Huskers Face Tough Test at Kansas State

>>>Game Information

Game: 19

Game Date: Jan. 27 (5 p.m.)

Release Date: Jan. 26

Television: FSN Midwest in 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: Sirius channel 155

Venue: Bramlage Coliseum (13,344)

 

>>>Huskers Set for Road Test with Wildcats

After a short two-game homestand, the Nebraska men's basketball team will try to rebound from a tough one-point loss to Texas on Wednesday when it travels to Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday, Jan. 27, to take on KansasState in its third Big 12 Conference road contest of the young season. The Wildcats are 14-6 overall with an 8-1 home record this season and have won three straight conference games entering the weekend tilt.

 

Nebraska owns a 12-6 record but has dropped three of four to start league play. The contest against KSU begins a streak of three road games in NU's next four contests, with the only home game coming in an ESPN Big Monday matchup against Kansas on Jan. 29.

 

The Huskers and Wildcats will tip off at 5 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum and the game will be telecast live in the state of Nebraska on FSN Midwest, per Big 12 Conference rules. Veteran broadcaster Greg Sharpe will call all the action while former Husker letterwinner Matt Davison adds color commentary.

 

According to FSN Midwest, the Husker telecast 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; CedarVision Cable (14) in Hartington; and Huntel (23) in Blair. In the state of Nebraska, satellite subscribers can view the Husker telecast on DirecTV (channel 648) and Dish Network (445).

 

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 courtside while Andy Markowski adds color commentary.

 

>>>Getting Back on Track

Nebraska returns to the court looking for its second league victory of the year and first away from home when it takes on KansasState on Saturday. The Huskers are 0-2 in conference road games this season and 0-5 overall in true road games. Away from the Devaney Center, Nebraska holds a 3-5 record this season with victories over Wyoming, Houston and Miami on neutral courts.

 

NU hopes to get much of the same effort it saw throughout the second half Wednesday against Texas when it takes on KSU. The Huskers hit 50 percent from the floor after the intermission and persevered to battle back from eight points down and eventually took a lead with under four minutes to play before falling by a single point to the Longhorns.

 

Senior guard Marcus Perry took charge in the early minutes of the game and finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting ? all from 3-point range. It was the third time this season he hit at least five treys in a game and he now leads the Huskers with 35 3-pointers in 13 games. Last year, Perry had 31 treys in 32 games.

 

Perry also played a tremendous game defensively. While giving up more than six inches, he followed freshman phenom Kevin Durant most of the game and played solid defense, including helping hold Durant without a point in the final 11:43 as NU cut the lead.

 

Along with Perry, junior center Aleks Maric had a solid game, posting his 18th career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Maric led the Big 12 Conference with seven double-doubles in league play last year, including his first double-double against KansasState in Manhattan. He had 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds against the Wildcats while leading NU to a 57-42 road victory last year.

 

Freshman Ryan Anderson, who has missed two games with injury and been slowed since before the Miami game, came out with his best offensive performance since New Year's by scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Anderson's 12 points were more than he had scored in his previous four appearances. In fact, Anderson had scored 16 points in five games combined since pouring in 29 points ? the second-highest scoring mark by a freshman in Nebraska history ? on the road against Hawaii. 

 

>>>Save the Date

The game between Nebraska and OklahomaState originally 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 at 7 p.m. 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.

 

 >>>Following Up Texas

? Nebraska dropped its first home contest of the year, falling to 9-1 at the DevaneyCenter with the one-point loss, 62-61.

? NU fell to 0-2 in games decided by eight or fewer points this season. All of Nebraska's victories have been by double figures ? at least 11 points ? and four of its six losses have been by at least nine points.

? Nebraska hit 50.0 percent from the floor in the second half against Texas, its second straight game connecting on at least 50 percent after the intermission. In its first two conference games, NU failed to hit 40 percent after the intermission in either game.

? The Huskers had four blocked shots on the night, their third-highest total in a game this year and their most in conference play.

? Aleks Maric recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He is the only Husker to post a double-double and one of just two Huskers with double-figure rebounding games this year.

? Charles Richardson Jr. moved into the NU career top 10 for assists with seven against UT. He now has 328 in his career, passing Eric Piatkowski (324) for 10th place.

? Marcus Perry led NU in scoring for the third time this season by points 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting, all from long range. It was the third time this year Perry had at least five 3-pointers in a game.

 

>>>The Series vs. KansasState

Kansas State leads the long-standing series that started in 1905-06 by a 120-90 margin. KSU has won six of the last 10 matchups although the teams have split the regular-season series each of the past two seasons.

 

Last year, the road team won each game for the first time since 1992-93. Nebraska's 57-42 victory in Manhattan helped the Huskers open with a 2-0 record in conference play for the second straight season and gave NU a win in its Big 12 road opener for the second consecutive year.

 

Kansas State's 42 points were the fewest NU had allowed in a true road conference game in 40 years, since the Huskers earned a 45-41 victory in overtime at Oklahoma State in 1966.

 

Last year's Husker win was their first in Bramlage Coliseum since 2001 and only the fifth in 18 tries. The last time Nebraska won back-to-back games on KSU's home court was 1993 and 1994. The 99 combined points last year were also the fewest points ever scored in a men's basketball game in the building since it opened in 1988.

 

Nebraska-Kansas State (last five meetings)

Date     Location            Result   AP Rank

2004     Lincoln  KSU, 58-63       -/-

2005     Lincoln  NU, 95-85 (2ot)  -/-

2005     Manhattan         KSU, 53-73       -/-

2006     Manhattan         NU, 57-42          -/-

2006     Lincoln  KSU, 66-64       -/-

 

 

 >>>Scouting the Wildcats

Kansas State comes into the weekend contest looking to improve on its 14-6 record. The Wildcats have won four straight games and 10 of their last 13 contests overall.

 

KSU owns a 3-2 record in league play as it has won each of its last three Big 12 Conference games after opening league play with a pair of losses. The Wildcats also own an impressive 8-1 record at home in Bramlage Coliseum. KSU won all seven non-conference games at home before dropping their conference home opener to league leader Texas Tech, 62-52, the Wildcats' last loss before the current four-game win streak.

 

The Wildcats average 71.8 points per game while hitting 43.2 percent from the floor, although they have hit just 30.5 percent from 3-point range. KSU has made just 5.6 3-pointers per contest, but have been stingy on the defensive end where they have allowed 64.2 points per game on 39.3 percent shooting, including allowing a paltry 27.9 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents have hit just 4.9 treys per contest.

 

Cartier Martin has led the way by averaging 14.9 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting. An all-league pick last year, Martin has hit 30 3-pointers to rank second on the team behind Lance Harris (34 3-pointers) while adding 4.1 rebounds per game. David Hoskins (14.4) also posts more than 14 points per game and has hit 45.1 percent from the field while leading the Wildcats in free throw percentage (77.6), free throws made (104) and free throws attempted (134). Hoskins is also the team's top rebounder at 5.9 boards per contest, helping KSU post a +4.0 rebounding margin (38.0 to 34.0). Freshman Jason Bennett, a 7-3 center, has added 2.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game but has been an effective defensive player in the paint as he also leads the league in blocks per game at 2.29.

 

The Wildcats are guided by Bob Huggins, one of six first-year head coaches in the Big 12 Conference and the third the Huskers have faced in their fifth league game this season. Huggins owns a 483-179 career record after guiding KSU to a 14-6 mark so far this season.

 

>>>Most Improved

Senior guard Charles Richardson Jr. has been a Husker fan favorite throughout his career and will long be remembered for his determination and gutsy play despite his size (5-9). With a strong senior season as possibly one of the league's most improved players, Richardson is also on the verge of permanently etching his name into Husker lore as he nears several single-season and career top 10 categories.

 

Richardson moved into the NU career top 10 for assists (328) on Wednesday against Texas and with 108 this year, he needs 27 more to move onto the single-season chart. With one more assist, Richardson will tie Jack Moore for 10th place on the NU senior class chart.

 

Richardson also is within reach of the Husker top 10 chart for career steals (needs 22), single-season steals (needs 24) and steals by a senior (needs seven). With a strong run at the league championship or in the postseason, Richardson, who is averaging 34.8 minutes per game, could also challenge for the most minutes played in a season by a Husker.

 

Behind Richardson's solid hand setting the offense, the Huskers are on pace to set the school record for 3-point percentage and to post the Huskers' best team field-goal percentage since the start of the 3-point era.

 

>>>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 the game with KansasState, Maric leads the team with 18.0 points per game, an average that ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference.

 

Maric has 306 points this season and now ranks 36th in NU history with 861 career points. He needs 18 points to move into 35th, where he will pass Bruce Chubick who scored 878 points between 1991 and 1994.

 

At his current pace, Maric would finish with the highest scoring average by a Husker since Tyronn Lue had 21.2 points per game in 1998 before becoming an early entry into the NBA Draft. Maric's 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 Husker since Cary Cochran in 2002 to reach the mark. 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 to NIT bids following his freshman and junior campaigns.

 

To his credit, Richardson has held up well after averaging 34.8 minutes per game this season, a mark that ranks third in the Big 12 conference. Only Jarrius Jackson (36.5) of Texas Tech and JamesOn Curry (36.0) of OklahomaState have averaged more minutes per game this season among league foes.

 

Richardson ? who has played all 40 minutes of a game four times this season, most recently against Texas ? is on pace to average more minutes per game in a season than any Husker since Tyronn Lue in 1997 and 1998 when he averaged 35.9 minutes per game. Before Lue, Brian Carr in 1986 was 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 ranks eighth 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 ranked 33rd nationally in free throw percentage entering the week and have improved their average to 73.6 percent from the charity stripe by hitting 36-of-43 attempts (83.7 percent) over the last three games. NU connected on a season high by nailing all 12 shots from the free throw line 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 ranked 24th nationally this week from beyond the arc, and is currently hitting at a 39.9-percent clip. It is among the best in the country and on pace to set a new Nebraska record, as the current mark stands at 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 11 of their first 18 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 71.1 points per game this season, including topping the 70-point plateau 13 times in 18 games. Last year, Nebraska won 19 games but topped the 70-point barrier in just 11 games. Nebraska has averaged at least 70 points per game for a season only twice in the last eight years.

 

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 went through a makeover at the beginning of the second semester as a pair of players announced they were leaving the team while another player 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.

 

Nebraska Single-Game Record ?  3-pointers Made

Rank     Player (season) 3-pointers

1.         Cary Cochran (2001-02)  8 (13 att.)

2.         Marcus Perry (2006-07)  7 (12 att.)

            *Ryan Anderson (2006-07)          7 (13 att.)

            Cookie Belcher (2000-01)            7 (11 att.)

            *Cary Cochran (1998-99) 7 (9 att.)

            Chris Cresswell (1991-92)           7 (10 att.)

*school freshman single-game record

 

Perry took over the team lead as he now has 35 3-pointers in 13 games and has had at least five treys in a game three times, most recently against Texas. Perry has hit 46.7 percent (35-of-75) from long range to rank fourth in percentage and fifth in treys per game 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 25 3-pointers despite sitting out two games recently. He has hit an impressive 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from long range this year and currently sits in 10th place on the Nebraska freshman chart and needs one to pass Marcus Walker (2006) and Beau Reid (1998) for eighth place. 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 then started the same lineup for three straight games (Miami, SavannahState and Western Kentucky) but that changed in the Big 12 opener against IowaState. NU has had four different lineups in four conference games and has had nine starting lineups overall this season.

 

>>>Friendly Confines

The Huskers are 9-1 on their home court this season after suffering a one-point setback, 62-61, against Texas on Wednesday night. Nebraska is averaging 73.8 points per game while hitting 53.6 percent from the floor. NU has also been effective on the defensive end as opponents have hit just 39.2 percent while only one team has recorded more than 62 points. One more victory would give NU double-figure home wins for the 25th time in 31 seasons at the DevaneyCenter.

 

 >>>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 24th nationally in 3-point percentage entering the week. NU has hit 39.9 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 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 NU scored at least 80 points in three consecutive games. Last year, Nebraska scored at least 80 points 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 more than 71 points per contest through 18 games. During that span, a Husker has had a least 20 points in a contest 11 times.

 

Junior center Aleks Maric leads the way as he has recorded seven games with at least 20 points, including a season-high 29 points in 29 minutes in the season-opener. Last weekend against Colorado, Maric had his second-best scoring effort of the year as he had 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting in 29 minutes of action.

 

Along with Maric, freshmen 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 five more double-doubles and now has 18 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 sixth in the Nebraska record book and is just one off fifth place.

 

Nebraska Career Double-Doubles

Rank     Player (Years)   Double-Doubles

1.         Venson Hamilton (1996-99)         45

2.         Carl McPipe (1976-79)    25

3.         Dave Hoppen (1983-86)   22

4.         Rich King (1988-91)        21

5.         Derrick Chandler (1992-93)          19

6.         Aleks Maric (2005-present)         18

            Kimani Ffriend (2000-01) 18

8.         Steffon Bradford (2000-01)           16

            Andre Smith (1978-81)    16

10.        Mikki Moore (1994-97)    11

           

 >>>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 108 assists against just 38 turnovers through 18 games. His 6.00 assists per game rank second in the league while his 2.84:1 assists-to-turnover ratio paces the Big 12. In the most recent NCAA statistics, he ranked 13th nationally in assists per game.

 

Richardson's 108 assists are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage during this week's NCAA statistics reporting period. Entering Saturday's game against KansasState, NU has hit 49.9 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 then-career-high 100 assists in 28 games, becoming the first Husker since 2002 to record at least 100 assists in a season. With four assists against Colorado, Richardson became 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 fifth in the conference with 18.0 points per game this season, including seven 20-point contests. Despite drawing constant double teams, Maric has dominated the paint and leads the Big 12 Conference by hitting 63.7 percent (116-of-182), the only player in the league shooting at least 60 percent from the floor this season. Maric also ranked ninth nationally in field-goal percentage entering the week.

 

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.

 

Overall, Maric has shot better than 70 percent from the floor in four games and at least 60 percent in eight other games. In conference play he has hit 63.4 percent (26-of-41).

 

>>>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 ? took a while to get untracked because of injury problems.

 

One of 10 current Huskers to miss practice or playing 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.

 

Arguably the team's top long-range threat, 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. He had his third game with at least five treys against Texas when he scored a team-best 17 points.

 

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 35 3-pointers while shooting 46.7 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.

 

Velander has hit 15-of-34 from 3-point range this year, one of seven Huskers with at least 13 treys this year. He has not attempted a field goal 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 61.2 points per game ? a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (54.2 ppg), Oklahoma (57.4) and Kansas (59.5) ? entering the weekend.

 

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 49.9 percent from the floor through their first 18 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 seven times this season. At home, only one team has scored more than 62 points against NU.

 

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 49.9 percent of their shots from the floor, including a solid 39.9 percent from 3-point range, heading into the game with KansasState.

 

The Huskers have hit at least 50 percent from the floor in eight of 18 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, Nelson and Krenk, the son of former Chicago Bear and Husker football player Mitch Krenk, are the only walk-ons added during the fall to play in the regular season. Andrew Wicklund (#00, 6-5, 170, So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Chase Goldenstein (#30, 6-3, 185, So., Lincoln, Neb.) have also dressed at least once.

 

>>>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.

? 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 134 rebounds this year and 554 career rebounds entering the matchup against KansasState. 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 76 blocks in his career, good for ninth place on the Husker chart and seven 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.