NU Heads to Allen Fieldhouse to Face No. 9 KU

>>>Game Information

Game: 25

Game Date: Feb. 17

Release Date: Feb. 16

Tip off: 3:01 p.m. CST

Television: ESPN Plus

     (Dave Armstrong, 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: Kansas broadcast on Sirius channel 107

Venue: Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

 

 

The Nebraska men's basketball team returns to the road this weekend as it heads to Lawrence, Kan., for its third matchup with a top-10 team in six games as it takes on No. 9/8 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 17. The contest will be the first of a two-game road swing for the Huskers, their last extended road stretch of the regular season. NU follows with a road game at Baylor on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

 

The Huskers and Jayhawks will tip off at 3:01 p.m. in a contest that can be seen regionally on ESPN Plus. Dave Armstrong will handle the play-by-play duties while Paul Splittorff serves as color analyst. KLKN (channel 8) in Lincoln, Cox-2 in Omaha and KIIT in North Platte are scheduled to carry the contest within the state of Nebraska, and it can be seen nationally on DirecTV and Dish Network. Fans in other markets around the country should check their local listings for a complete schedule of Big 12 syndicated games on the weekend.

 

The contest can also be heard on the 25-station Husker Sports Network and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Kent Pavelka, the basketball voice of the Huskers, will call the action while Matt Davison adds color commentary.

>>>Huskers Look to Sustain Momentum Against Jayhawks

The Huskers (15-9, 4-6 in Big 12) have won three of their last four games since suffering a 20-point setback against Kansas in Lincoln. The Jayhawks ran out of the gate and cruised to a 43-8 lead in the first period before the Huskers regrouped to hit 50 percent from the floor and outscore KU by seven in the second frame.

 

Since then, NU's only loss came against No. 6 Texas A&M last weekend. The Huskers rebounded to earn a 74-63 victory over Kansas State on Tuesday, giving the Huskers their fourth league win of the season and 10th win at home.

 

Junior center Aleks Maric carried the Huskers with a career effort, as he posted the second-best single-game scoring mark in school history with 41 points, and added eight rebounds and three blocked shots. It was the eighth 40-point game by a league player in the Big 12 era (since 1996-97) and is the top scoring effort by a player from the Big 12 Conference this season.

 

Maric surpassed his previous career high of 37 points set last year at IowaState. His 41 points represent a Nebraska record for points scored in Lincoln and makes him the only player in school history with two games of at least 37 points.

 

Only the fourth player in Nebraska history to record a 40-point game, Maric leads the league in field-goal shooting at 60.8 percent. His average ranks in the top 25 in the nation this year and is on pace to finish sixth in the NU single-season record book.

 

Maric hit 13-of-19 attempts against the Wildcats and helped the Huskers hit 57.5 percent from the floor. It was the eighth time this season the Huskers hit better than 50 percent as a team, and was their highest percentage in conference play. In fact, it was Nebraska's best shooting percentage in a league game since 1999.  

 

Setting the table as he has done all season was senior point guard Charles Richardson Jr. The battle-tested veteran posted six assists and jumped to sixth in the NU single-season record book as he now has 139 assists on the year. His average of 5.78 assists per game is 15th nationally and second in the league.

 

>>>Road Success

Nebraska hopes to sustain its recent momentum against a talented Kansas (22-4, 9-2 Big 12) squad on Saturday. Although the Jayhawks have won 22 of the last 23 matchups with the Huskers in Allen Fieldhouse, NU comes into the game with improved confidence as it has won two straight road games ? an NU first in Big 12 play since 1999 ? after victories at Missouri and Texas Tech last week.

 

First-year coach Doc Sadler will try to guide Nebraska to its first three-game conference road winning streak since 1998, the last time the Huskers reached the NCAA Tournament. That season, the Huskers opened conference play with a 4-6 record before winning six straight to end the regular season, including all three away from the DevaneyCenter. A victory in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament pushed the Huskers' win total to 20 before receiving their sixth NCAA bid in school history.

 

Sadler's energy and enthusiasm have carried over to the Huskers who are earning a reputation for playing hard, especially since the loss to Kansas last month.

 

K-State coach Bob Huggins said earlier this week before the Huskers' victory in Lincoln that Sadler's team "may play harder than anybody in our league, and that’s saying something, because I think everybody in our league plays really hard."

 

>>>Awesome Aussie

Junior center Aleks Maric already had his name in the NU record book, but he moved it up a couple lines on Feb. 13 when he posted a career-best effort against Kansas State. The Sydney, Australia, native recorded 41 points, the second-highest single-game total in Nebraska history.

 

Maric's total was one point off Eric Piatkowski's school record 42-point effort. Piatkowski's record game came against Oklahoma in the 1994 Big Eight Tournament, making Maric's the highest-scoring effort in a regular-season contest and the most points scored by a Husker in Lincoln.

 

Maric's new career high came almost one year to the day ? 363 days to be exact ? after his previous best effort of 37 points at IowaState.

 

Nebraska Single-Game Scoring Chart

No.       Player   Opponent (date) Points

1.         Eric Piatkowski  vs. Oklahoma (3/11/1994)           42

2.         Aleks Maric       KansasState (2/13/2007)           41

3.         Jerry Fort          Missouri (2/22/1975)       40

            Rich King          Northern Illinois (2/18/1991)         40

5.         Tom Russell      Kansas (2/21/1962)        38
6.         Aleks Maric       at IowaState (2/15/2006)            37

 

>>>More Maric Notes

Aleks Maric set more than just a career scoring high in his 41-point outburst against KansasState earlier this week. Among his other notable stats from the career night are:

? Maric had 19 field-goal attempts, nearly half of the team total of 40.

? Despite the high number of attempts, Maric still shot 68.4 percent as he hit 13 attempts. The rest of the team combined to hit 10-of-21 (47.6 percent).

? After going 5-of-10 in the first half, Maric hit 8-of-9 from the floor in the second period.

? His 13 made field goals were three off the school record and two off the record against a conference opponent.

? Maric set a Big 12 and school record with 25 free throw attempts, making 15. Both were career highs, and his attempts nearly doubled KSU's attempts (25 to 13).

? Maric's 25 free throw attempts were the most ever in a Nebraska game, by a Husker or opponent. They were also the most ever by a player in the Devaney Center.

? Maric had 18 points at the intermission, more than he had in the first halves of the previous six games combined (13). Twice in the previous six games he had not scored in the opening period.

? Maric had 23 points in the second half, which by itself represented his eighth 20-point game of the season. It was one point off the school record of 24 points in a half set by three players, most recently Tyronn Lue against Virginia in 1997.

? Maric set the Nebraska single-game scoring record by a junior. He also set the top scoring mark as a sophomore last year.

? Maric played just 29 minutes, averaging 1.41 points per minute played.

? Maric raised his scoring average in conference play from 14.4 points per game to 17.1 (+2.7). He had 130 points through nine games, meaning nearly one-quarter of his conference point total (171) to date came vs. KSU.

 

>>>Above the Competition

Aleks Maric may not have set the Big 12-era scoring record, but he did set a first for his position with his 41-point outburst against Kansas State: He is the first player who works exclusively in the post to reach the mark.

 

Maric became the first league player over 6-6 to score at least 40 points since the formation of the league. All six of the other league players who have scored at least 40 points in a game since 1996-97 were 6-6 and shorter and played predominantly in the back court or on the wing.

 

>>>On Target

Nebraska had one of its most impressive shooting nights in league play in recent memory by hitting 57.5 percent from the floor against Kansas State on Tuesday. NU connected at a 55.6-percent clip in the first half and improved that total to 59.1 percent after the intermission.

 

NU's 57.5 percent shooting night was its best against a Big 12 team since 1999 when the Huskers hit 66.0 percent against Oklahoma. Nebraska has had 18 games against league teams above 50 percent since then, including three over 56.0 percent.

 

>>>Following Up Kansas State

? Nebraska snapped a three-game home losing streak with the victory. NU's three loses came to two top-10 teams (No. 6 Kansas and No. 6 Texas A&M) and Texas, which has been in and out of the top 25 all year.

? Nebraska shot a conference high 57.5 percent, the second time in Big 12 action it hit at least 50 percent from the floor.

? Nebraska picked up its 10th home win of the season, the 24th time in the 31-year history of the building that the Huskers had double-figure wins at home.

? The Huskers posted 11 turnovers, their second straight game with 11 miscues and sixth with 11 or fewer in conference play.

? Nebraska had a better shooting percentage in the second half (59.1 percent) than the first half (55.6), marking its eighth straight game with an improvement after the intermission.

? Nebraska had two players with at least six assists (Perry, 7; Richardson, 6) and posted 17 assists, its second-highest total in Big 12 play (18 vs. Colorado)

? Marcus Perry joined Charles Richardson Jr. in playing all 40 minutes, the first time this season anyone other than Richardson played every minute of a game.

? Marcus Perry recorded career highs with six rebounds and seven assists.

 

>>>The Series vs. Kansas

Nebraska will be facing its oldest conference rival when it travels to Lawrence to take on Kansas this weekend. Overall, the Jayhawks have dominated the series as they own 160-71 all-time advantage, including a current seven-game win streak over NU.

 

The Huskers and Jayhawks first met in the 1899-1900 season when Nebraska handed KU its worst loss ever, 48-8, on March 2, 1900. Kansas returned the favor in 1958 when Wilt Chamberlin had 46 points ? still the third-highest single-game total in Kansas history ? to help KU post the largest win margin over a Husker squad by taking a 102-46 victory in Lawrence. Later that year, NU split the season series as it upended No. 4 Kansas, 43-41, in Lincoln. Nebraska's next game was also an upset as it defeated No. 1 Kansas State at home, 55-48, giving it two straight wins over top-5 teams.

 

Like most teams, Nebraska has struggled in Lawrence. The Jayhawks own an 83-23 advantage on their home court, including an amazing 46-7 record at Allen Fieldhouse. Nebraska has won just once in the building since 1983, with that victory coming with a 64-59 win in 1999, the last time NU swept the regular-season series.

 

Nebraska has lost seven straight matchups at KU, including last season's 96-54 setback, the largest margin of defeat for the Huskers since the school-record 54-point setback in 1958. Last year's loss margin tied for the fourth-largest in school history.

 

 

>>>Scouting the Jayhawks

Kansas enters the weekend matchup with an impressive 22-4 record on the season. KU owns a 9-2 mark that ties for the top spot in the Big 12 standings, with its two league losses coming by a combined eight points. The Jayhawks have won six of their last seven contests, including a current three-game win streak by an average of 24.7 points per game.

 

KU's recent win surge came after a three-point setback against co-league leader Texas A&M at home on Feb. 3. The Jayhawks' only other home loss came in a 78-71 setback against Oral Roberts in the second game of the season.

 

Kansas is coming off a 75-46 win at Colorado on Wednesday, when the Jayhawks held CU to 27.3 percent shooting. KU was led by Russell Robinson's 14 points while Sasha Kaun added 10 points and nine rebounds. Darrell Arthur came off the bench for the Jayhawks' only other double-figure scorer, as he pitched in 11 points with seven boards.

 

As a team, the Jayhawks blocked 10 Colorado shots Wednesday, slightly higher than their season average of 6.7 blocks per game. Kansas ranks seventh nationally in blocked shots and first in the league.

 

KU's Brandon Rush scored just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting Wednesday, but still leads the Jayhawks with 14.3 points per game. He has added 5.8 rebounds per contest to rank second on the team and paces KU with 51 3-pointers on 41.8 percent shooting outside the arc.

 

Along with Rush, Julian Wright (12.0 ppg), Mario Chalmers (11.2) and Arthur (10.6) have averaged double figures while helping KU to 78.4 points per game, an average that ranks 21st nationally in scoring offense. Kansas ranks fifth in scoring margin as it has allowed just 61.3 points per game this season as opponents have hit only 37.8 percent from the floor, a mark that ranks seventh nationally.

 

In conference play, the Jayhawks have been even better as they have averaged 80.4 points per game on 49.6 percent shooting. Rush has averaged 15.5 points per contest while Sherron Collins has come on strong with 12.4 points per game by hitting 56.8 percent from the field.

 

The Jayhawks are coached by Bill Self, who is in his fourth year at KU where he owns a 94-28 record. Overall, Self is in his 14th year as a head coach and owns a 301-133 career coaching record.

 

>>>White Suspended for Remainder of Season

Coach Doc Sadler announced on Sunday, Feb. 11, that sophomore guard Jamel White was suspended from the team for the remainder of the season for violating team policy. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., White played in 22 games this season and 55 games over the past two years while averaging 8.9 points and 2.1 assists per game during his career.

Without White, NU has nine active scholarship players available for the remainder of the season.

 

>>>Double Duty

Junior Aleks Maric is on pace to join elite company in the next couple weeks. The 6-11 center needs 39 points to reach 1,000 in his career and three rebounds to reach 600. Maric will be the ninth junior in NU history to reach 1,000 career points.

 

Against Kansas this weekend, Maric has a chance to become only the third player in NU history with 600 boards before the end of his junior season. Seven players have recorded 600 rebounds in three seasons at Nebraska, but four of those played before freshmen were eligible and therefore did not reach 600 in their junior campaign.

 

Once he reaches 1,000 points and 600 rebounds this season, he will be only the second player in NU history to surpass those plateaus before the end of his junior season. He will join Nebraska all-time scoring leader Dave Hoppen, who finished his career with 2,167 points (1st on NU all-time list) and 773 rebounds (3rd on NU all-time list).

 

>>>In the Rankings

The Huskers own a 4-4 record against nationally ranked teams since defeating No. 4 Oklahoma State in Lincoln in 2005. That win was NU's first victory over a top-10 squad since beating No. 7 Iowa State in overtime in Ames during the 1996-97 campaign. It was also Nebraska's first against a top-five team since the 1994 Big Eight Tournament, when the Huskers knocked off No. 3 Missouri.

 

This season the Huskers are 1-2 against ranked squads after defeating No. 20 Creighton and losing to No. 6 Kansas and No. 6 Texas A&M. This weekend's contest will be NU's first road game against a ranked team.

 

Nebraska's last win over a ranked team away from Lincoln came last season at the Big 12 Championship in a second-round victory over No. 22 Oklahoma. The last time the Huskers won a true road game over a ranked squad was at No. 24 Kansas in 1999.

 

The Huskers nearly earned a road victory over No. 7 Oklahoma State in Stillwater in 2004, as they went to overtime before falling by four. Overall, Nebraska has defeated a top-10 team away from Lincoln only three times in program history.

 

Nebraska Road Wins Over Top-10 Teams

A/N       Date     Opponent          Score

A          2/22/97 No. 7 Iowa State            74-69 (ot)

N          3/13/94 No. 3 Missouri   98-91

A          2/6/82   No. 1 Missouri   67-51

 

Against ranked teams this year, the Huskers have allowed just 67.7 points per game while holding opponents to just 41.5 percent shooting. NU has hit 46.0 percent from the floor but has averaged just 61.3 points per game while being outrebounded 38.0 to 25.7.

 

Freshman Ryan Anderson has been the Huskers' top weapon against ranked teams as he has averaged 18.7 points per game while hitting 59.4 percent from the field. He has been effective outside the arc where he has hit 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) against ranked teams. Along with Anderson, Aleks Maric has averaged 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while Marcus Perry has added 10.0 points per game. Charles Richardson Jr. has averaged 5.3 points and 7.0 assists while playing 38.0 minutes per game against ranked squads.

 

>>>Return Game

Nebraska made an impressive 21-8 run to end the game at Texas Tech, culminating with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Charles Richardson Jr. that gave the Huskers a 61-59 victory, NU's first win in Lubbock since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.

 

Nebraska overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to win the game, the largest deficit the Huskers have overcome to win a contest since 1997 when the Huskers defeated Kansas State after trailing by 20 in the opening period and by 18 at halftime. That game against KSU marked the largest halftime deficit overcome by an NU squad since complete box scores are available beginning in 1972-73.

 

The win over Texas Tech marked the largest comeback at any point in a game during a road victory by the Huskers since the Big 12 began in 1997.

 

>>>Save the Date

The game between Nebraska and Oklahoma State 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 Oklahoma State, 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.

 

>>>Chairmen of the Boards

Junior center Aleks Maric entered this season as the top returning rebounder in the Big 12 Conference after posting 8.1 boards per game last season. Currently he ranks sixth in the league with 7.7 rebounds per game in 2006-07. 

 

Maric is nearing a milestone as he has 597 rebounds in his career entering Saturday's game with Kansas. He needs three boards to get to the 600-rebound plateau, a mark only 14 other Huskers have reached. Maric also needs just 72 boards to move into the NU career top 10.

 

Maric set his career high last season with 17 rebounds against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. He has averaged 6.3 boards in six career contests against Kansas.

 

>>>Taking Advantage of Charity

Looking at the numbers, there are few better than point guard Charles Richardson Jr. when it comes to stepping to the free throw line.

 

Richardson, who has not missed more than one free throw in any game this season and has eight perfect games at the stripe, leads the Huskers by hitting 88.9 percent (48-of-54) on the season.  

 

The 5-9 senior captain hit 20 consecutive free throws between Jan. 6 against Western Kentucky and Feb. 6 at Texas Tech. His consecutive free throw streak tied the Big 12-era mark for a Husker. Richardson had a chance to extend his streak to 21 straight, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1 in the second half against Texas A&M on Feb. 10. 

 

 

He has now hit 19-of-20 attempts in conference play, including 15 over two games against Missouri and Texas Tech. According to official box scores, Richardson's 10-of-10 effort against Missouri was only the fourth time in the Big 12 era that a Husker was perfect at the free throw line while attempting at least 10 free throws, and only the second occurrence on the road. The only other time a Husker was perfect at the line while attempting at least 10 free throws away from Lincoln came in 1998 when Tyronn Lue went 10-for-10 at Kansas.

 

The Nebraska school record is 39 consecutive free throws made by Jack Moore in 1982. Moore set the NU single-game record with 15 made without a miss during that record stretch.

 

>>>Climbing the Coaching Ladder

First-year coach Doc Sadler has gotten the Huskers to play hard on a consistent basis. He has said from day one that getting everyone to play hard and compete was his only goal for the year, and if they accomplished that, the wins would take care of itself.

 

With six regular-season games remaining plus the conference tournament and possible postseason play, Sadler is already tied for third among first-year Husker head coaches in terms of victories. He needs one more to become just the third Husker mentor to record 16 wins in his first season in Lincoln. Two more victories will assure Nebraska of its third winning season in four years.

 

>>>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 Kansas, Maric leads the team with 17.7 points per game, an average that ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference.

 

Maric has 406 points this season and is now 28th in NU history with 961 career points. Maric, who scored 339 points last year in 31 games, would move into the NU career top 25 if he hit his season average against Kansas.

 

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 needs 39 points to reach 1,000 for his career, 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 35.67 minutes per game this season, a mark that ranks third in the Big 12 conference. Only Jarrius Jackson (37.65) of Texas Tech and JamesOn Curry (36.76) of Oklahoma State have averaged more minutes per game this season among league foes.

 

Richardson ? who has played all 40 minutes of a game six times this season, most including the last two games against A&M and K-State ? 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, Dave Hoppen (38.5 mpg) in 1985 was the last Husker to average more than Richardson's current pace. 

 

>>>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. With a strong senior season as possibly one of the league's most improved players, Richardson has etched his name into Husker lore on the NU single-season and career top-10 charts.

 

Richardson moved into the NU career top 10 for assists against Texas and now has 359 in his career to rank seventh, 23 behind Jack Moore. With 139 assists this year, Richardson needs six more to move into fifth on the Nebraska single-season top-10 chart. He needs 14 assists to become only the second player in school history with at least 153 assists in a season, joining Brian Carr (237 in 1985; 201 in 1986; 166 in 1987).

 

Richardson is already second on the NU senior class chart, 27 behind Brian Carr, who had a record for an NU senior with 166 assists in his final year as a Husker.

 

Richardson also is within reach of the Husker top 10 chart for career steals (needs 14), single-season steals (needs 16) and moved onto the senior class list as he now has 47 to tie for eighth. With a strong run at the league championship or in the postseason, Richardson, who is averaging 35.7 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.

 

>>>Getting Defensive

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 15 of 24 opponents to 63 or fewer points in their first year under Sadler. Nebraska's 62.0 points per game allowed is fourth on the year in the Big 12 and its 63.9 points per game in league games-only is third. NU rank 43rd nationally in scoring defense this week.

 

>>>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). Anderson also hit six 3-pointers against No. 6 Kansas in a home loss.

 

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.

 

>>>3s All Around

Nebraska knocked down the long ball with amazing frequency throughout the early season schedule and into conference play as the Huskers ranked 27th nationally in 3-point percentage last week. NU, which hit a season-low 20.0 percent on the road against Kansas State, has hit 38.9 percent from long range this year.

 

NU's best game from beyond the arc came against Rutgers, when the Huskers hit a season-high 64.7 percent, their highest percentage in a game since hitting 66.7 percent (10-of-15) against Pacific in 2000. 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.

 

Against Miami, Nebraska set a season-high with 15 treys, the third-highest total by a Nebraska squad ever and tied the record for most 3-pointers away from the Devaney Center. The team record for 3-pointers is 18 set against No. 1 Kansas in 2002.

 

 

>>>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 from fifth place.

 

>>>Plus 20

Junior center Aleks Maric leads five Huskers who have combined to post 12, 20-point games this season. He has recorded eight of those games with at least 20 points, including a career-best 41 points in 29 minutes against Kansas State. He has also had impressive performances with 29 points in 29 minutes in the season-opener, and 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting in 29 minutes of action against Colorado.

 

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 and just one point off the school frosh record.

 

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. Jamel White, who was suspended for the remainder of the season on Feb. 11, led NU past Western Kentucky in the non-conference finale by scoring 23 points.

 

 >>>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 broke the 20-point barrier by hitting 8-of-20 shots, including seven 3-pointers, against the Rainbow Warriors.

 

Anderson has also barely missed the 20-point plateau three times this year when he had 19 points in a game. He is only the fifth Husker freshman in school history to record at least four games of 19 or more points, joining Joe McCray (10, 2005), Jerry Fort (6, 1973), Dave Hoppen (5, 1983) and Eric Piatkowski (4, 1991).

 

 >>>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 Proviso East High School squad that included current NBA players Dee Brown and Shannon Brown, each also a college standout at Illinois and Michigan State, respectively.

 

This season, Richardson has collected 139 assists against just 50 turnovers through 24 games. His 5.79 assists per game rank second in the league while his 2.78:1 assists-to-turnover ratio paces the Big 12. In this week's NCAA statistics, he ranked 15th nationally in assists per game.

 

Richardson's 139 assists are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked 42nd in the nation in field-goal percentage during this week's NCAA statistics reporting period. Entering Saturday's game against Kansas, NU has hit 48.1 percent from the field to rank third among the Big 12 leaders.

 

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 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 the third-highest single-game mark by a league player 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. 

 

 

>>>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 getting back into action.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Perry nearly reached uncharted territory as he hit seven 3-pointers against Miami while scoring a career-high 25 points. He was 7-of-12 from beyond the arc against the Hurricanes, matching the second-best 3-point effort in school single-game history. Perry added five more 3-pointers against Savannah State 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 50 3-pointers while shooting 43.1 percent from long range to rank fourth in the Big 12 Conference and 28th nationally this week.

 

>>>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 62.0 points per game ? a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (56.8 ppg), Oklahoma (57.8) and Kansas (60.7) ? this 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.

 

>>>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 17.7 points per game this season, including eight 20-point contests. Despite drawing constant double teams, Maric has dominated the paint and leads the Big 12 Conference by hitting 60.8 percent (152-of-250), one of only two players in the Big 12 shooting at least 60 percent from the floor this season. Maric also ranks 21st nationally in field-goal percentage.

 

In the season opener ? just 11 days after he had his appendix removed ? Maric scored 29 points in 29 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha. Four times this season Maric has scored as many points as he played minutes, including a season-best ratio of 41 points in 29 minutes against Kansas State.

 

Overall, Maric has shot better than 70 percent from the floor in four games and at least 60 percent in nine other games. In conference play, he has hit 56.9 percent (62-of-109) to lead the league.

>>>Making a Splash

After an injury-plagued redshirt freshman year with the Huskers last season, guard Paul Velander looked to be on the same track this year as he had ankle surgery in the offseason and then had a stress fracture in his foot during preseason workouts.

 

After getting back on the court for two games, he suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the rotation for three more contests. But his outlook has changed since his return against Oregon as Velander, a walk-on, has given the Husker offense an unexpected lift with his shooting touch, effort and toughness.

 

In the first extended action of his career against Oregon, Velander drew a foul and forced a turnover on an inbounds during his first play, and then hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing trip down court. Velander added three more treys and finished the day with a career-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range and played a career-high 20 minutes, double the previous amount of time he had seen on the floor in his career.

 

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

 

>>>Shutting the Door

Nebraska has had a solid offensive performance to open the season as the Huskers rank among the national leaders by hitting 48.1 percent from the floor through 24 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 have allowed more than 63 points only nine times in 24 games this season. At home, only three teams (Western Kentucky and top-10 foes Kansas and Texas A&M) have scored more than 63 points against NU.

 

At their best early in the season, the Huskers held two opponents ? Lubbock Christian and Arkansas-Pine Bluff ? to 42 points each in back-to-back games. The two-game stretch marked the first time since 1982 that Nebraska held consecutive opponents to less than 50 points apiece.

 

>>>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 ISU, the fifth-highest single-game mark in NU history and first 30-point game 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.

 

>>>Overtime

? Nebraska's wins over Missouri and Texas Tech gave the Huskers their first two-game conference road win streak since 1999.

? The Huskers have hit at least 50.0 percent from the floor in the second half of six of 10 conference games this season.

? 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.

? 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 hit 62.2 percent from the floor against Western Kentucky, its second straight and third overall game above 60 percent. 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.

? 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.

? 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.  

? Maric moved into the NU career top 10 for blocked shots with four against North Texas. He now owns 83 blocks in his career, tying for eighth place on the Husker chart with Cookie Belcher.

? Charles Richardson Jr. has helped NU to a 48-17 home record since joining the Huskers for the 2003-04 campaign, including a 5-5 record against ranked teams.

? Richardson is the Huskers' active leader with 114 career steals and is the first Husker to record 100 career steals since Cary Cochran reached the mark as a senior in 2002. He needs 14 more to move into the NU career top 10, but just one more to move into the top 15 as he will tie Andy Markowski, who had 115 between 1996 and 1999.