>>>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 72 points per contest through 16 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.

 

 >>>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 97 assists against just 36 turnovers through 16 games. His 6.06 assists per game rank second in the league as does his 2.69:1 assists-to-turnover ratio. In the NCAA statistics from Jan. 15, he ranked 14th nationally in assists per game.

 

Richardson's 97 assists in 16 games are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked seventh in the nation in field-goal percentage during the most recent NCAA statistics reporting period. Entering Saturday's game against Colorado, NU has hit 50.1 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 three 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 17.5 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 62.1 percent (100-of-161), the only player in the league shooting at least 60 percent from the floor this season.  

 

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 50.9 percent (59-of-116) from the floor.

 

>>>Back on Track

While senior guard Charles Richardson Jr. has been a catalyst for the Husker offense this 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 and has hit 18 over the past five 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 30 3-pointers while shooting 48.4 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-32 from 3-point range, one of seven Huskers with at least 12 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 61.9 points per game ? a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (53.6 ppg), Oklahoma (57.2) and Kansas (59.2) ? 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 50.1 percent from the floor through their first 16 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 50.1 percent of their shots from the floor, including a solid 40.4 percent from 3-point range, heading into the game with Colorado.

 

The Huskers have hit at least 50 percent from the floor in seven of 16 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 45.5 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 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 and played during the regular season.

 

Krenk and Nelson are the only new walk-ons to travel this season, as both have traveled for each Big 12 game. 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 114 rebounds this year and 534 career rebounds entering the matchup against Colorado. 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.