Huskers Set for Road Battle with Baylor Bears

>>>Game Information

Game: 26

Game Date: Feb. 21

Release Date: Feb. 20

Tip off: 6:36 p.m. CST

Television: FSN Midwest in Nebraska; FSN Southwest in Texas (Greg Lucas, play-by-play; Jim Haller, color)

Radio: Husker Sports Network

     (Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color)

Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats)

Satellite Radio: Baylor broadcast on Sirius channel 161

Venue: FerrellCenter (10,284)

 

After suffering one of its worst losses in school history last weekend at top-10 ranked Kansas, the Nebraska men's basketball team hopes to get back on the winning track when it heads to Texas to take on the Baylor Bears on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The game will mark the end of the Huskers' final two-game road swing of the regular season.

 

Nebraska and Baylor will get started at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday in a game telecast by FSN with Greg Lucas calling the action and Jim Haller adding color commentary. The Nebraska telecast can be seen on FSN Midwest 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 telecast on DirecTV (channel 648) and Dish Network (447). Fans in Texas should check local listings for FSN Southwest telecast information.

 

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.

>>>Nebraska Looks to Get Back to Form in Stretch Run

Nebraska (15-10, 4-7 Big 12) will be playing its 13th game away from the Devaney Center this season when it takes on the Bears (12-13, 2-10 Big 12) this week. The Huskers are looking for their third road victory in their last four trips away from Lincoln while also trying to pick up a fourth overall win in the last six contests. Nebraska, which won back-to-back road contests two weeks ago at Missouri and Texas Tech, has won three league road games each of the past two seasons.

 

The contest with the Bears will be the first of five straight games for the Huskers against the Big 12's second-division teams to end the regular season. NU also plays host to Missouri, IowaState and OklahomaState while traveling to Colorado.

 

For the Huskers to find success, they will need to get their offensive game rolling again. NU struggled Saturday at Kansas where it was held to season lows for field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage while suffering its worst loss in nearly 50 years. NU's 39 points were its fewest in a game since 1984 when it lost 41-39 in the Big Eight Tournament.

 

To open up the offense, the Huskers need to get center Aleks Maric rolling early and often. The 6-11, 270-pounder  averaged 23.3 points per game over the past three contests, including posting a career-best 41 points against KansasState last Tuesday. The league leader in field-goal percentage at just under 60 percent this season, Maric is fifth in the league in scoring at 17.5 points per game and ranks among the top 10 players in the conference in rebounding (7.5 rpg).

 

Once Maric gets untracked, Nebraska hopes to find its rhythm from the perimeter. The Huskers have hit just 28.3 percent from long range over the last three contests since Charles Richardson Jr.'s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win at Texas Tech on Feb. 6. Before that stretch, the Huskers were on pace to set the school single-season 3-point percentage record behind the strong play of Marcus Perry and Ryan Anderson, who have combined for 46 percent of the Huskers' 3-pointers this season.

 

>>>The Series vs. Baylor

Nebraska owns series leads over six conference opponents including an 11-5 advantage over Baylor. The series is the Huskers' second-shortest against current league opponents, trailing only the 15-game series with Texas A&M (NU leads 10-5).

 

The Huskers and Bears first met in 1949 with Nebraska pulling out a 69-55 win, the first of three straight NU victories to open the series. Three of the first four contests were decided by three or fewer points, but since then only one (of 12) has been decided by less than 10 points. All eight of Nebraska's wins over BU in the Big 12 era have come by double figures. 

 

After the Huskers' series-opening three-game win streak, BU won back-to-back games, including the first as league opponents following the formation of the Big 12 Conference. Nebraska has won eight of the last 11 overall, including the last three straight.

 

The Huskers are 3-3 in Waco, Texas, against Baylor, but the Bears own a 3-2 series lead over the Huskers in the FerrellCenter. The only league road venue that the Huskers own a series lead is the CoorsEventsCenter in Boulder (NU leads Colorado 14-13 in the building). Nebraska snapped a two-game road losing streak in its last appearance in Waco, as the Huskers earned a 74-63 victory in 2005.

 

>>>Scouting the Bears

Baylor enters the mid-week matchup looking to snap a four-game losing streak and in the process climb back to .500 on the season. The Bears are 12-13 overall and own a 2-10 record in conference action to tie for 11th in the league standings.

 

The Bears have lost eight of their last nine games including three of their last four home games. The only win in that stretch came with a 97-83 victory over Colorado on Jan. 30.

 

In its last contest on Saturday, Baylor dropped a one-point affair against Texas, 68-67, at home, its fourth league home loss. Curtis Jerrells led the way with 18 points while three other starters ? Henry Dugat (15), Tweety Carter (10) and Kevin Rogers (10) ? each added double figures. The difference came at the free throw line as UT got to the foul stripe 23 times in the second half (16 made) while the Baylor had just 11 attempts (seven made).

 

Jerrells has led the Bears this season as he averages 13.4 points per game and is one of four Bears with at least 40 made 3-pointers on the year. Jerrells also leads BU with 94 assists and is third on the team in rebounding (4.5 rpg) and steals (26).

 

Along with Jerrells, Carter (46), Dugat (41) and Aaron Bruce (50) have connected from long range with great frequency. Bruce, who has missed the past couple games with an injury, is third on the team with 11.6 points per game while Dugat is the fourth double-figure scorer for the Bears with 10.6 points per game.

 

As a team, Baylor has hit 45.0 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from 3-point range while averaging a solid 74.3 points per game. Defensively, the Bears have allowed opponents to post 71.3 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting.

 

The Bears are coached by Scott Drew, who is in his third year at BU where he owns a 29-53 record. Overall, Drew is in his fourth year as a head coach with a 49-64 career coaching record.

 

>>>Following Up Kansas

? The loss was the second-worst defeat in school history and just the second 50-plus point loss in the NU record book. The Nebraska record for margin of defeat is 56 points at Kansas in 1958 (102-46).

? The Huskers shot a season-low 31.4 percent (16-of-51) from the floor including their worst night from 3-point range (15.0 percent, 3-of-20). NU also had its lowest free-throw shooting night of the year at 33.3 percent (4-of-12).

? Nebraska was outrebounded 42-24, its second-worst rebound margin (-18) of the year trailing only the 47-21 (-26) disadvantage it had on the boards in the first meeting with the Jayhawks in Lincoln.

? The Huskers allowed KU to hit 58.3 percent from the floor, a conference season high and the first time NU has allowed a league team to shoot better than 48 percent this season.

? Nebraska snapped a streak of eight straight games with a better shooting percentage in the second half than the first. NU hit 33.3 percent in the first half against KU and 29.2 percent in the second.

 

>>>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 Iowa State, making him the only player in school history with two games of at least 37 points.

 

Maric's 41 points represent 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.

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 last 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 DevaneyCenter.

? 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 Big 12 play from 14.4 points per game to 17.1 (+2.7) following the KSU contest. He had 130 points entering the game, meaning nearly one-quarter of his conference point total through 10 games (171) came against KSU.

 

>>>Looking for Road Success

Nebraska heads into Wednesday's game having won two of its last three conference road games. The Huskers won back-to-back road games at Missouri and Texas Tech two weeks ago, an NU first in Big 12 play since 1999, before suffering their worst setback of the season at No. 9/8 Kansas on Saturday.

 

The Huskers, who are 5-7 overall away from the DevaneyCenter including 2-6 in true road games, are trying for their third conference road victory of the season. NU has won three league road games each of the past two years, but has not won four Big 12 road games in a season since 1999.

 

>>>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 KansasState: 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 or 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 KansasState last 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.

 

Unfortunately, the Huskers followed that sizzling performance with a season-low 31.4-percent shooting night on Saturday at Kansas.

 

>>>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 25 points to reach 1,000 in his career, as he will become the ninth junior in NU history to achieve the milestone.

 

Against Kansas last weekend, Maric recorded three rebounds 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).

 

>>>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 KansasState 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 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.

 

 >>>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 seventh in the league with 7.5 rebounds per game in 2006-07. 

 

Maric reached a milestone at Kansas as he recorded his 600th career rebound, a mark only 14 other Huskers have reached. Maric needs just 69 boards to move into the NU career top 10.

 

Maric set his career high last season with 17 rebounds against KansasState in Manhattan, Kan. He has averaged 10.0 boards in two career contests against Baylor.

 

>>>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 eight perfect games at the stripe, leads the Huskers by hitting 86.0 percent (49-of-57) 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 20-of-23 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 five 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 Baylor, Maric leads the team with 17.5 points per game, an average that ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference.

 

Maric has 420 points this season and is now 28th in NU history with 975 career points. Maric, who scored 339 points last year in 31 games, would move into 24th on the NU career top 25 if he hit his season average against the Bears on Wednesday.

 

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 25 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 35.40 minutes per game this season, a mark that ranks third in the Big 12 conference. Only Jarrius Jackson (37.67) of Texas Tech and JamesOn Curry (36.77) of OklahomaState 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, including two straight games against Texas 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. 

 

Marcus Perry is the only other Husker to play 40 minutes in a game this season, as neither he nor Richardson came off the floor at home against KansasState.

 

>>>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 363 in his career to rank seventh, 19 behind Jack Moore. With 143 assists this year, Richardson needs two more to move into fifth on the Nebraska single-season top-10 chart. He needs 10 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, 23 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 35.4 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 within range to set the school record for 3-point percentage.

 

>>>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 rank 54th nationally in 3-point percentage this week. NU, which hit a season-low 15.0 percent on the road against Kansas last weekend, has hit 37.9 percent from long range over the 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 DevaneyCenter. The team record for 3-pointers is 18 set against No. 1 Kansas in 2002.

 

>>>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 25 opponents to 63 or fewer points in their first year under Sadler. Nebraska's 63.2 points per game allowed is fourth on the year in the Big 12 and its 66.5 points per game in league games-only is fourth. NU rank 54th nationally in scoring defense this week.

 

>>>Back on Defense

The Huskers have put up stretches of outstanding team defense at times this season. Nine times Nebraska has held its opponent without a field goal for at least 6:00 off the clock, while the Huskers held teams without a basket for at least 5:00 11 other times.

 

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.

 

>>>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 four active 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 KansasState at home. 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 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 143 assists against just 51 turnovers through 25 games. His 5.72 assists per game rank second in the league while his 2.80:1 assists-to-turnover ratio is first in the Big 12. In this week's NCAA statistics, he ranked 18th nationally in assists per game. Last year, Richardson had 100 assists in 30 games (3.33 apg).

 

Richardson's 143 assists are a significant part of the reason why Nebraska ranked 48th in the nation in field-goal percentage during this week's NCAA statistics reporting period. Entering Wednesday's game against Baylor, NU has hit 47.4 percent from the field to rank fourth among the Big 12 leaders.

 

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 in 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 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 50 3-pointers while shooting 42.0 percent from long range to rank fifth in the Big 12 Conference.

 

>>>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 63.2 points per game ? a mark that ranks fourth in the league only behind Texas A&M (56.5 ppg), Oklahoma (57.7) and Kansas (59.9) ? 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.

 

>>>Shutting the Door

Nebraska has had a solid offensive performance to open the season as the Huskers rank among the national leaders by hitting 47.4 percent from the floor through 25 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 10 times in 25 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.

 

>>>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 17.5 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 59.4 percent (158-of-266). Maric also ranks 26th 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 KansasState.

 

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 (68-of-125) 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 SavannahState, two more boards than he recorded in the first 10 games of his career combined.

 

>>>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

? Against Kansas State, 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.

? 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 11 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.