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|+| Game Information
Game: Game 29
Game Date: Sunday, March 9, 2008
Game Time: 2:05 p.m. CST
Release Date: Friday, March 7, 2008
Television: FSN Midwest (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: Nebraska broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 118
Venue: BobDevaneySportsCenter (13,595)
|+| Huskers Look to Send Senior Maric Out in Style
The Nebraska Cornhuskers return to the friendly confines of the BobDevaneySportsCenter this weekend to take on a familiar foe in the Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday, March 9. The contest is the next-to-last game of the Big 12 season, as only the Texas-OklahomaState game (which starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday) will be undecided when NU and CU complete their regular seasons.
The Huskers and Buffs will tip off at 2:05 p.m. in a contest that will be telecast on FSN Midwest with Greg Sharpe calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. The NU telecast will be distributed only in the state of Nebraska, per Big 12 Conference rules, while fans in Colorado will also see the Husker telecast via FSN Rocky Mountain. The game will not be seen on ESPN FullCourt because of channel capacity, however, it can be viewed around the world on the Internet on ESPN360.com.
For fans who can not attend the game, Nebraska men's basketball contests can be heard live on the radio on the Husker Sports Network, consisting of 30 stations around Nebraska and Iowa that provide coverage of Nebraska athletic events. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka will call the action while former Husker Andy Markowski sits in to add color commentary. The broadcast will be carried around the world live on the Internet on Huskers.com.
NU men's basketball home games can typically also be heard on satellite radio during the regular season. The Nebraska broadcast of Sunday's game will be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio on channel 118.
Nebraska is looking to get back on the right track to end the regular season following a pair of tough road losses in the past week. NU had its Big 12-high three-game win streak snapped last Saturday at OklahomaState before falling in a tough contest at No. 9 Texas on Tuesday. The Huskers trailed by 17 points less than two minutes into the second half but rallied to tie the game on several occassions, including at 61-61 in the final minute of the contest before falling by four.
The Huskers received another outstanding performance from senior center Aleks Maric, who will be in the debate for first-team All-Big 12 honors that will be announced next week. Maric, who was named a first-team all-region selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) this week, posted a team-high 17 points with 10 rebounds at Texas. The double-double was his 10th in the past 11 games, and gave him 25 double-doubles against Big 12 teams in his career, a new league record.
Along with Maric's steady hand, sophomore Ryan Anderson has stepped up his play in the past five games, although it has come in different ways than normal. Usually one of the team's biggest threats from 3-point range, Anderson has hit 8-of-21 from beyond the arc in the last five cotests while averaging just over eight points per game. His biggest contribution has come by posting 14 assists and 11 steals, both team highs in that span.
Anderson hit a season-high-tying four 3-pointers against Texas on Tuesday. He was joined by junior guard Paul Velander who dropped in three treys while helping Nebraska to a season-high 10 3-pointers on 21 attempts.
Nebraska has hit 50.6 percent from the floor over the past five games, including four straight games knocking down at least 50 percent. Junior guard Steve Harley has been another major contributor in that stretch, hitting 29-of-52 shots from the floor (55.8 percent). He has four 3-pointers in the past two games after posting nine treys in his first 25 games in a Husker uniform.
|+| Senior Day Honors
Before Sunday's game with Colorado, the Nebraska basketball program will honor its lone senior, center Aleks Maric.
Fans should plan to get to the DevaneyCenter by 1:30 p.m. to check out the ceremony. The honors will begin with 17:00 on the game clock when the National Anthem of Australia will be played to honor the Sydney, Australia, native and his family. The National Anthem of the United States of America will be performed immediately after the Australian anthem.
As soon as the Color Guard and the Colorado team leaves the floor, a highlight video of Maric's career will be played on the HuskerVision boards. Once the video is complete, Maric and his parents, Stevan and Draginja Maric, will be introduced as they proceed to midcourt where Aleks will be presented with a framed jersey by Coach Doc Sadler.
The Maric family and Sadler will then pose for pictures before the whole team joins them for a Nebraska basketball Senior Day team picture.
All events will be completed at approximately 10:00 on the game clock so the team can move to the locker room for final preparations before tipoff.
|+| Seedings Unsettled
Heading into the weekend, the seedings for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship are still wide open. Texas and Kansas will be either No. 1 or 2, and with a win, KansasState will be the No. 3 seed. After that, there are many scenarios that could determine the final standings and the seedings for next week's tournament in Kansas City.
As far as the Huskers are concerned, Nebraska enters the weekend with a chance to be the No. 7, 8, 9 or 10 seed. A Missouri victory over Oklahoma on Saturday would push the Huskers to the No. 10 seed no matter the outcome of Sunday's game with Colorado. An Oklahoma victory over the Tigers would give Nebraska at least a No. 9 seed, with a chance for a No. 7 seed still available.
Full seedings will be sent out by the Big 12 Conference office on Sunday as soon as they are available.
|+| Full Throttle
Nebraska has been up and down throughout the season with its offensive performance, but has seen its best ball movement and execution over the past five games. During that five-game span, the Huskers connected at a 50.6 percent clip from the floor while posting three straight wins before falling in tough road contests at Oklahoma State and Texas.
Nebraska hit at least 50.0 percent in each of the first four contests in the recent stretch, knocking down 51.9 percent against KansasState, 59.0 percent at Texas A&M and 50.0 percent against both Oklahoma and OklahomaState. NU hit 44.8 percent at Texas to snap the streak.
The four-game stretch marked the first time in the Big 12 era that Nebraska has hit at least 50.0 percent against four consecutive league teams. NU's previous high was two straight games at or above 50 percent.
Nebraska's 59.0 percent shooting (23-of-39) at Texas A&M was the second-highest single-game shooting performance by Nebraska against a league squad since the formation of the Big 12 Conference. The highest game total was 66.0 percent against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., in 1999.
Nebraska had hit better than 44 percent in a game just once in its first 10 conference games before the recent efficient offensive streak.
|+| Maric Approaches Rare Numbers
Nearing the end of a solid career in the powerful Big 12 Conference, senior center Aleks Maric can certainly stand up statistically with the best post players in the Big 12 era. Maric is already ninth among the career leaders in double-doubles and is 70 points from moving into the top 20 scorers. With his first rebound against KansasState at home, Maric moved among the Big 12's top 10 rebounders and currently stands in sixth place entering the regular-season finale against Colorado.
With 10 free throws against Texas Tech, Maric reached 400 in his career, becoming only the eighth player in the Big 12 era with 400 or more made free throws. He hit 12-of-14 against Missouri to move into fourth in the Big 12 era and now trails only Texas Tech's Martin Zeno (1st), Texas A&M's Joseph Jones (2nd) and former Texas A&M guard Bernard King (3rd).
With 11 rebounds against Oklahoma, Maric became the all-time Big 12 leader in conference-only rebounds. He now has 558 boards against Big 12 teams, passing the previous mark of Texas's James Thomas, who held the former record with 535 rebounds in league games between 2001 and 2004.
One impressive list Maric joined against Texas A&M is the 1,500-point, 900-rebound club. During the Big 12 era, Maric is only the sixth conference player to reach the mark, joining players from Kansas (2), Missouri (1), Oklahoma (1) and OklahomaState (1).
Big 12-era Players with 1,500-Points, 900-Rebounds*
No. Player (school, years) Points Rebounds
1. Nick Collison (KU, 2000-03) 2,097 1,143
2. Arthur Johnson (MU, 2000-04) 1,759 1,083
3. Eduardo Najera (OU, 1997-00) 1,646 910
4. Aleks Maric (2005-pres.) 1,559 959
5. Ivan McFarlin (OSU, 2001-05) 1,526 978
Drew Gooden (KU, 2000-02) 1,526 905
* List sorted by points
** Currently only one other Big 12-era player has at least 1,500 points and 800 rebounds (Wayne Simien, KU, 2002-05; 1,593 points; 884 rebounds) although Texas A&M's Joseph Jones (2005-pres.) is closing in on that level with 1,626 points and 797 rebounds.
|+| Huskers Earn Honors
A pair of Huskers earned honors this week, one for his play on the court and one for his work in the classroom.
Senior center Aleks Maric, a preseason first-team All-Big 12 pick, was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) all-region first team this week. He was joined by Kansas' Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers, KansasState's Michael Beasley and Oklahoma's Blake Griffin on the first team. Kansas' Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur, KansasState's Bill Walker, Colorado's Richard Roby and Drake's Josh Young were named to the District 12 second team.
It is the second honor for Maric by the NABC and the first selection to the first team. Maric is now eligible for selection to the All-America team, announced Saturday, April 5.
Also honored this week was junior guard Paul Velander, who was named as a member of the academic All-Big 12 First Team. Velander was also a first-team selection last season, and was one of 10 Huskers named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll earlier this year.
|+| Leader of the Pack
Preseason all-conference center Aleks Maric is Nebraska's leader and is one of the top centers in the nation. The senior from Sydney, Australia, led NU to 17 wins last season under first-year coach Doc Sadler while earning second-team all-conference honors.
More honors await in 2008 as he has again been one of the top players in the Big 12 Conference. Maric and freshman Michael Beasley of Kansas State are the only players in the Big 12 Conference ranked among the league's top eight in scoring (Maric, 6th; 16.0 ppg), rebounding (3rd; 10.0 rpg) and field-goal percentage (2nd; 57.3) entering this week's action.
Along with his powerful offensive game, Maric has improved defensively as well. He is fourth in the league in blocked shots (1.61 bpg) and has set a single-season career high with 34 steals.
In Big 12-only games, Maric is second in the league in rebounding at 11.3 boards per game while ranking seventh in scoring at 15.8 points per contest.
Maric is the active career leader in the Big 12 for rebounds (959), double-doubles (36) and double-figure rebound games (39). Freshman Michael Beasley of Kansas State is the only other player in the league with 20 career double-doubles or double-figure rebounding games, as he has an NCAA freshman record and Big 12 single-season record 26 double-doubles this season.
Maric ranks second all-time at Nebraska in career rebounds and is eighth in scoring, as he passed former Husker Cookie Belcher (1,552 points) on the scoring chart with 17 points at Texas on March 4.
Nebraska Career Scoring Chart
No. Name (Years) Career Points
1. Dave Hoppen (1983-86) 2,167
2. Eric Piatkowski (1991-94) 1,934
3. Jerry Fort (1973-76) 1,882
4. Andre Smith (1978-81) 1,717
5. Jaron Boone (1993-96) 1,609
6. Erick Strickland (1993-96) 1,586
7. Tyronn Lue (1996-98) 1,577
8. Aleks Maric (2005-pres.) 1,559
9. Cookie Belcher (1997-2001) 1,552
10. Rich King (1988-91) 1,475
|+| 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 league foes. The active career leader in the Big 12 Conference, 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 three home games with at least 16 rebounds (17 vs. KansasState; 16 vs. Alabama A&M and Missouri). He now has eight career games with at least 15 rebounds. With eight rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore on Jan. 4, he took over sole possession of second place on the Husker career chart.
Nebraska Career Rebound Leaders (since 1952)
No. Player (seasons) Rebounds
1. Venson Hamilton (1996-99) 1,080
2. Aleks Maric (2005-present) 959
3. Leroy Chalk (1969-71) 782
4. Dave Hoppen (1983-86) 773
5. 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
Maric moved into the career top 10 in the Big 12 era with 17 rebounds against No. 24/25 KansasState at home. Maric will have a chance to challenge for a top-5 position in the conference list this weekend in the regular-season finale against Colorado, as he needs nine boards to pass OklahomaState's Ivan McFarlin for fifth place.
Big 12 Conference Career Rebound Leaders
No. Player, School (seasons) Rebounds
1. Nick Collison, Kansas (1999-2003) 1,143
2. Arthur Johnson, Missouri (2001-04) 1,083
3. James Thomas, Texas (2001-04) 1,077
4. Stephane Pelle, Colorado (1999-2003) 1,053
5. Ivan McFarlin, Oklahoma State (2001-05) 967
6. Aleks Maric, Nebraska (2005-08) 959
7. Chris Mihm, Texas (1998-2000) 945
8. Eric Chenowith, Kansas (1997-2001) 933
9. Venson Hamilton, Nebraska (1997-99) 919
10. Eduardo Najera, Oklahoma (1997-2000) 910
|+| 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 11 double-doubles last season and, after posting 12 this season, now has 36 in his career, a total that ranks second in Nebraska history. He is currently eighth in double-doubles Big 12 Conference history. Maric has 25 double-doubles in Big 12 play to rank first in league-only games, bettering the mark of NU's Venson Hamilton who had 24 double-doubles in Big 12 action from 1997-99.
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. He then went 11 games without a double-double until posting 13 points and 13 rebounds at Missouri.
During his 11-game stretch without a double-double he had nine rebounds and double-figure points five times.
Between Jan. 30 against Missouri and Feb. 20 against KansasState, Maric recorded seven straight double-doubles, the longest streak of his career. Last year, Maric finished the season with six straight double-doubles. During the seven-game surge, Maric averaged 14.4 rebounds per game, including 5.9 offensive boards per game.
The streak came to an end against the huge frontcourt of Texas A&M, as Maric had just five rebounds while helping NU upset the No. 22 Aggies. He then returned to his normal ways by posting double-doubles in each of the past three games, including a pair of road contests.
Nebraska Career Double-Doubles
Rank Player (Years) Double-Doubles
1. Venson Hamilton (1996-99) 46
2. Aleks Maric (2005-present) 36
3. 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
Big 12 Career Double-Doubles
Rank Player, School (Years) Double-Doubles
1. Chris Mihm, Texas (1998-00) 47
2. Venson Hamilton, Nebraska (1997-99) 46
3. Drew Gooden, Kansas (1999-02) 44
4. Raef LaFrentz, Kansas (1996-98) 40
5. Wayne Simien, Kansas (2001-05) 38
6. Stephane Pelle, Colorado (1999-03) 37
Nick Collison, Kansas (1999-03) 37
8. Aleks Maric, Nebraska (2005-present) 36
Arthur Johnson, Missouri (2001-04) 36
10. Eduardo Najera, Oklahoma (1997-00) 30
Big 12 Career Double-Doubles (conference-games only)
Rank Player, School (Years) Double-Doubles
1. Aleks Maric, Nebraska (2005-present) 25
2. Venson Hamilton, Nebraska (1997-99) 24
3. Chris Mihm, Texas (1998-00) 22
4. Stephane Pelle, Colorado (1999-03) 20
Drew Gooden, Kansas (1999-02) 20
6. Raef LaFrentz, Kansas (1996-98) 19
7. Wayne Simien, Kansas (2001-05) 16
Kimani Ffriend, Nebraska (2000-01) 16
9. Eduardo Najera, Oklahoma (1997-00) 14
10. Eric Chenowith, Kansas (1997-2001) 12
|+| Miller Suffers Shoulder Sprain
Nebraska point guard Cookie Miller went down with a shoulder injury with six minutes to play in the contest at Texas A&M on Saturday, Feb. 23, and his availability for this weekend's game against Colorado is uncertain.
A time line for Miller's return has not been set as he is day-to-day. Miller was on the bench but did not dress in uniform the first two games after the injury, but was dressed and available to play on Tuesday at Texas, although he did not see any action.
An MRI on Monday, Feb. 25, revealed that Miller suffered a severe shoulder sprain. The original, game-time diagnosis of a possible dislocated shoulder was up-graded following the examinations.
Miller, who ranks in the top 10 in assists, steals and assist:turnover ratio in Big 12-only games, has averaged 6.1 points, 4.1 assists and 2.0 steals per contest in 25 games this season.
|+| Sadler Quickly Setting Marks
Coach Doc Sadler will give all the credit to the players for making plays on the court, but he has put Nebraska players in position to find success like no other coach in program history.
In his first two seasons in Lincoln, Sadler's teams have already posted 34 wins with 17 victories (so far) in each season. Sadler is the first coach in Nebraska basketball history to post at least 17 victories in each of his first two seasons at the helm of the program.
Sadler's 34 overall wins rank second only to Paul Schlisser, who had 37 combined wins at Nebraska in the 1920 (22 wins) and 1921 (15 wins) seasons. Danny Nee, who holds the Nebraska career head coaching record with 254 victories in 14 seasons, also had 34 wins in his first two years, including 21 victories in 1987 and 13 wins in 1988.
|+| Henry Picks Up Pace
Sophomore guard Sek Henry has always had a solid offensive game according to Coach Doc Sadler, so it is no surprise that it has been on the defensive end where Henry has made his most improvements. Henry has struggled to find a balance between offense and defense, but started to show signs of finding a comfortable middle ground in a road victory against Missouri.
Henry kept the Huskers afloat in the first half, scoring 12 points in the opening frame on a career-high four
3-pointers. He entered the Missouri contest with just eight 3-pointers in the first 17 games of the season.
Henry, who finished the contest with MU with 14 points, became the fourth Husker with at least four treys in a game this season. He joined Jay-R Strowbridge (4 vs. Presbyterian), Ryan Anderson (4 vs. ArizonaState; 4 vs. Missouri at home) and Cookie Miller (4 vs. Colorado).
The 14 points were one off his season high of 15 against North Carolina Central. It was his sixth career double-figure scoring game, and first career double-figure scoring game in Big 12 Conference play. It was his highest scoring effort in his first 21 career Big 12 contests. His previous high was nine in his first career league game last year.
After the strong mid-week contest, Henry followed with 11 points and five rebounds against IowaState and 10 points at KansasState. It was the first time in his career that Henry scored double-figures in three straight games. He had scored double figures in back-to-back games only once before his current stretch, against Hawaii and Houston in the non-conference slate last year.
Henry again came up big for the Huskers on the road against No. 22 Texas A&M. After point guard Cookie Miller was knocked out of the game with an injury, Henry stepped up to hit a pair of 3-pointers while also guiding the offense from the point guard spot. He finished with a team-high-tying 11 points.
At Texas, Henry made his third straight start at point guard and had a quiet eight points with three assists in 19 minutes. Henry scored five points in the final minute as he hit a 3-pointer and a driving layup that kept Nebraska within two points in the last 60 seconds.
|+| Stepping Up
During the Huskers' recent three-game win streak, Nebraska saw several players come off the bench to provide a spark and give NU the winning edge.
In Nebraska's contest at Texas, junior guard Paul Velander was the Husker to step up. The Blacksburg, Va., native hit three 3-pointers to help NU to a season-high 10 treys as Nebraska came back from a 17-point second-half deficit and had the game tied in the final minute on the road against the No. 9 Longhorns.
It was the second time in the last three games that Velander made his presence felt. After hitting just five
3-pointers in the first 12 league contests, Velander carried a great two days of practice over to the court against Oklahoma when he went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc to post a season-high 11 points off the bench against the Sooners.
In the previous game at Texas A&M, Nebraska saw sophomores Sek Henry and Chris Balham each post one of their best games of the year. Henry had 11 points including a pair of 3-pointers while running the point the final six minutes after point guard Cookie Miller went out with an injury. Balham added a career-high 10 points while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor, both career highs.
Balham also had a solid impact with five points off the bench against KansasState. Sophomore guard Jay-R Strowbridge also came off the bench to hit a pair of
3-pointers at key moments to help Nebraska to the upset of the ranked Wildcats.
|+| Road Warrior
Diminutive guard Cookie Miller showed early in his career that he can play with the big boys, especially in hostile environments.
Miller proved how explosive his offensive game can be when he took over for the Huskers in the second half against Creighton in Omaha. Miller, who had recorded 11 points in his first three games combined, posted a game-high 19 points against the Blue Jays. 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 in a come-from-behind attempt that fell short. Miller hit 7-of-13 attempts from the floor against the Blue Jays.
In his first Big 12 Conference road game against Colorado, Miller again stepped up to pace the offense as he posted a game-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting while hitting four 3-pointers. Miller's third double-figure scoring game also came on the road as he had 14 points to go with eight assists at Kansas State.
In road games this season, Miller is second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game. Center Aleks Maric is the only other double-figure scorer as he has posted team highs with 11.9 points with 10.8 rebounds away from home.
Miller has hit 30-of-71 field-goal attempts (42.3 percent) away from the DevaneyCenter, including nailing nine shots from beyond the arc. At home, Miller has averaged 4.6 points per game on 34.9 percent shooting (29-of-83) including connecting on just 6-of-32 3-point attempts (18.8 percent) at home.
|+| Dishing It
Freshman point guard Cookie Miller had a tremendous impact on the outcome of Nebraska's first game back from a three-day break for Christmas, as he posted eight points, 10 assists and five steals in the Huskers' 77-53 win over Alcorn State. Miller just missed his first career double-double while recording a then-personal high scoring effort in the DevaneyCenter (eight points; season high is 19 on the road).
Miller's double-figure assists marked the 25th time and he became the ninth Husker since 1984-85 to record at least 10 assists in a game. He is the first freshman in that time to record double figure assists, making him the first Husker freshman in the Big 12 era to post at least 10 assists in a game.
The list of Huskers with at least 10 assists in a game during the Big 12 era includes:
10 Cookie Miller (AlcornState) 2007-08
15 Charles Richardson Jr. (at Rutgers) 2006-07
10 Jake Muhleisen (Minnesota) 2002-03
10 Cookie Belcher (Pittsburgh) 1999-2000
Miller is only the second Husker in the past five years to record 10 assists in a game joining Charles Richardson Jr. who had 15 in a road game last year at Rutgers. The Huskers' previous 10-assist game was 2002-03 when Jake Muhleisen had 10 against nationally ranked Minnesota at home.
Miller nearly made it two straight games with double-figure assists as he had nine assists against Maryland Eastern Shore in the non-conference finale. His 19 assists in two games were the most since Richardson had 22 (15 vs. Rutgers; 7 vs. Oregon) last year.
In conference play, Miller has had 30 turnovers in 396 minutes (team-high 33.0 mpg) in league play, including only one turnover in 32 minutes against No. 3 Kansas at home and one miscue in 34 minutes in his first Big 12 road game against Colorado.
Miller's steady hand as a ball-distributor has helped the freshman lead the team with 101 assists (4.0 apg) against 56 turnovers, including 43 assists in 12 league games.
NU Freshman Top 10 ? Assists
No. Name (Year) Assists
1. Tyronn Lue (1996) 144
2. Jake Muhleisen (2002) 105
3. Cookie Miller (2008) 101
4. Jaron Boone (1993) 87
5. Brian Carr (1984) 78
6. Marcus Walker (2006) 74
7. Cookie Belcher (1997) 68
Eric Piatkowski (1991) 68
9. Charles Richardson Jr. (2004) 66
Erick Strickland (1993) 66
|+| Among the Best Rookies
As a newcomer to the league, freshman point guard Cookie Miller will be tested repeatedly during the Big 12 Conference season. His continued success will likely put Miller in the mix when the media votes on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
Through Friday, March 7, Miller ranked seventh in the Big 12 Conference in assist:turnover ratio (1.80-to-1), fourth in assists per game (4.04) and third in steals per game (2.04). He is the only freshman ranked in the top 10 in steals and assist:turnover ratio, and the only freshman in the top seven in assists.
In league-only games, Miller leads the league in steals per game at 2.00 and is sixth in assists (3.58) and ninth in assist:turnover ratio (1.43:1).
|+| Stealing the Show
Freshman Cookie Miller has quickly made a name for himself on the defensive end of the floor as he moved onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 steals list with five thefts against AlcornState on Dec. 29. He had at least one steal in each of his first 14 career games until seeing the streak snapped against Colorado on the road. The only games Miller has not recorded a steal were against CU, Texas Tech and Missouri.
After posting four games this season with at least five steals, Miller now ranks second in NU freshman history with a team-leading 51 steals this season. The Nebraska 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.
NU Freshman Top 10 ? Steals
No. Name (Year) Steals
1. Cookie Belcher (1997) 87
2. Cookie Miller (2008) 51
3. Tyronn Lue (1996) 50
4. Erick Strickland (1993) 47
5. Joe McCray (2005) 32
Clifford Scales (1988) 32
7. Jake Muhleisen (2002) 28
8. Jaron Boone (1993) 26
9. Ryan Anderson (2007) 25
10. Beau Reid (1988) 24
|+| Sadler Reaches Milestone
While the win over KansasState meant more to the Huskers in the Big 12 team race, second-year Coach Doc Sadler reached a noteworthy coaching milestone as he recorded his 200th career victory as a college head coach.
With 34 wins in his first two years at Nebraska, Sadler currently owns an 82-43 record at the Division I level. He was 48-24 at UTEP in two seasons and 120-39 in five years at Arkansas-Fort Smith, giving him a 202-82 career record in his ninth season as a college head coach.
Sadler, who also had 38 wins in one season as a high school head coach, has averaged more than 22 wins per season in his college coaching career. His average at the Division I level will remain at least 20 wins per season. Sadler posted the seventh-highest win total by a first-year head coach in NCAA history when his UTEP squad won 27 games in 2004-05.
|+| Defined by Defense
Nebraska has been defined by its defense this season as the Huskers rank among the top 25 in both scoring defense (16th) and field-goal percentage defense (31st). While the Huskers earned much of the lofty ranking in non-conference play, Nebraska has also been solid in league action with a high water mark coming in the opening half of the game at IowaState.
The Cornhuskers set a then-Big 12 record for conference-only games by allowing ISU to score just 11 points in the opening period. The mark surpassed the effort of Oklahoma which held Texas Tech to 12 points in the first half of a contest in 2006.
The Cyclones were limited to just 19.0 percent in the frame on 4-of-21 shooting. ISU went more than 10 minutes (10:26 to be exact) between field goals, scoring just two free throws while being forced to miss eight straight shots and committing nine turnovers in the span.
In what could be seen as a microcosm of the Huskers' season, the defensive effort went for naught as ISU scored an opponent second-half high 49 points.
|+| Anderson Makes Impact
Guard Ryan Anderson was the second-leading returning scorer from last season and because of the early success as a true freshman, he has had high expectations put on him in his young career. After struggling to find his rhythm early in the season, Anderson made a huge impact for the Huskers between Jan. 30 and Feb. 23.
During the eight-game surge, Anderson averaged 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while hitting 44.4 percent from the field, including 42.1 percent from 3-point range. Sixteen of his 27 made shots during the stretch came from beyond the arc. He also had 21 assists against just 12 turnovers and added 16 steals in those eight league contests.
Anderson added two double-doubles during the eight-game span and is the only current Husker with a career double-double besides center Aleks Maric, who is ninth in the Big 12 era with 36 career double-doubles. Both of Anderson's double-doubles came against Missouri, with 11 points and 10 rebounds in Columbia and 15 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds in Lincoln.
|+| 40-pointers
Nebraska's impressive defensive performances against SavannahState and North Carolina Central marked the first time in the 31-year history of the DevaneyCenter that NU held consecutive opponents in the building to less than 40 points. NCCU's 28 points was the second-lowest total in building history and the second-fewest points allowed in a game by Nebraska since 1947. SSU's 37 points were the sixth-lowest in building history.
Overall, the Huskers have held just five teams to less than 40 points in DevaneyCenter history, including two this season.
The last time Nebraska held consecutive teams to less than 40 points at home was the first two games of the 1949-50 campaign. That season marked the last time Nebraska won a league title, as it tied for first place in the Big Seven Conference that year.
|+| 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 has already come into play more often this year.
Sadler's penchant for a disruptive defense has been widely embraced by the players and fans alike. Through 28 games this season, Nebraska has forced 443 turnovers while recording 236 steals. Twelve Huskers have posted at least one steal in a game this year, including five players averaging at least one steal per game.
Nebraska posted a season-high-tying 14 steals against North Carolina Central, equaling the mark set against Alabama A&M. The 14 steals are the second-most by a Husker squad under Sadler, trailing only the 15 against North Texas last year. The 14 steals against NCCU made it three consecutive games with double-figure steals.
Nebraska also had at least 10 steals in four straight games against Baylor, at Kansas, at Missouri and against IowaState. It was the first time since 1999 the Huskers had double-figure steals in four straight games.
Overall this season, Nebraska has posted double-figure steals 11 times. The Huskers have had at least nine steals in 16 games this year after posting at least nine steals in just four games in 2006-07.
Nebraska leads the Big 12 with 7.80 steals per game in 12 league-only contests. NU is second overall on the season in steals with 8.42 per game.
Nebraska Team Steals (Big 12 era)
Year Steals Games Avg/G Ind. High
2007-08 236 28 8.4 51
2006-07 205 31 6.6 56
2005-06 207 33 6.3 33
2004-05 163 28 5.8 32
2003-04 194 31 6.3 36
2002-03 188 30 6.3 47
2001-02 203 28 7.3 48
2000-01 237 30 7.9 82
1999-00 215 30 7.2 42
1998-99 359 33 10.9 102
1997-98 319 32 9.9 75
1996-97 298 33 9.0 87
|+| Getting Defensive
Nebraska has shown the ability to put on a strong defensive performance at times this season.
The biggest show-stopper came against North Carolina Central on Dec. 22 when Nebraska set the then-Big 12 Conference record by allowing just eight points in a half (first). NCCU posted only two 3-point field goals ? also tying the then-NCAA and Big 12 record low for field goals in a half ? and two free throws before intermission. The Big 12 and NCAA records held for only a couple weeks as Kansas State limited Savannah State to four second-half points and one field goal in the period on Jan. 7 to set the new NCAA records.
North Carolina Central finished with 28 points, just two off the Big 12 and building record of 26 points by Bethune-Cookman in 2003. NCCU's nine field goals in the game also tied the Big 12 Conference opponent low.
It was the second straight game at the DevaneyCenter that Nebraska completely dominated the defensive end. Against SavannahState on Dec. 11, the Huskers allowed just 37 points while holding SSU to just 26.4 percent shooting from the field. The Tigers had just 12 points at the half, tying the previous Big 12 record low for a period, as Nebraska allowed just 20 total points in the first period of the two consecutive games at the DevaneyCenter.
Big 12 Record Total
Fewest FG allowed -- game *9 vs. N.C. Central (2007)
*tied record
Nebraska Record at DevaneyCenter Total
Fewest FG allowed -- half 2 vs. N.C. Central (2007)
Fewest FG allowed -- game 9 vs. N.C. Central (2007)
Lowest FG pct. allowed 19.8 vs. N.C. Central (2007)
Points allowed ? half 8 vs. N.C. Central (2007)
Nebraska also put on defensive clinics in the first half of games at IowaState and at home against Oklahoma. In Ames, the Huskers set the then-Big 12 record for league games by holding ISU to just 11 points in the first period, surpassing the previous record of only 12 points by Texas Tech against Oklahoma in 2006. Nebraska matched the previous mark against the Sooners, holding OU to just 12 points in the opening period.
|+| Forcing the Issue
Nebraska's defensive pressure has forced teams into an average of 15.8 turnovers per game (443 through 28 games) this season. NU has forced at least 20 turnovers in a contest six times this season, including a season-high 26 against North Carolina Central.
Against IowaState on Feb. 2, NU forced 20 Cyclone turnovers. It was the second straight conference home game that NU forced at least 20 turnovers, as Baylor had 21 on Jan. 19, the most by a conference opponent since NU forced 26 against Texas Tech in 1999.
|+| Taking Care of Business
Coach Doc Sadler stresses the importance of ball security and being smart with every pass. The Huskers have done a solid job of listening to Sadler's direction while taking care of the ball this season as they have averaged just 13.3 miscues per game (372 turnovers in 28 games).
Nebraska had a season-low seven turnovers against then-No. 16 Oregon, including going the final 9:27 of regulation and all of overtime without a turnover. The Huskers also posted just seven turnovers in the non-conference finale against Maryland Eastern Shore.
NU opened conference play by posting only 12 turnovers against the strong defensive pressure of the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks and had nine turnovers on the road against Colorado and 10 turnovers at both Texas A&M and Texas.
The Huskers had their most secure league game handling the ball against Oklahoma, when they committed just eight turnovers. Through 15 Big 12 games, NU is averaging 13.0 turnovers per game in conference action.
NU's season high for turnovers came on the road against Western Kentucky when the Huskers had 23 miscues. Nebraska also had 21 turnovers in its road opener at Creighton, including 17 in the first half, and added a Big 12-high 19 turnovers at OklahomaState.
|+| Getting in Gear
Nebraska struggled at times early in the season to get the offense in full gear, but cranked it up a notch over the last five games of the non-conference season. During that span, the Huskers averaged 80.8 points per game on 52.0 percent shooting in five straight victories.
The Huskers had one of their most productive offensive games against SavannahState 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 then-season high and tied for the third-highest scoring game in the coach Doc Sadler era.
Nebraska came back to add 88 points in an overtime win over then-No. 16 Oregon and posted 71 points in a 43-point victory against North Carolina Central. Nebraska topped the 70-point mark for the fourth straight game with 77 points against AlcornState and rounded out the non-conference slate with 86 points against Maryland Eastern Shore.
The five-game streak scoring at least 70 points was the second-longest under second-year head coach Doc Sadler. Last year, NU had a seven-game streak, all in non-conference action.
|+| Accurate Trio Climbing Chart
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 battling injuries that have set him back twice this season, Strowbridge has again proven to be one of the Huskers' top 3-point shooters.
After setting a blistering pace as a rookie last season, Strowbridge has hit at a 39.6-percent clip from beyond the arc this season, knocking down 21-of-53 3-point attempts. While it is behind last year's average that ranks third in single-season history and first in the NU freshman record book (47.3 percent, 25-of-54), Strowbridge still ranks third on the career chart with a 42.2 percent (46-of-109) average.
With 109 attempts in his career, Strowbridge now qualifies for the Nebraska career record where he is in third place behind Brian Conklin, who knocked down 43.2 percent (176-of-407) in his career. Strowbridge's career mark is just behind NU's career 3-point leader Cary Cochran, who hit 268-of-630 attempts (42.5 percent) from long range.
Along with Strowbridge, two other current Huskers are on pace to land on the list at the end of their careers. Sophomore Ryan Anderson is currently fifth all-time in
3-point percentage at Nebraska and is on pace to break onto the NU career 3-pointers made list early next year. Paul Velander, a junior walk-on, has also bounced between the
No. 9 and No. 11 spots on the career chart this season.
Nebraska Career 3-point Pct. (min. 90 attempts)
Rank Player (seasons) 3FG 3PA Pct.
1. Brian Conklin (2001-04) 176 407 .432
2. Cary Cochran (1999-2002) 268 630 .425
3. Jay-R Strowbridge (2007-pres.) 46 109 .422
4. Clifford Scales (1988-91) 45 110 .4091
5. Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.) 94 230 .4087
6. Henry T. Buchanan (1987-88) 67 165 .406
7. Chris Cresswell (1990-92) 103 261 .395
8. Marcus Perry (2006-07) 98 249 .394
9. Ray Richardson (1989-90) 105 278 .377
10. Paul Velander (2006-pres.) 56 151 .3709
11. Wes Wilkinson (2003-06) 96 259 .3707
|+| Anderson Builds Solid Resume
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 is continuing to build a strong resume as one of the Huskers' top all-around players. A starter in every game this year, Anderson has averaged 9.1 points per game this year to rank second on the squad for the second straight season. Anderson owns the team lead with 46 3-pointers and 30.4 minutes per contest.
Anderson posted one of his most complete games against then-No. 16 Oregon, when he poured in 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added nine rebounds and four steals as the Huskers knocked off the nationally ranked Ducks. Two weeks earlier, Anderson knocked down four 3-pointers on his way to 14 points with seven rebounds and two steals against ArizonaState, helping the Huskers go 2-0 against the Pac-10 this season.
Anderson has been forced to become one of Nebraska's best rebounders, and has done a terrific job despite standing just 6-4. He has averaged 5.5 boards per game to rank second on the squad and 16th overall in the Big 12 conference. In league play, Anderson is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game to rank 18th. He posted his first career double-double ? and third career double-figure rebounding game ? with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a road win against Missouri this season and came back with 15 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds against Missouri in Lincoln.
Anderson had his best offensive game in league play against Texas Tech, posting 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He hit all three of his attempts from long range and added seven rebounds, two steals and an assist in 37 minutes.
Anderson put up some of his best games against the top competition.
In his career, Anderson has faced 11 ranked teams and averaged 12.4 points per contest (136 total points). As a true freshman last year as he averaged a team-best 15.8 points over four games in 2006-07 against ranked teams.
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.
Anderson was second on the squad with 48 3-pointers in 2006-07, 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.
|+| Meet the Colorado Buffaloes
The Colorado Buffaloes come into Sunday's Big 12 finale looking to end the regular-season on a positive note. The Buffs own an 11-18 record overall and are 3-12 in the league standings after falling by six points, 78-72, at KansasState earlier in the week. Colorado won its last home game with a 67-55 victory over IowaState last weekend. On the road, the Buffaloes are 3-9 this season, with seven straight losses in league play. The first time the teams matched up this season, Colorado won a 55-51 contest in Boulder in Nebraska's first road league contest of the year.
The Buffaloes are led by guard Richard Roby, who is among the league leaders by averaging 16.7 points per game this season. Roby has hit 43 3-pointers and has taken more than 25 percent of the team's free throw attempts, hitting at a 76.8-percent clip. Roby also leads the team in rebounding at 6.4 boards per game and is second in blocked shots (27) and third in steals (30).
Along with Roby, the Buffaloes have found consistency on the offensive end from guard Marcus Hall, who is averaging 13.8 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field. Hall leads the team with 48 3-pointers and paces the squad with 113 assists and 53 steals. In conference play, Cory Higgins has stepped up to become the Buffs' third scorer, averaging 9.0 points per contest while also ranking second on the squad in Big 12 games with 4.5 rebounds per game.
The Buffaloes have hit 45.5 percent from the field and have scored 60.5 points per game in Big 12 action, but have struggled to stop opponents as teams have hit 45.0 percent from the floor while scoring 67.5 points per contest. Colorado has also been outrebounded by an average of 5.6 boards per game (33.6-28.0) in league contests.
|+| Huskers Hang Tough Before Falling at Texas
Nebraska erased a 17-point, second-half deficit and had the game tied with less than 60 seconds to play, but Texas’ A.J. Abrams hit a huge 3-pointer and added four free throws in the final 23 seconds as the No. 9 Longhorns held on for a 70-66 victory over the visiting Huskers on Tuesday.
The FrankErwinCenter crowd saw a double-figure UT lead at the intermission quickly disappear as the Huskers came out in the second half as the aggressors and pushed the Longhorns to the brink of just their second home loss of the season. But behind Abrams’ clutch shots and D.J. Augustin’s strong play, Texas remained in a tie for the league lead with Kansas by improving to 12-3 in the conference and 25-5 overall. Nebraska dropped its second straight game and fell to 17-11 on the year and 6-9 in Big 12 action with one game to play.
Texas shot 53.8 percent from the floor in the opening frame and set the tone, with Augustin and Damion James each pouring in 14 points before the break. Nebraska trailed 38-25 at halftime and fell behind by 16 just seconds into the second period on Connor Atchley’s 3-pointer. After a Nebraska free throw, James scored his only basket of the second period as UT took a 17-point lead, 43-26, and looked to have the game easily in control.
But Nebraska would not go away, hounding the Longhorns on the defensive end while shots started to fall on offense. Nebraska hit 50.0 percent from the floor in the second half with the primary point of attack coming from beyond the arc where NU hit 6-of-10 3-point attempts in the second frame to climb back into the game.
After trailing by 17 points, Ade Dagunduro and Steve Harley made layups on consecutive possessions sandwiched around a UT turnover before the long ball started to really fall. Ryan Anderson’s 3-pointer at the 17:58 mark started the barrage, with Paul Velander and Harley each adding treys over the next three minutes to pull Nebraska within six.
The Huskers continued the aggressive defensive pressure, forcing UT into seven second-half turnovers after the Longhorns had just three miscues in the first 20 minutes.
After Abrams hit a jumper to push the Texas lead back to eight, Aleks Maric added a dunk and Velander dropped in his third 3-pointer of the game to get NU back within three. Augustin countered with a trey of his own but Maric added a layup, and Chris Balham hit a pair of free throws before Sek Henry’s layup with 9:39 to play pulled Nebraska even at 50-50.
The teams traded baskets before UT drilled a pair of 3-pointers and eventually pushed the lead back to seven, 61-54, with 4:45 to play, but Nebraska was not done.
The Huskers made three straight defensive stops and went to score on the other end with Anderson drilling a 3-pointer and Maric adding a pair of baskets to knot the score at 61-61 with 1:39 to play.
Nebraska forced UT into two missed shots, but the Longhorns came up with offensive rebounds each time before Abrams drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Texas ahead 64-61 with 41 seconds remaining.
Velander missed on his 3-point attempt to tie and the Huskers were forced to foul. After Abrams buried the first two free throws, Henry again made things interesting with a long 3-pointer from the top of the key, pulling NU back within two with 18 seconds to play. But Texas knocked down its last four attempts at the charity stripe to seal the victory.
Texas finished the game hitting 48.0 percent from the floor and 72.2 percent from the free throw line, taking 18 charity attempts while Nebraska tried just nine free throws. The Huskers connected on 44.8 percent from the field in the contest and finished with just 10 turnovers despite playing the third straight game without point guard Cookie Miller.
Maric led the way for the Huskers with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, his 10th double-double in the last 11 games. It was also Maric’s 25th career double-double against a Big 12 team, giving him sole possession of the Big 12 career record for double-doubles in conference-only games.
Anderson added 14 points, including hitting 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while Velander and Harley each added nine points. Augustin led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting for Texas while James finished with 16 and Abrams had 15.
Nebraska started the game on a strong note as it opened the game with a 12-5 surge behind a pair of baskets from Maric and a 3-pointer from Velander. The Longhorns quickly stormed back behind James and Augustin, who had seven straight points during a 11-2 run that gave UT the lead for the first time in the game at the 9:07 mark of the opening period.
Following A.J. Abrams' first basket that made it 16-14, the Huskers called a quick timeout before Anderson responded, hitting two 3-pointers in the next two minutes for a 20-18 Husker lead.
Augustin then hit a 3-pointer for Texas and Abrams connected on two free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer to start a game-changing run. The Longhorns produced 15 straight points in a run over the next six minutes until Jay-R Strowbridge snapped the scoreless streak with a driving layup into the lane.
The Longhorns finished the half on a 20-5 run as Nebraska went into halftime down 38-25. Despite starting the game 1-of-6 from the field and scoring just one basket in the first six minutes of the game, Texas finished the half hitting 53.8 percent (14-of-26) with James and Augustin each scoring in double figures.
|+| Single Digits Rarity?
In what is typically an uncommon sight, the Huskers held SavannahState without a double-figure scorer on Dec. 11. 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. NU also turned the trick against ArizonaState on Dec. 2, when three players each scored eight points to lead the team in a 62-47 loss to Nebraska.
Against North Carolina Central, the Huskers nearly made it three games without allowing a double-figure scorer as NCCU posted just 28 points in the contest, the second-fewest points NU has allowed since 1947. But Bryan Ayala's last basket gave him 11 points on the night to lead the Eagles. Only three other players scored for NCCU, one with seven points, one with six and one with four.
|+| Holding at 80
Nebraska has allowed just three teams (four occasions) to top the 80-point plateau in the Coach Doc Sadler era. Kansas (84 points) and Missouri (86 points in overtime) have topped the mark this season while Kansas (92) and Hawaii (81) reached the plateau last year. The first three contests were on the road while Missouri became the first team to score 80 points against a Sadler-led squad in Lincoln. All four games ended with Husker losses.
NU had gone 22 games without allowing a team to reach the 80-point plateau until Kansas scored 84 points against the Huskers in Lawrence earlier this season.
Much of Nebraska's success this season has come as a result of a pesky defense that ranked 16th nationally in scoring defense entering the weekend and a field-goal percentage defense that was 31st nationally.
|+| Maric Chart Watch
With eight rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore, senior center Aleks Maric improved his career total to 789 boards to rank second all-time on the Nebraska career rebounding chart. The Sydney, Australia, native took sole possession of the runner-up spot, passing Leroy Chalk who had 782 in his career. Maric will trail only Nebraska record-holder Venson Hamilton, who posted an amazing 1,080 rebounds in his career.
Maric, who currently has 959 career boards after picking up a double-double in 10 of his last 11 games, also moved into the career top 10 for scoring at Nebraska. Entering the game at KansasState on Feb. 6, Maric had 1,403 career points to rank 11th all-time in Husker history. He scored 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting to move into the Nebraska career top 10, passing 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year Venson Hamilton who had 1,415 career points.
Entering the season, Maric already ranked in the NU career top 10 for blocked shots, and currently he sits in seventh place with 133 after passing former teammate Wes Wilkinson (112).
Maric is already in the Nebraska top 10 for free throws made (430, 3rd) and attempted (651, 2nd), field goals (563, 7th) and games started (94, 8th).
|+| Scoring Droughts
Nebraska has dominated games this season by holding opponents to lengthy scoring droughts.
Among its best defensive starts to a game, Nebraska held North Carolina Central without a point for the first 5:00 of the game and allowed only one field goal in the opening 15:07 of the contest. NCCU went 10:07 between its first and second basket as NU ran to a 25-4 lead.
That strong start is becoming a similar trend as the Huskers also ran out to a 26-2 lead to start the contest with SavannahState. NU allowed just six points in the first 18:22 of the game as SSU went 6:07 without scoring a point to open the contest and then after its first field goal, did not score another point for another 7:46.
Nebraska has held an opponent without a field goal for at least five minutes 27 times this year (5:38 vs. Presbyterian; 5:05 and 5:28 vs. Alabama A&M; 5:28 vs. Alabama A&M; 7:59 vs. Norfolk State; 12:48 and 6:51 vs. Arizona State; 5:02 and 5:33 vs. Rutgers; 6:07, 7:46 and 5:05 vs. Savannah State; 5:00, 10:07, 10:05 and 6:58 vs. North Carolina Central; 5:04 and 5:24 vs. Alcorn State; 5:09 and 6:05 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore; 5:48 vs. Baylor; 5:42 and 7:19 vs. Iowa State; 5:25 at Kansas State; 6:08 vs. Texas Tech; 10:26 vs. Iowa State; 7:05 vs. Oklahoma).
In what was expected to be its toughest non-conference matchup of season at the Devaney Center, Nebraska put on a defensive clinic against ArizonaState. Nebraska allowed just one basket ? and only four points total ? over the final 11:26 of the opening period. 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 scoring drought in the coach Doc Sadler era. Last year, 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.
|+| Going 80
Nebraska topped the 80-point plateau in consecutive games against Oregon and SavannahState, and four times total this season. Nebraska reached at least 80 points in back-to-back contests only one time last year, when NU posted three straight games over 80 points to end the non-conference season.
Overall, NU had six 80-point games last year. The Huskers are now 10-0 when scoring at least 80 points under second-year coach Doc Sadler.
Eight of the 10 highest scoring games under Sadler have come at the DevaneyCenter. The only times Nebraska has topped the 80-point plateau away from Lincoln was in an 82-67 victory over Miami on a neutral court last year and the 88-79 overtime win over then-No. 16 Oregon in Omaha this year, which is Nebraska's highest-scoring game under Sadler.
|+| 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.
Sadler has said the main reason for redshirting the newcomers was to build the overall program, giving Nebraska a chance to compete for a high finish in the league once players have consistently been in the program for four and/or five years. If they were to play this year, Sadler has said its is likely two of the newcomers would be in NU's top seven rotation.
Also redshirting is freshman walk-on Mike Diacos.
|+| Aussie Honors
After a solid junior campaign that saw him average 18.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, center Aleks Maric was 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 was among 50 players named to the initial watch lists for two prestigious player-of-the-year honors, the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.
|+| Slowing the Scoring
Nebraska has been solid on defense this season and has allowed a Big 12-low 60.7 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting over 28 contests. NU has held seven opponents to 50 or fewer points this year, after holding just two opponents to under 50 points ? including a Division II school ? all of last season.
Through the NCAA reporting period on March 3, the Huskers ranked 16th in scoring defense and 31st nationally in field-goal percentage defense.
The most high-profile teams Nebraska has held under 50 points this season were ArizonaState and Oklahoma. 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.
Against Oklahoma, Nebraska kept the Sooners off the scoreboard for the first 4:58 of the game and held them scoreless for a 7:05 stretch in the first half. OU posted just 12 points in the first half, one off the Big 12 record Nebraska set two weeks earlier at Iowa State when the Huskers held ISU to just 11 first-half points.
Oklahoma turned around to break the Big 12 record set by Nebraska against Iowa State, as the Sooners held A&M to just 10 first-half points on March 1.
Nebraska opened the year on a strong note as it held its first three opponents to 52 or fewer points, the first time it accomplished the feat to open the season since 1946-47. The last time NU held three straight opponents to 52 or fewer points at any point in a season was 1981-82.
|+| 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.
Sadler already owns 34 victories as Nebraska's head coach and is 12th overall in victories at Nebraska (among 26 all-time NU head coaches). A quick look at Nebraska's head coaches and their win totals through their first two years in Lincoln puts Sadler in a tie for second place all-time alongside Danny Nee, who set the NU career coaching record with 254 wins in 14 seasons.