Huskers End Home Stand Against Hornets

Husker Game Day

Nebraska Game Notes: Click Here

Game Day: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008

Tipoff: 7:07 p.m.

Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595)

TV: Fox Sports Midwest in state of Nebraska only, Play-by-play: Greg Sharpe. Color: Eric Piatkowski.

Satellite TV: ESPN FullCourt, DirecTV, Dish Network

Radio: Husker Sports Radio Network stations, Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka. Color: Matt Davison.

Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Parking at the Devaney Center: Map (PDF)
Getting Around: Devaney Center Fan Guide (PDF)
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Huskers end Four-Game Home Stand with Matchup Against Hornets

The Nebraska basketball team makes its final stop at the Bob Devaney Sports Center before a two-game road swing to the West Coast as it takes on Alabama State on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The Huskers and Hornets will tip off at 7:07 p.m. in the third straight game televised on Fox Sports Midwest within the state of Nebraska.

 

The NU-ASU telecast on Wednesday can be seen in the state on Fox Sports Midwest (channel 37 on Time Warner in the Lincoln area; channel 47 in Omaha on Cox Cable) with Greg Sharpe calling the action and Eric Piatkowski serving as color analyst. It will also be available on ESPN FullCourt around the country, and only within the state of Nebraska on DirecTV and Dish Network.

 

All of Nebraska’s games can also be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, consisting of 31 stations around the state, and for free around the world on the Internet at Huskers.com, the official Web site of Nebraska Athletics. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka will call the action while former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary.

 

 The matchup with Alabama State marks the second straight game for the Huskers against a team that played in the postseason last year. ASU went 20-11 last season to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season title and played in the NIT. The Hornets fell in the first round of the NIT at Arizona State, 64-53, but trailed the Sun Devils by just eight points in the final four minutes.

 

 Following an exciting, last-second victory over in-state foe Creighton on Saturday, the Huskers return to their home court against Alabama State trying to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 2001-02 and only the second time during the Big 12 era. Since 1996-97, NU has opened a season with a 5-0 record five times (before this season) and fell in the sixth game of four of those campaigns.

 

 Nebraska will be trying to continue one of the program’s most impressive extended defensive performances in decades against the Hornets. Over the first five games of the season, Nebraska has held opponents to an average of 51.6 points per game, the top scoring defense in the Big 12 Conference. The strong defensive effort marks the first time since 1946-47 that Nebraska has held each of its first five opponents of the season to fewer than 60 points.

 NU hopes to add Alabama State to that list, which would mark the first time since World War II (1943-44 season) that the Huskers held their first six foes of the season to under 60 points each.

Scouting The Hornets

Alabama State enters the mid-week matchup with the Huskers with a 1-3 record and is looking for its second straight win.

ASU grabbed its first victory of the season in its last outing before Thanksgiving, defeating Houston Baptist, 77-68, on Nov. 23. The Hornets also have lost to SMU by five points, Illinois State by six and Southern Mississippi by 13.

The Hornets came out strong in their contest against Houston Baptist, hitting better than 62 percent from the field in the first half and finished the game knocking down 54 percent while holding HBU to just 36 percent. Alabama State was outrebounded, 40-33, as a pair of Huskies posted double-doubles with 20-plus points and 10 rebounds for Houston Baptist.

Forward Byron Walker countered the Huskies’ effort as he posted a team-high 17 points and 11 rebounds for ASU. He hit 8-of-13 shots from the floor and added two blocked shots in 38 minutes. Walker was joined in double figures by Andrew Hayles (16 points) and Brandon Brooks (13 points), who added nine assists.

Last year, Brooks and Hayles helped the Hornets to a 20-11 record, including a 15-3 mark to win the regular-season SWAC title. Hayles was the league player of the year after averaging 14.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He and Brooks return as starters this season, just a year after falling to Arizona State by 11 points in the first round of the 2008 NIT.

Brooks leads the team with 12.5 points per game this season while hitting just 31.9 percent from the field. He leads the squad with 27 assists (6.8 apg) and nine steals. Hayles has also averaged 12.0 points per game and is the team’s top 3-point shooter with eight treys this year (33.3 percent shooting). Walker had just six points in the first three games combined and is now averaging 5.8 points per game.

The much smaller Huskers will have a big challenge on their hands while guarding another returning player, 7-1, 265-pound center Chief Kickingstallionsims. Despite outsizing nearly any competitor he will see this year, Kickingstallionsims is averaging just 6.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game. He has hit 10-of-15 shots from the field and has a team-best 11 blocked shots.

The Hornets are guided by Lewis Jackson (Alabama State, 1984), who is in his fourth year leading his alma mater. Lewis owns a 43-52 career record, all with the Hornets.

Possible Alabama State Starting Lineup

Name                   Pos. Ht.   Wt.   Pt.   Rb.

Andrew Hayles       G    6-5  195   12.0 2.0

Brandon Brooks     G    6-2  180   12.5 4.0

Rashad Provitt       G/F  6-7  205   8.3   4.8

Byron Walker         F     6-8  240   5.8   5.3

Chief Kickingstallionsims      C     7-1  265    6.3        2.5

The Series

Nebraska and Alabama State are meeting for the first time in series history.

Nebraska has posted a 9-1 (.900) overall record against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The only leagues Nebraska has a better winning percentage against with at least 10 games played are the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (1.000, 11-0) and The Summit League (.926, 25-2). The Huskers are also 11-0 against Division I independents and 9-1 against teams from the Southland Conference.

 The Huskers have never played a SWAC team away from the Devaney Center.

 The matchup Wednesday will mark the fifth straight season Nebraska has played a team from the SWAC.

 Nebraska’s lone loss to a SWAC team was against Grambling State during the 1987-88 season. The Huskers fell 71-68 in overtime at home, but came back and defeated GSU two other times during the 1990s.

 

Nebraska-Alabama State Team Comparison

NU                      Stat                    ASU

63.4______ Points Per Game______ 65.0

51.6___ Points Allowed Per Game___ 68.8

44.0____ Field Goal Percentage____ 42.7

37.6_ Field Goal Percentage Defense_ 41.4

35.6___ 3pt Field Goal Percentage___ 27.1

24.7 3pt Field Goal Percentage Defense 25.9

69.5____ Free Throw Percentage____ 63.9

29.4_____ Rebounds Per Game_____ 33.2

-4.2_______ Rebound Margin______ -7.7

11.8______ Assists Per Game______ 11.0

12.8_____ Turnovers Per Game_____ 15.8

10.2______ Steals Per Game_______ 7.0

2.8_______ Blocks Per Game_______ 4.8

19.2_______ Fouls Per Game______ 20.3

Quick hits

Here is a quick look at the Huskers through four games this season:

 Nebraska has the Big 12 Conference’s top scoring defense, allowing just 51.6 points per game through five games.

 The Huskers are hitting 69.5 percent from the free throw stripe this season, an average that ranks third in the Big 12 Conference entering the week.

 Nebraska’s scoring is evenly distributed as five players are scoring at least six points per game with only one averaging double figures. Steve Harley has picked up the offensive pace and is leading the Huskers with 12.2 ppg.

 The Huskers have had a different leading scorer in four of five games with only Steve Harley pacing the Huskers more than once. Along with Harley (14 vs UAPB, 18 vs. Creighton), Toney McCray (17 vs. SJSU), Paul Velander (11 vs. TCU) and Sek Henry (19 vs. SLU) have also led the team in scoring. Harley is the only player to record double figures three times this season.

 Sek Henry has been proficient with the basketball, hitting a team-best 63.0 percent from the field, including connecting on 7-of-8 shots against Saint Louis.

 NU has forced 99 turnovers (19.8 per game) through five contests while allowing 40 assists on 85 made baskets. Nebraska has 59 assists on 110 baskets but has committed 64 turnovers (12.8 per game)

 The Huskers had just six turnovers in the game against Saint Louis. It tied the lowest total by the Huskers under Coach Doc Sadler.

 Six Huskers are averaging at least 1.0 steal per game. Sek Henry leads the way with 10 steals (2.0 spg), including a career-high four against San Jose State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

 Ryan Anderson, who ranked 18th last year in the Big 12 in rebounding, leads the team with 4.8 rebounds per game. For his career, he’s averaging 5.1 boards per game.

 Brandon Richardson has been excellent with his decision-making, posting just two turnovers in his first 91 career minutes. The only other player on the team with at least 70 minutes played and fewer than six turnovers is Paul Velander (1 turnover, 126 minutes).

 Cookie Miller leads the team with 19 assists against seven turnovers in 119 minutes off the bench. He is looking to become the first Husker to lead NU in assists as a freshman and sophomore since Tyronn Lue did it in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

Few and Far Between

Under Coach Doc Sadler, the Huskers have gained a reputation as one of the toughest defensive teams in the rugged Big 12 Conference, which in turns makes NU one of the best defensive teams in the nation.

This season, Sadler’s Huskers are opening the year at a level rarely seen. Through five games, the Huskers are allowing just 51.6 points per game and have not allowed an opponent to top 57 points yet this season.

In the Big 12 standings, Nebraska ranks first in scoring defense, ahead of second-place Texas, which entered the week allowing 55.4 points per game.

 Nebraska has held each of its first five opponents to fewer than 58 points. The last time NU held opponents to less than 60 points over the first five games of the year was the start of the 1946-47 season.

 The last time the Huskers held five straight opponents to fewer than 60 points in any five-game stretch was games 4 through 8 of the 1982-83 season. That was a streak of 802 games until before it was matched starting this season.

 Nebraska has not held six consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points since 1981-82 when the Huskers held seven straight teams to under 60 points (games 12 through 18).

Harley Starting to Rev up

Guard Steve Harley came on strong at the end of last season when he was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team by the league's sportswriters for his play in league action. Over the final 12 league games and the postseason, Harley assumed a lead role in the Husker offense, ranking second on the team with 11.0 points per game as he hit 45 percent from the floor including nearly 43 percent from 3-point range. He shot better than 78 percent from the charity stripe in that stretch.

 

This year he is picking up where he left off as he tries to guide the Huskers to their second straight postseason berth.

Harley is currently leading the team with 12.2 points per game. He has hit 46.0 percent from the floor, and has been one of the most aggressive Huskers getting to the basket, as he is tied for the team lead with 15 trips to the free throw line (13 made free throws). Harley is also averaging 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

 Over his last three games, Harley has averaged 16.0 points per contest. He led Nebraska past Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a game-high 18 points, had 12 against Saint Louis and again had 18 points in a 13-point second-half comeback victory over Creighton.   His career high is 20 points last year against Kansas State.

 After opening the season hitting just 4-of-13 over the first two games, Harley has since knocked down 19-of-37 shots (51.3 percent) over the past three games. Harley set a career high against Creighton with 16 field-goal attempts, making eight (one off career high).

 Harley has tied his career high for rebounds twice this season, posting six against San Jose State in the season opener and again in the come-from-behind win over Creighton.

 Harley had just one assist against Creighton, but it was the biggest one of the game. With the contest tied at 52-52, Nebraska had the ball with the shot clock off. Coach Doc Sadler drew up a play for Harley as the first scoring option. As he drove the lane to the basket, CU hedged to the middle and Harley made a nice wrap-around pass to Ade Dagunduro, who had an uncontested layup for the game-winning basket with 2.7 seconds remaining.

Dagunduro Getting on Track

After a sluggish start to the season in the first three games, senior guard Ade Dagunduro has started to turn up the intensity on both ends of the court over the past week.

One of the most athletic players in the Big 12 Conference, Dagunduro has brought his scoring average up to 7.6 points per game after scoring just six points in the first two contests of the year.

The biggest points of the season for Dagunduro came in the final seconds of a comeback victory over Creighton. The Inglewood, Calif., native got free on the right block when his defender hedged to the middle of the lane as Steve Harley drove with the ball. Harley made a nice wrap-around pass right to Dagunduro, whose uncontested layup with 2.7 seconds remaining was the game-winning bucket.

 Over the past two games, Dagunduro is averaging 12.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He has hit 9-of-16 shots (56.2 percent) from the field in those contests after starting the season shooting 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) from the floor.

 Dagunduro has scored double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season (14 vs. Saint Louis, 11 vs. Creighton). Last year, he recorded double figures in three straight games on two occasions.

 The slow start this season is the exact opposite of last year, which could be a good thing for the Huskers in the long run. Dagunduro started 2007-08 on fire, averaging 11.8 points per game in non-conference play while hitting 54.8 percent from the field. In league action, he had 5.8 points per game while knocking down just 40.4 percent from the field.

Comeback Kids

Nebraska not only picked up its second straight win over in-state foe Creighton in Lincoln on Nov. 29, but it also made for one of the more memorable comebacks by the Huskers since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.

Nebraska’s come-from-behind victory was keyed by a strong second-half performance from Steve Harley and Cookie Miller. Harley finished with a game-high 18 points with three steals and had the key assist on Ade Dagunduro’s game-winning basket with 2.7 seconds remaining. Miller posted six assists and two steals and got the Huskers’ offense into high gear after trailing by 13 points at halftime.

 The 13-point deficit the Huskers overcame matched the largest comeback under Coach Doc Sadler. It was also tied for the second-largest comeback by Nebraska during the Big 12 era, matching the 13-point deficit NU overcame at Texas Tech during Sadler’s first season on the sideline.

 The largest deficit Nebraska has rebounded from to win since the formation of the Big 12 Conference as 20 points against Kansas State in the first year of the league (1996-97). KSU also had the biggest halftime lead that NU has overcome in the Big 12 era as the Wildcats led by 18 points at the break.

 

Largest Nebraska Deficits Overcome to Win

(Big 12 era only, since 1996-97)

                                                Deficit

Year        Opponent                  Overcome

1996-97   Kansas State              20 points

2008-09   Creighton                  13 points

2006-07   at Texas Tech             13 points

2002-03   vs. UC Santa Barbara    12 points

1998-99   Texas A&M                12 points

2005-06   Baylor                      11 points

2004-05   Oklahoma State          11 points

2001-02   Colorado                  11 points

2000-01   Missouri                    11 points

1999-2000                        Eastern Illinois    10 points

1997-98   Baylor                      10 points

2003-04   Creighton (NIT game)    9 points

Hot Henry

After a strong offseason, Sek Henry has entered his junior season on a tear while helping the Huskers to a 5-0 record for the sixth time in the Big 12 era.

Through five games, Henry is second on the team in scoring with 9.2 points per game. Only one player (Steve Harley, 10.8 ppg) stands ahead of Henry by averaging double figures so far this season. Henry is also one of just three Huskers with more than one double-figure scoring game this season (Henry has reached double figures twice).

 Henry has averaged 11.0 points over his last three games. His 19 points against Saint Louis were one off his career high and were the most points he has scored at home in the Devaney Center.

 Henry scored 46 points (11.5 ppg) to open the first four games of the season, the second-best, four-game scoring stretch of his career. As a freshman, he posted 56 points (14 ppg) over four games to end the non-conference schedule.

 Henry has hit 17-of-27 shots (63.0 percent) from the field, including 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from 3-point range. His career averages entering this season were 36.7 percent shooting and 26.4 percent from beyond the arc.

 Also the team leader in steals with 10, Henry has twice this season tied his career high with four steals in a game.

 Being aggressive is in Henry’s nature on the court and it is showing this year. Although he has hit just 46.7 percent from the free throw line, he has done a nice job getting to the stripe as he is tied for the team lead with 15 free throw attempts.

Getting Defensive

Nebraska coach Doc Sadler has never had a problem getting his teams ready to play defense and the 2008-09 version of the Huskers seems to be no different.

Through five games, Nebraska is allowing just 51.6 points per contest and opponents have hit 37.6 percent (85-of-226) from the field, including 24.7 percent (21-of-85) from 3-point range. Nebraska has also forced 99 turnovers and collected 51 steals in five contests.

 The Huskers have allowed 258 points in the first five games of the year, the second time in three years under Doc Sadler that Nebraska has allowed fewer than 265 points in its first five games. The last time NU held its first five opponents to fewer than 258 combined points to open a season was the 1949-50 campaign.

 

NU’s Fewest Points Allowed in First Five Games

(Since 1947-48, beginning of Big Seven Conference)

       Year                             Points (Ppg)

1949-50................................ 244 (48.8)

1947-48................................ 252 (50.4)

2008-09................................. 258 (51.6)

1951-52................................ 259 (51.8)

2006-07................................ 264 (52.8)

1981-82................................ 267 (53.4)

2004-05................................ 269 (53.8)

1958-59................................ 271 (54.2)

2003-04................................ 274 (54.8)

1948-49................................ 280 (56.0)

 Nebraska held TCU to just 10 field goals in NU’s first road game of the season. The 10 field goals allowed were the second-lowest by a Husker squad under Sadler, trailing only the nine baskets allowed at home by North Carolina Central last season.

 The 10 field goals by the Horned Frogs were the fewest by an opponent away from the Devaney Center since Centenary had 10 baskets to open the 2002-03 season at the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.

 The 50 points scored by TCU marked the fewest Nebraska has allowed on the road since NU held Kansas State to 42 points in the first league road game of the 2005-06 campaign. In non-conference play, it was the fewest points a Husker squad has given up away from the Devaney Center since holding Centenary to 45 points in the first game of 2002-03.

 TCU's 50 points were also the fewest Nebraska has allowed in a true road opener since giving up just 49 points at Minnesota in the 1977-78 season.

 Nebraska gave up just 96 points in its first two games of the season, the second-lowest total given up by a Husker defense since the start of the 1958-59 season. Since the formation of the Big Seven in 1947-48, Nebraska allowed fewer points in the first two games of the year only three times.

Energy Guys

Following the season-opening contest against San Jose State, Coach Doc Sadler praised several players for their energy and hustle, especially the ones off the bench.

Leading the way that day was redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson, who posted six points, three rebounds, an assist and four steals in 16 minutes in his career debut. Richardson’s numbers did not tell the whole story as he made several dives to the floor and other hustle plays to ignite NU in the second half after SJSU cut the lead from 18 points to five. His steal off an inbounds and three-point play turned the game around, helping NU score 10 points in less than a minute to pull away for good.

Richardson has continued to improve and gain confidence each time he hits the court. Against UAPB, he scored a season-high nine points and had two assists without a turnover in 23 minutes of action. In his first 91 career minutes played, Richardson has just two turnovers.

Along with Richardson, senior Paul Velander has also been praised by Sadler for his energy coming off the bench, including following the Saint Louis game. In his postgame press confererence that night, Sadler said:

“We’ve got to get the rest of the team to make effort plays like Paul Velander. There’s not a player in the country who makes more effort plays than that guy.”

Velander has hit 13 3-pointers in five games, including four games with three treys apiece. He is third on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game and also leads the team with seven charges taken, including three against San Jose State and three vs. Saint Louis.

Turning it over

Nebraska will try to turn up the defensive pressure at times this season, especially while playing with a heavily guard-oriented lineup, including at times five guards on the floor at once. 

That strong defensive push was evident in NU’s opener as they forced 25 San Jose State turnovers. Spartans’ point guard Justin Graham was frustrated into 10 turnovers while going 0-of-5 from the floor in 33 minutes of action.

 The 25 turnovers Nebraska forced in the season opener against San Jose State were the second-highest total under Coach Doc Sadler. The most turnovers a Husker squad has forced in Sadler’s tenure is 26 last season against North Carolina Central.

 NU has now forced 99 turnovers through five games, while allowing teams to record just 40 assists on 85 baskets.

 The Huskers have forced at least 20 turnovers in three games this year. Nebraska forced Creighton into 24 turnovers in the two-point victory, including 12 turnovers in each half.

 Nebraska posted 16 steals in the defensive effort against San Jose State, the most by the Huskers under Sadler. The previous best under Sadler was 15 steals against North Texas in 2006.

 The Huskers have had double-figure steals in three of their first five games this season.

 Eight Huskers have recorded a steal this year, including six averaging at least 1.0 steal per game. Junior guard Sek Henry and redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson each had four steals apiece against San Jose State in the opener and Henry added four more against UAPB. Henry leads the team with 10 steals.

 The defensive pressure has helped Nebraska to a 82-35 advantage in points off turnovers this season.

 On the opposite end, Nebraska has been solid with the ball, averaging just 12.8 turnovers per game (opponents: 19.8 tpg).

 Nebraska posted just six turnovers against Saint Louis, tying the mark for fewest miscues in Sadler’s first three years. NU also had just six turnovers against Colorado in 2007.

 The last time Nebraska had fewer than six turnovers was when NU set the school record with three turnovers at Iowa State in 2003.

Miller ready to roll

Cookie Miller was the only true freshman to play for the Huskers last year when he posted near-record numbers for assists (109) and steals (58). This year, he is trying to take it a step higher as one of the top returning point guards in the Big 12 Conference.

Miller ranked sixth in the league for assists per game (3.6) last year and was the only freshman to rank in the top 10 for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). He was fourth in the Big 12 for steals per game (1.93), and owned the top spot with 2.0 steals per game in Big 12-only contests.

This season, Miller has come off the bench in each of the first five games and leads NU with 19 assists and is second with nine steals while committing just seven turnovers.

Former Husker great Cookie Belcher owns the Nebraska freshman record for steals with 87 and holds the NU and Big 12 Conference record with 253 steals in his career. Miller will try to join Belcher and Erick Strickland as the only Huskers with at least 100 steals at the end of their sophomore seasons. Belcher had 162 in his first two years while Strickland had 107.

 Miller came off the bench to efficiently guide the Husker offense in the second half of a comeback victory over Creighton. Miller had five assists and a steal in 15 minutes in the second half as Nebraska came back from 13 points down to earn the win. He finished with season highs in assists (6) and rebounds (4) while adding two steals in the win.

 Miller scored eight points against both UAPB and Saint Louis. The only time last year he scored at least eight points in consecutive contests was a four-game stretch that included Kansas State, Texas Tech, Missouri and Iowa State.

 Miller recorded four rebounds against Saint Louis and Creighton in consecutive games, tying his season high. Miller led the team in rebounding against Saint Louis, only the second time in his career he led the squad in boards. Last year, he tied three others for the team lead with four rebounds against Kansas at home.

Nebraska Career Steals (since 1978)

1.     Cookie Belcher (1997-2001)........ 353

2.     Erick Strickland (1993-96)........... 257

3.     Venson Hamilton (1996-99)......... 186

4.     Clifford Scales (1988-91)............ 177

5.     Brian Carr (1984-87).................. 159

6.     Tyronn Lue (1996-98)................ 154

7.     Larry Florence (1997-2000)......... 137

8.     Jaron Boone (1993-96).............. 131

9.     Eric Johnson (1988-89)............. 128

       Jack Moore (1979-82)................ 128

--     Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.)........... 80

--     Cookie Miller (2008-pres.).............. 67

--     Sek Henry (2007-pres.)................. 62

Anderson Nearing Record Book

At 6-4, guard Ryan Anderson may be a little undersized to play in the front court, but he is one of the biggest players on the court when he steps outside the 3-point line.

Anderson has made a living with the long ball in Lincoln, hitting 101 treys in his career. Anderson needs just two 3-pointers to tie Chris Cresswell for 10th on the NU career list.

 Anderson ranks second on the NU freshman list with 48 3-pointers in 2006-07 and last year posted 50 treys to rank third on the Huskers' sophomore chart.

 Only Nebraska's all-time 3-point leader, Cary Cochran, made more shots from outside the arc by the end of his sophomore season, as Cochran had 101 through two years.

 Anderson became the only Husker ever to post at least 48 treys in each of his first two years at NU.

 Despite nearing the record book, Anderson was stuck on 100 for two games after being held without a 3-pointer against UAPB and Saint Louis. It was just the fifth time in his career Anderson went consecutive games without a trey.

Nebraska Career 3-Point Field Goals Made

1.     Cary Cochran (1999-2002).......... 268

2.     Eric Piatkowski (1991-94)........... 202

3.     Jaron Boone (1993-96).............. 181

4.     Erick Strickland (1993-96)........... 179

5.     Brian Conklin (2001-04) ............ 176

6.     Cookie Belcher (1997-2001)........ 146

7.     Tyronn Lue (1996-98)................ 145

8.     Joe McCray (2005-06)................ 117

9.     Ray Richardson (1989-90).......... 105

10.   Chris Cresswell (1990-92)........... 103

--     Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.)......... 101

Anderson, Velander AMong Huskers’ most Accurate Duos

Ryan Anderson is not the only 3-point ace for the Huskers as senior guard Paul Velander has also proven to be one of the most accurate long-range shooters in Nebraska history.

The only fifth-year player for the Huskers this season, Velander enters his final year ranked ninth in NU history for 3-point field-goal percentage at 39.7 percent (81-of-204) while coming off the bench in 64-of-65 contests. With another year similar to the last two (36 and 32
3-pointers, respectively), Velander will also have a shot to reach the Nebraska career top 10 in
3-pointers made. He leads the team with 13 3-pointers this season, including three 3s in each of four games this season.

 

3-Point FG Pct. (min. 90 att.)    

                                     3FG  3PA  Pct.

1.  Brian Conklin (2001-04)   176   407  .432

2.  Cary Cochran (1999-2002) 268  630  .425

3.  Jay-R Strowbridge (2007-08) 50 122  .410

4.  Clifford Scales (1988-91)   45   110  .409

5.  Henry T. Buchanan (1987-88)    67  165    .406

6.  Paul Velander (2006-pres.)  81   204  .397

7.  Chris Cresswell (1990-92) 103   261  .395

8.  Marcus Perry (2006-07)     98   249  .394

9.  Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.) 101  261 .387

10. Ray Richardson (1989-90)  105        278        .378

McCray Making Name For himself

Redshirt freshman Toney McCray has already started to make a name for himself among Husker fans.

In his first career game, the lanky 6-6, 205-pound scored game highs with 17 points and nine rebounds against San Jose State. McCray hit 6-of-15 shots from the floor in his career debut against the Spartans. He just missed becoming the first Husker freshman to record a double-double in his first career game since Aleks Maric accomplished the feat in 2004-05.

McCray came back with nine points and five boards in the first road game of his career at TCU. After playing just eight minutes against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, all in the first half because of an illness, McCray posted seven points with two rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes against Saint Louis.

In his first game in front of a big crowd, McCray settled in nicely, posting six points, five rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench against Creighton.

McCray Named Rookie of the Week

Nebraska redshirt freshman guard Toney McCray was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week in a vote by league sportswriters on Monday, Nov. 17. McCray was honored alongside Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, who won the league’s player-of-the-week award.

The 6-6, 205-pounder from Missouri City, Texas, was the Huskers’ leading scorer and rebounder in both its exhibition win and the season-opening win over San Jose State. McCray, one of four Huskers who redshirted last year, quickly made his presence felt on the court as he posted a game-high 17 points against the Spartans. He also added a team-high nine rebounds, just missing out on becoming the first Husker since Aleks Maric to produce a double-double in his first career game. McCray added a steal and an assist in 23 minutes off the bench, helping the Huskers to a 43-16 advantage in bench scoring.

McCray is the second player in Coach Doc Sadler’s three years to earn the league’s rookie-of-the-week award. Last year, guard Ade Dagunduro won the award on Dec. 17 for his effort in helping the Huskers defeat nationally ranked Oregon. Overall, McCray is the eighth Husker to win the league award. Only two players, Joe McCray and Kimani Ffriend, have won the rookie-of-the-week award more than once for the Huskers as each earned it two times in their first season in Lincoln.

New Lines Drawn

With the 3-point line moving back one foot ? from 19-9 to 20-9 ?  for the first time in men’s college basketball this season, the Huskers’ smaller lineup could benefit from the floor opening up from longer carooms after missed 3-pointers.

 

In the season opener against San Jose State, the teams hit 11-of-37 from beyond the arc, leaving many opportunities for long rebounds. NU took advantage as it held a 42-38 rebounding lead. Five Huskers collected at least four rebounds with 6-6 guard Toney McCray leading the way with nine.

 Nebraska’s 3-point defense has been solid in three years under Coach Doc Sadler and this season is no different. With the line moved back and Nebraska’s tenacious defense extending itself, opponents have missed 64-of-85 shots from beyond the arc. That has left numerous rebounds to be collected and helped Nebraska remain close on the boards.

 Through five games, Ryan Anderson leads the team with 4.8 boards per game. Anderson, who despite standing just 6-4 has played the 4 spot for the Huskers all three of his seasons with the team, is one of the Big 12’s top returning rebounders from last season. The Seattle, Wash., native ranked 18th in the league in rebounding last season with 5.6 boards per game. Anderson had a game-high eight rebounds on the road against TCU and came back with a game-high six boards against UAPB.

 The Huskers outrebounded both of their first two opponents but have fallen on the boards the last three games by a combined 26 rebounds.

Adding Talent

Coach Doc Sadler said from early on in his tenure that he would continue to add talented and athletic players to the roster, and his first two scholarship classes have done just that. Nebraska signed eight players for 2007-08 and added two more for this season.

Among the eight newcomers last year, four redshirted, including Alex Chapman, Alonzo Edwards, Toney McCray and Brandon Richardson. Of the four who did not redshirt, three ? Steve Harley, Ade Dagunduro and Cookie Miller ? played significant roles as they combined to make 76 starts last year. Harley (9.1 ppg, 20 starts) and Dagunduro (8.9 ppg, 32 starts) ranked second and third on the team in scoring, while Miller led the squad in assists (109, 3.6 apg) and steals (58, 1.9 spg).

This year's newcomers include freshmen Eshaunte Jones and Christopher Niemann. Jones is athletic and  possesses a tremendous basketball IQ, but a foot injury has limited his action this year. Niemann will not play in 2008-09 as he must sit out under an NCAA ruling.

 Jones, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., was a first-team all-state player as a senior in Indiana. He played last season at Hargrave Military Academy where he averaged 15 points over the first 12 games before a season-ending foot injury. He is still hampered by the injury and has averaged just 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game this year.

 Niemann came to Nebraska from Germany and will be the fourth foreign-born player to compete at NU under Sadler. According to Sadler, Niemann is expected to provide an offensive force in the paint in future seasons.

Huskers Sign Four for 2009-10

Third-year coach Doc Sadler announced Friday, Nov. 14, that a strong lineup of four talented athletes, including three standing 6-8 or taller, have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Nebraska basketball squad for the 2009-10 season. Among the signees are: 6-10, 220-pound center Vander Joaquim from Luanda, Angola; 6-8, 210-pound forward Christian Standhardinger from Munich, Germany; 6-9, 220-pound forward Brandon Ubel from Overland Park, Kan.; and 6-2, 175-pound point/shooting guard Rayes Gallegos from Jordan, Utah.

 

“I’m excited about this class and what they can bring to Nebraska,” Sadler said. “When we go on the road, something we look for in addition to talent is character, and that has been a continued priority this year. I feel good about the way they will represent Nebraska. On the court, I feel they will help us continue to improve and compete for a Big 12 championship.”

 

 Joaquim averaged 21.1 points and 16.8 rebounds per contest last year with 89 blocks. He was ranked the No. 12 high school center in the country by Scout.com (71st nationally overall) and No. 15 center by Rivals.com (115th nationally overall). Joaquim was tabbed the
No. 2 power forward on the West Coast by Scout.com before moving to West Virginia to attend Mountain State Academy in 2w008-09.

 

 Standhardinger was named the MVP of the NBBL in 2008 and in the final of the 2008 U19 German Championship, he scored 37 points and posted 12 rebounds. He also earned top scorer honors at the Europe’s Best Junior Tournament in 2007 and was the MVP of the German Top 4 in 2007. Standhardinger also was a member of the German Junior National Team in 2007 and 2008. This season, Standhardinger has averaged 19.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 assists per game for his club team.

 

 Ubel is a skilled forward with a nice touch from outside who also possesses the ability to score off a number of post moves and mid-range jumpers. Last year as a junior, he helped Blue Valley West to the state tournament and his team won the Class 6A state title during his sophomore season. During the summer AAU circuit, Ubel averaged close to 20 points and eight rebounds per game for the Wedman Pumas.  He owns a 4.1 grade-point average in high school and his sister, Kayla Ubel, is a sophomore on the NU track team.

 Gallegos came on during the summer AAU circuit when he averaged about 25 points per game. Gallegos was rated the No. 53 shooting guard in the country by Scouts.com and was tabbed the No. 7 shooting guard on the West Coast. Gallegos was the team’s third-leading scorer at 10.5 points per game as a junior, helping the team to the state tournament.