Huskers Take on Nationally Ranked Ducks

|+| Game Information

Game: Game 10                                   
Game Date: Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007

Game Time: 1:05 p.m. CST                   
Release Date: Friday, Dec. 14, 2007

Television: FSN Midwest and ESPN FullCourt (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 Satellite Radio channel 123

Venue: QwestCenterOmaha (17,272)

 

|+| Nebraska Takes on Nationally Ranked Oregon at QwestCenter

The Nebraska men's basketball team is expected to face its toughest test to date when it plays host to the No. 16 Oregon Ducks on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. The game will mark the first time the Huskers served as the home team in the Qwest Center Omaha, one of eight sites of the 2008 NCAA Tournament first and second rounds.

This weekend's contest will be telecast in the state of Nebraska on FSN Midwest (Channel 37 in Lincoln on Time Warner Cable; Channel 47 in Omaha on Cox Cable). Greg Sharpe will call the action for Nebraska's third-tier television package on FSN Midwest while former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary. The game will also be seen in Oregon on Comcast.

A new agreement this year will allow several of Nebraska's telecasts on FSN Midwest to also be seen around the nation on ESPN FullCourt, including Saturday's game against the Ducks. Check the FullCourt listings for the channel assignment.

Saturday's contest against Oregon can be heard on the radio as the Husker Sports Network, which consists of 30 stations around Nebraska and Iowa that provide coverage of Nebraska athletic events, will broadcast every Husker game this season. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka will call the action while former Husker Andy Markowski adds color commentary. The broadcast will be carried around the world live on the Internet on Huskers.com.

NU's games can typically also be heard on satellite radio. The Nebraska broadcast of Saturday's contest against Oregon will be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio on channel 123.

The matchup this weekend will complete a two-game series with the Pac-10 rival. Last year, the Huskers and Ducks faced off in the Rose Garden, the home of the NBA's Portland Trailblazers, in a game seen nationally on FSN. Oregon struggled to pull away as Nebraska was within three points with just more than two minutes remaining in the game before repeatedly sending the Ducks to the free throw line where they built the final 68-56 margin.

For the Huskers to have a chance this weekend, it will take a major defensive effort as Oregon entered the week ranked third nationally in scoring offense (89.7 points per game) and 13th in field-goal percentage  (51.1). Four Ducks are averaging at least 15.0 points per game and UO has topped 80 points in all but one contest this season, including reaching the century mark twice.

Nebraska will counter with one of the country's stingiest defenses. Second-year coach Doc Sadler's group has allowed just 53.9 points per game, including only 48.9 points per game at home. NU entered the week ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense and 16th in field-goal percentage defense.

The Huskers hope to provide the same defensive intensity that has helped them hold their last three opponents at the DevaneyCenter to just 45.0 points per game on 33.8 percent shooting. The stifling defense limited SavannahState to just one field goal over the first 13:56 on Tuesday as Nebraska built a 26-2 advantage before cruising to a 45-point victory.

Despite being in a different arena, Nebraska's contest will count as a home game for RPI purposes when determining postseason bids. The Huskers have won 20 straight non-conference home games, including 15 since Sadler took over the program before last season.

|+| Ranking Game

Oregon comes to Nebraska ranked No. 16 in the nation in both major polls this week after running to a solid 8-1 record. The Ducks' only blemish on the season is a 99-87 setback against current top-25 squad St. Mary's on the road.

The Ducks are the Huskers' second nationally ranked non-conference opponent in as many years under coach Doc Sadler. Last season, the Huskers knocked off No. 20 Creighton at home, 73-61.

Overall, the Huskers are 2-1 in their last three games against non-conference ranked teams. The other victory came with an 80-60 win over No. 20 Minnesota at home in 2002-03, while the loss also came that season to No. 20 Creighton.

The last time the Huskers defeated a non-Big 12 team ranked as high as No. 16 in the Associated Press poll came in the 1994-95 season. That year, Nebraska knocked off No. 15 Michigan State in overtime, 96-91, in Lincoln.

NU is 8-34 against non-league ranked teams all-time, with all eight wins coming at home. The list of victories over rank non-conference opponents includes:

Year           Team (Rank)                      Score

1958-59       Marquette (17)                     62-60

1964-65       Michigan (1)                        74-73

1969-70       Duquesne (7)                       82-77

1983-84       Arkansas (15)                      67-54

1990-91       MichiganState (5)                71-69

1994-95       MichiganState (15)              96-91 (ot)

2002-03       Minnesota (20)                     80-60

2006-07       Creighton (20)                      73-61

 

|+| Piling Up the Points

Nebraska has struggled at times this season to get the offense in full gear. Tuesday against SavannahState was the exception.

The Huskers had one of their most productive offensive games despite playing 14 players (everyone on the roster except five redshirts). All but two players scored in the contest with three earning career highs and one gaining a season high. Eleven Huskers scored at least five points apiece with junior forward Shang Ping leading the way with a game-high 11 points.

Nebraska started the game on a 26-2 run and hit 60.0 percent from the floor in the opening half before finishing the game hitting half of its attempts (27-of-54). The 82 points were just one off the season high and tied for the third-highest scoring game in the coach Doc Sadler era. NU improved to 8-0 under Sadler when topping the 80-point plateau, including twice this year.

Seven of the eight highest scoring games under Sadler have come at the DevaneyCenter. The only time Nebraska has topped the 80-point plateau away from Lincoln was in an 82-67 victory over Miami on a neutral court last year.

 

|+| Single Digits Rarity?

In what is typically an uncommon sight, the Huskers held SavannahState without a double-figure scorer on Tuesday. Only two players scored more than five points on the night with Anthony Jones leading the way with eight points.

While it may not be common, it was the second time this year ? and the second time in three home games ? the Huskers held every player on the opposing team to nine or fewer points. Nebraska also turned the trick against Pac-10 foe ArizonaState two weeks ago, when three players each scored eight points to lead the team in a 62-47 lost to Nebraska.

 

|+| Maric Chart Watch

With eight rebounds against Rutgers on Sunday, senior center Aleks Maric moved into fifth place on the Nebraska career rebounding chart. After adding six more boards on Tuesday against SavannahState, Maric moved into a tie for fourth place with Rich King with 761 career boards.

At his current pace, the Sydney, Australia native will finish his career ranked second in school history, as he needs just 22 rebounds to own sole possession of the runner-up spot. When his career is complete, Maric likely will trail only record-holder Venson Hamilton, who posted an amazing 1,080 rebounds in his career.

Maric is also on pace to soon move into the career top 10 for scoring at Nebraska. Entering Saturday's game against Oregon, Maric has 1,254 career points to rank 15th all-time in Husker history. He needs two points to pass Chuck Jura for 14th and 16 points to pass Stuart Lantz for 13th. With 46 points, he will become only the 12th 1,300-point scorer in school history.

Entering the season, Maric already ranked in the NU career top 10 for blocked shots, and currently he sits in eighth place with 107. He needs seven to pass Wes Wilkinson for seventh place all-time at Nebraska.

Maric is already in the top 10 for free throws made (349, sixth) and attempted (543, fourth), and will reach the top 10 for field goals, field-goal attempts and games started.

 

|+| Hot Shooting Huskers

Six games into the season and it's obvious why Coach Doc Sadler has been optimistic about his team's shooting ability. Despite providing a solid offensive punch only in short surges, the Huskers have hit 48.1 percent overall from the floor during the opening weeks of the season.

Nebraska began the year by blistering the nets for an impressive 61.0 percent (25-of-41) from the floor in the season opener against Presbyterian. It was the fifth time in the Sadler era NU topped 60 percent shooting. Since then Nebraska has continued its strong pace by hitting at least 50.0 percent in three other contests, including Tuesday's 45-point win over SavannahState.

Two starters have hit at least 50.0 percent from the floor this season to help the Huskers' efforts, including Aleks Maric (57.0; 53-of-93) and Ade Dagunduro (55.2; 37-of-67). A third starter, Ryan Anderson (49.2; 31-of-63), is just under the 50.0-percent mark while Shang Ping (58.3, 14-of-24) and Chris Balham (80.0, 8-of-10) lead the way off the bench. Over the past four games, Maric has hit 35-of-58 attempts (60.3 percent) from the field while Dagunduro has heated up to hit 24-of-41 (58.5 percent).

Maric has been at the front of the offensive charge during all four of his years at Nebraska. Last season he led the Big 12 Conference in field-goal percentage by hitting 56.5 percent for the season. In his career, Maric has hit 52.3 percent (451-of-863) from the field.

 

|+| By the Half

Nebraska has had several hot halves this season but is still looking to put together a complete game.

Near the top of the list for the best overall performance was a 51-point second period against NorfolkState. NU hit 55.6 percent in the frame while scoring the most points in any half during the Doc Sadler era. The previous high was 49 points in the second half of three separate games last year. Before the outburst, Nebraska had scored more than 34 points in only one of its previous five halves of play.

Against Creighton, Nebraska again picked up the pace after the intermission, posting 42 points in the second period while making a strong comeback attempt after scoring just 20 points in the first half. It was the third straight game the Huskers had a better shooting percentage in the second half than the first. Nebraska has now shot better after the intermission in five of nine games this season.

Nebraska has hit at least 50 percent from the field in eight halves this season, including each half against Presbyterian and IPFW. NU has scored at least 40 points in a period six times, but has scored 40 or more points in each half of a game only once, against Savannah State (42 first half, 40 second half). Nebraska is 8-0 when scoring at least 80 points in a contest under Sadler.

Scoring has been tough at times for the Huskers, who are looking to become a more consistent offensive team. In fact, NU has scored 30 or more points in each half of the same game only four times, against Norfolk State (32 first half, 51 second half), Arizona State (30 and 32), Rutgers (32 and 31) and Savannah State (42 and 40).

|+| Little Guy, Big Plays

Diminutive freshman guard Cookie Miller has already shown early in his career that he can play with the big boys.

Miller's first explosive offensive game came against Creighton when he took over the Husker offense in its bid for a comeback victory that fell short. Miller, who had recorded 11 points in his first three games combined, posted a game-high 19 points against the Bluejays. After scoring eight in the first half, Miller came out on fire in the second period when he scored another 11 points to help NU outscore Creighton 42-27 after the intermission. Miller hit 7-of-13 attempts from the floor against CU.

While his offense has come in surges, Miller has been steady as a ball-distributor and defender. The true freshman leads the team with 32 assists (3.5 apg) against 18 turnovers and has posted a team-high 18 steals, including two games with at least four steals. Miller needs just three steals to move onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 list. The NU freshman and career records are also owned by a Husker named Cookie, as Cookie Belcher had 87 steals as a freshman in 1997 and finished with 353 steals in his career.

 

|+| Meet the Oregon Ducks

Nebraska will have its hands full with one of the top scoring teams in the nation as the No. 16 Oregon Ducks. Oregon has outscored opponents by an average of 15.4 points per game while ranking in the top five for scoring average at 89.7 points per game. UO also ranks in the top 15 in the nation in field-goal percentage by hitting 51.1 percent from the field.

Oregon has topped the century mark twice this year and has recorded at least 80 points in all but one game, a 75-64 victory over Utah last weekend. The Ducks have allowed 74.2 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting from the floor.

UO returned four starters from last season's Elite Eight squad that won 29 games. Five players are averaging double figures, led by senior guard Malik Hairston with 16.5 points per game. Hairston has added 4.9 rebounds per contest and leads the team with 11 blocked shots. Hairston is one of two 1,000-point scorers returning from last year along with Bryce Taylor, who is averaging 15.7 points per game this season.

Maarty Leunen has averaged 16.0 points per contest for the Ducks, while sophomore guard Tajuan Porter is gaining 15.9 points per game. Porter posted more than 100 3-pointers as a freshman last year and is a danger to shoot from anywhere on the court.

Leunen is the career active rebounding leader from the Pac-10 Conference with 704 boards which sets up a tremendous matchup as the Huskers have the Big 12's career active leader in Aleks Maric, who has 761 career rebounds.

|+| Getting Defensive
Nebraska has shown the ability to put on a strong defensive performance at times this season.

The most recent show-stopper came on Tuesday against SavannahState when the Huskers ran out to a 26-2 lead and went on to allow just six points in the first 18:22 of the game. SSU went 6:07 without scoring a point to open the game and then after their first field goal, did not score another point for another 7:46.

Savannah State finished the half with 12 points, tying the opponent record low for the DevaneyCenter set three previous times. The Tigers then scored 25 points in the second period. Their 37 total points were the fewest the Huskers have allowed since MorganState had 34 in 2004. MSU also only scored 12 points in the second half.

In what was expected to be its toughest home matchup to date, Nebraska also put on a defensive clinic against ArizonaState. The Huskers held ASU to just 47 points, including allowing only 31 points with 6:40 remaining in the contest.

After trailing by seven, 17-10, midway through the first half, NU clamped down on defense to take control of the game. Nebraska allowed just one basket ? and only four points total ? over the final 11:26 of the opening period. NU went on a 16-0 run to go into the intermission ahead by nine, 30-21.

After a 3-pointer at the 8:36 mark, ASU had just four more shots in the half and missed all of them while committing eight turnovers in the stretch. The Sun Devils then recorded one basket in the first 11:03 of the second period. That made it 12:48 between baskets (8:36 in first half to 15:48 in second half) and a stretch of 19:39 with only one made field goal and 14 total points (one 3-pointer and 11 free throws).

The performance against ASU (12:48 between field goals) was the second-longest opponent drought in the Sadler era. Overall, NU has held an opponent without a field goal for at least five minutes 10 times this year (also 5:38 vs. Presbyterian; 5:05 and 5:28 vs. Alabama A&M; 5:28 vs. Alabama A&M; 7:59 vs. Norfolk State; 5:02 and 5:33 vs. Rutgers; 6:07, 7:46 and 5:05 vs. Savannah State).

Last year, Nebraska saw several similar stretches of strong defensive play. The Huskers recorded 20 stretches of at least 5:00 off the clock without allowing a field goal, including a season-high 14:28 for Houston between baskets in the second half.

 

|+| Shutting It Down

Nebraska has held opponents to 36.1 percent shooting from the field through nine games, including limiting three opponents to less than 28 percent.

Over consecutive games, the Huskers held Alabama A&M to just 27.6 percent shooting from the floor while allowing NorfolkState to connect on only 26.8 percent of its shots. The percentages were the lowest under Coach Doc Sadler, respectively, until NU held Savannah State to just 26.4 percent shooting on Tuesday.

The last time Nebraska held back-to-back opponents to less than 28 percent shooting was in 2003 when Tennessee hit 27.9 percent followed by Bethune-Cookman hitting a DevaneyCenter opponent-low 21.2 percent. Bethune-Cookman scored just 26 points in that contest, also a building record opponent low.

Nebraska has now held opponents to less than 30 percent shooting 18 times during the Big 12 era.

 

|+| Slowing the Scoring

Nebraska has been solid on defense this season and has allowed a Big 12-leading 53.9 points per game over the first nine contests. Entering the week, the Huskers ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense at 56.0 points per game before holding SavannahState to just 37 points on Tuesday.

NU has held teams to less than 50 points four times on the young season, including an opponent season-low 45 points against Alabama A&M. Last year, the Huskers held just two opponents to under 50 points including a Division II school.

The most high profile team Nebraska has held under 50 points this season was ArizonaState. The Pac-10 opponent recorded just 21 points in the first period and 26 in the second. In fact, NU turned up the defensive pressure enough that the Sun Devils had just 31 points with 6:40 to play in the contest.

Overall, Nebraska held its first three opponents to 52 or fewer points, the first time NU had accomplished the feat to open the season since 1946-47. The last time Nebraska held three straight opponents to 52 or fewer points at any point in a season was 1981-82.

The 145 combined points allowed through the first three games were the fewest allowed to open a season since 1949-50 when Nebraska allowed just 135 points while going 2-1 to open the year. That season, Nebraska finished 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the Big Seven Conference, the last time Nebraska earned a share of the conference regular-season title.

 

|+| Redshirt Decisions Made

Coach Doc Sadler announced on Saturday, Nov. 17, that two newcomers had made the decision to redshirt this season to better acclimate to Division I play. Sadler said that sophomore transfer Alex Chapman and freshman Brandon Richardson will redshirt this season.

After taking a while longer to decide, Sadler said on Dec. 2 that freshmen Alonzo Edwards and Toney McCray, who have dressed for every game this season, also decided to redshirt, giving NU a solid core for the future.

Also redshirting this season is true freshman walk-on Mike Diacos, a native of Ventura, Calif.

 

|+| Huskers Continue Strong

Non-Conference Run

Nebraska improved its mark to 9-1 in the month of November under second-year Coach Doc Sadler when it defeated IPFW last week. The Huskers then continued the strong surge into December, where they now own a 7-4 record under Sadler. Nebraska is just 3-0 at home in the month of December under Sadler as last season the Huskers played 6-of-7 December contests away from Lincoln. 

Overall, Nebraska is 15-0 in home non-conference games under Sadler since he took over the program last season. The Huskers are 3-5 against non-league teams away from Lincoln, including 0-4 in true road games.

The Huskers have won 20 straight home non-conference games dating to a 73-72 loss to UAB in the 2005-06 campaign. Nebraska is 83-13 in non-league tilts at the DevaneyCenter since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996-97.

 

|+| Under Pressure

Since his introductory press conference, Coach Doc Sadler has said that he wants to get to the point where his team can pressure the opponent for 94 feet. With an upgrade in athleticism, speed and talent, that philosophy will come into play more often this year.

If the early season has been any indication, Sadler's penchant for a disruptive defense will be widely embraced by the players and fans alike. Through nine games, Nebraska has forced 157 turnovers and recorded 79 steals while allowing opponents to record just 76 assists. Ten players have posted a steal in a game this year, including five players averaging at least one steal per game.

Nebraska posted a season-high 14 steals against Alabama A&M and came back with 11 steals against NorfolkState, the first consecutive games with at least 10 steals by NU since 2005-06.

With 10 steals on Tuesday against Savannah State, Nebraska has now recorded six games with double-figure steals under Coach Doc Sadler.

The Huskers posted at least nine steals in five straight games and six overall this season, and have had at least seven steals in all but one game (Western Kentucky). Nebraska had just four games with at least nine steals in 2006-07.

 

|+| New Faces Gain Court Time

Despite returning eight letterwinners from a year ago, the Huskers knew there would be a completely different look to the squad this season. Among the 19 players on the roster, eight are scholarship newcomers. There are also two walk-ons who redshirted last year in the program and one new invited walk-on.

Coach Doc Sadler started two newcomers in the opening lineup of each of the first two games of the season opener, including junior Ade Dagunduro and freshman Cookie Miller.  Junior Steve Harley also started two contests for the Huskers, making him the third newcomer to join the starting five.

Overall, Sadler has played a total of six players this season who had never worn a Nebraska uniform before, including bringing Shang Ping, Cole Salomon and Andrew Wicklund off the bench. Four of them ? Dagunduro, Miller, Harley and Ping ? have played in every game and are all averaging at least 12 minutes per contest. Salomon and Wicklund are walk-ons who made their first career appearances this season.

 

|+| Sadler Opens Second

Season with Huskers

After a whirl-wind first season that saw several solid performances despite fielding an undersized and oft-injured team, Coach Doc Sadler is back for his second year on the Husker sideline looking to return Nebraska to the postseason. Sadler, who owns a 72-34 record as a Division I head coach, guided the Huskers to 17 wins last season, making him the third-winningest first-year coach in Nebraska history.  NU also finished with a 6-10 record to tie for seventh in the Big 12 standings after earning a ranking of 10th or 11th in every preseason conference poll.

With a year under their belts coaching in the Big 12 Conference, Sadler and his staff brought in a recruiting class that ranked among the top 25 in the nation by several media sources, including ESPN.com's Bob Gibbons (21st) and CSTV.com's Van Coleman (12th). The class is considered one of the deepest in Nebraska history, and is possibly the largest ever with eight scholarship newcomers.

Sadler also has a strong staff helping him on the bench and on the recruiting trail. Overall, the Husker staff has combined for 85 years coaching on the sideline and helped 21 teams to Division I postseason appearances. Together the Husker staff has produced 31 NBA players and more than 660 career victories as head coaches.

 

|+| Opening It Up

Nebraska opened the regular season at home with a 67-52 victory over PresbyterianCollege. With the win, the Huskers improved to 55-11 in program history when opening the season at home in Lincoln (although information on two years in the early 1900s is incomplete), including winning their 18th straight season opener at the Devaney Center since falling 62-59 against Wyoming in overtime in 1980.

The Huskers will play a total of 19 home games during the regular season, including 18 at the BobDevaneySportsCenter, one off the facility record. The other contest that will be considered a home game will be at the QwestCenter in Omaha this weekend as the Huskers take on Oregon.

 

|+| All-American Aussie?

After a solid junior campaign that saw him average 18.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, center Aleks Maric is the top returning scorer and rebounder in the Big 12 Conference and will contend for All-America honors this winter.

A second-team all-league selection following last season, Maric was named an Athlon Sports magazine third-team  preseason All-American this fall and was a member of the  preseason All-Big 12 team selected by the coaches. If he picks up All-America honors, Maric would become just the ninth Husker ever to earn postseason All-America honors and the first since Carl McPipe in 1978.

In addition to the preseason honors, Maric is among 50 players named to the initial watch lists for two prestigious player-of-the-year honors, the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.

With continued improvement from last season, Maric will have a chance to earn several postseason honors as he is one of the top returning players in the country. Between players from BCS conferences, Maric is third among returning scorers from last year, trailing only Chris Lofton of Tennessee (20.8 ppg) and Sean Singletary of Virginia (19.0 ppg). Maric is also sixth among returning BCS conference players in field-goal percentage and seventh in rebounding average.

 

|+| Anderson Looks for

Repeat Performance

Entering last season with only a handful of players with Division I experience meant that some newcomers would have to step up. The first to answer Coach Doc Sadler's call was Ryan Anderson, who despite standing just 6-4, played the majority of the season at the 4 spot and created offensive mismatches against opponents on a nightly basis.

As one of five returning scholarship players, the Seattle native hopes to improve on his stellar first season with the Huskers. A starter in each of the Huskers' first nine contests this year, Anderson has been solid but has not had a breakout contest. He posted his most complete game against ArizonaState, knocking down four 3-pointers on his way to 14 points with seven rebounds and two steals.

Anderson is averaging 9.4 points per game this year to rank third on the squad and has pulled down 5.9 rebounds per contest, second only to Aleks Maric's 9.0 boards per game. Anderson owns the team lead with 14 3-pointers and has been on the floor more than anyone, averaging a team-high 28.2 minutes per contest.

Last year, Anderson was second on the team with 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while ranking among the top 10 freshmen all-time at Nebraska in points scored, field goals, rebounds, 3-pointers and steals. Though he battled an injury early in the conference season that slowed his production for a couple of weeks, Anderson put up some of his best games against the top competition as he averaged a team-best 15.8 points over four games against ranked teams while hitting 55.0 percent from the floor.

Anderson was second on the squad with 48 3-pointers, the second-highest total by a freshman in Nebraska history. He tied the NU single-game 3-point percentage record with a 5-for-5 effort from beyond the arc at Rutgers and equalled NU freshman record with seven treys against Hawaii.

Anderson had a dominant performance against the Rainbows as he finished the game with 29 points, six rebounds, five assists (one turnover) and a steal in a career-high 38 minutes. The 29 points were the second-highest freshman single-game scoring total in NU history, trailing only Tyronn Lue's 30 points in a game in 1996.

 

|+| Strowbridge on the Mark

Sophomore guard Jay-R Strowbridge received great praise from Coach Doc Sadler during the preseason as one of the most improved players on the team.

Despite suffering an injury that slowed him in the preseason, Strowbridge earned a starting nod in each of the season's first four games but has come off the bench the past five contests. He posted a strong opening performance against Presbyterian, as Strowbridge gained 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range while playing 27 minutes. Strowbridge's 12 points were two off his career high while the four treys tied his career-best total.

After struggling some early in the year, Strowbridge started to find his stroke against Rutgers as he buried a pair of 3-pointers to help the Huskers overcome a seven-point deficit. His strong defense and steady hand on offense ? three assists, one turnover ? also played a large role in his long stint on the court.

Last year, Strowbridge averaged 3.9 points and 1.5 assists per game as a true freshman, and was an extremely valuable asset from beyond the arc where he ranked fifth on the squad with 25 3-pointers. Strowbridge was on target more often than not as he led the team in 3-point percentage, hitting 46.3 percent from downtown. His mark ranked third in single-season history and was the highest mark in the freshman record book. Strowbridge is one of three current Huskers who hit at least 25 treys last year.

 

|+| One for the Record Book

Already among the best centers all-time at Nebraska, Aleks Maric became only the second player in NU history to record at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds before the end of his junior season. Entering Saturday's contest with nationally ranked Oregon, Maric now has 1,254 career points and 761 rebounds.

 By matching his production from last year (556 points, 260 rebounds), Maric would finish his career ranked fifth all-time on the Nebraska scoring chart and second in rebounds. He needs just 22 rebounds to take over second place on the career chart and has a chance to rank on top 10 career lists in at least eight other categories.

 

|+| Newcomers Earn Praise

While they still have a lot to prove on the floor, the newest group of Huskers were welcomed to Lincoln with impressive fanfare by the recruiting analysts. As a group, this year's recruiting class was ranked among the top 25 in the country by several top analysts, including No. 11 by Van Coleman (CSTV.com) and No. 21 by Bob Gibbons (ESPN.com). Clark Francis of HoopScoop had the Huskers as high as No. 5 among early signing classes.

Individually, several new Huskers joined the program after all-star caliber careers in junior college and high school. Guard Steve Harley, a transfer from South Plains (Texas) College, was a two-time All-American, including earning first-team honors last year, and was ranked No. 4 in the country among guards by nbadraft.net. Shang Ping was ranked No. 8 at small forward by the same service. Alonzo Edwards was No. 18 among small forwards and in the top 125 overall  by ESPN.com.

 

|+| Making History

Coach Doc Sadler is quickly making a name for himself at Nebraska. Last season, he was the third-winningest first-year coach in program history by helping the Huskers to 17 victories.

This year, Sadler became one of only two coaches in program history to win at least three straight games to open the season in each of his first two years on the Husker bench. He joined E.O. 'Jumbo' Stiehm who opened 1911-12 and 1912-13 with five victories each year.

This is the third consecutive season Nebraska opened with three wins in the first three games. The last time Nebraska won at least three contests to open a campaign in three straight seasons was 1977-78 to 1979-80.

 

|+| Chairman of the Boards

Senior center Aleks Maric is the top returning rebounder in the Big 12 Conference after posting 8.7 rebounds per contest last season, including 9.4 boards per game against Big 12 foes. Maric set his career high with 19 rebounds against Missouri at home last year, bettering his previous mark of 17 at KSU as a sophomore.

With 252 rebounds last season, Maric moved into ninth place on the Husker rebounds chart. This season, Maric has already had a game with 16 rebounds (against Alabama A&M) ? his fifth career game with at least 15 rebounds ? and needs just 22 rebounds this season to take over sole possession of second place on the Husker chart.

 

Nebraska Career Rebound Leaders (since 1952)

No.       Player (seasons)                        Rebounds

1.         Venson Hamilton (1996-99)         1,080

2.         Leroy Chalk (1969-71)                782

3.         Dave Hoppen (1983-86)               773      

4.         Aleks Maric (2005-present)         761

            Rich King (1988-91)                    761

6.         Andre Smith (1978-81)                753

7.         Chuck Jura (1970-72)                 740

8.         Carl McPipe (1976-79)                723

9.         John Turek (2002-05)                  682

10.        Rex Ekwall (1955-57)                 679

 

|+| Doubling Down Low

Center Aleks Maric established himself as a dual threat in the post from his first career game when he recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds in the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2004. Maric went on to record three double-doubles as a freshman and had 10 as a sophomore. Each of the marks in his first two years tied the NU class record.

Maric added 10 double-doubles last season and now has 25 in his career, a total that is tied for second in Nebraska history. Maric added his first double-double of the 2007-08 campaign with a workmanlike 21 points and 16 rebounds against Alabama A&M and posted 17 points and 13 rebounds at Western Kentucky.

 

Nebraska Career Double-Doubles

Rank     Player (Years)               Double-Doubles

1.         Venson Hamilton (1996-99)         45

2.         Aleks Maric (2005-present)         25

            Carl McPipe (1976-79)                25

4.         Dave Hoppen (1983-86)               22

5.         Rich King (1988-91)                    21

6.         Derrick Chandler (1992-93)          19

7.         Kimani Ffriend (2000-01)             18

8.         Steffon Bradford (2000-01)           16

            Andre Smith (1978-81)                16

10.        Mikki Moore (1994-97)                11

 

|+| Last-Second Shots

? The Huskers’ 45-point victory against SavannahState was the largest under Coach Doc Sadler at Nebraska, and also marked NU’s most lopsided victory since defeating North Carolina A&T by 50 in 2005-06.

? Nebraska held its first three opponents to 52, 45 and 48 points, respectively, the first time since the 1946-47 that all of NU’s first three opponents failed to score more than 52 points. In the exhibition season, the Huskers’ opponents scored 50 and 51 points respectively. 

? The Huskers’ 83 points against NorfolkState were a season high. With 82 points on Tuesday against Savannah State,  Nebraska improved to 8-0 under Coach Doc Sadler when scoring at least 80 points in a game.

? Maric has 19 blocked shots through nine contests and now has 107 in his career. He ranks eighth all-time at Nebraska, six behind Wes Wilkinson (7th, 113).

? Maric only has 16 fouls through nine games (including three against Creighton and Western Kentucky) after averaging 2.7  fouls per game last year.

? The loss at Creighton was Nebraska's 12th straight loss in a true road opener, including six losses at CU in that span.