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Husker Game day
Nebraska Game Notes (PDF): Click Here
Game Day: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008
Tip Off Time: 7:05 p.m. Central
Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595)
TV: None
Satellite TV: None
Radio: Husker Sports Radio Network stations. Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka. Color: Andy Markowski.
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: None
Parking at the Devaney Center: Map (PDF)
Getting Around: Devaney Center Fan Guide (PDF)
Weather around Lincoln: Lincoln Weather
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Huskers end 2008 at home with Matchup against SOuth Carolina State
Following a short break to spend time with family at Christmas, the Nebraska basketball team reconvened for practices on Dec. 26 and now returns to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 30, for its final contest of 2008 when it takes on South Carolina State. The Cornhuskers will tip off against the Bulldogs at 7:05 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
There is no television coverage for the contest, however, all of Nebraska’s games can be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, consisting of 31 stations around the state. Every game can also be heard 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 alongside former Husker Andy Markowski, who will provide color commentary.
The Huskers will be looking to get back on the winning track after suffering their first home loss to a non-conference team in three years in their last game before the Christmas break. Nebraska fell behind UMBC by 20 points in the first period but its furious second-half comeback fell short by two points.
The loss snapped NU’s non-conference home win streak at 31 games, a mark that tied the school record originally set from 1963 to 1971.
Nebraska is looking to reverse its recent trend after losing three of its last four games. Two of the losses have come by a combined three points, as Nebraska is now 1-2 this season in games decided by five or fewer points.
The Huskers hope to keep senior guard Ade Dagunduro going strong as he has averaged 15.0 points per game on 66.7 percent shooting (18-of-27) over the past three games. He has also added 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in that stretch.
Dagunduro is not the only senior stepping up lately, as two of Nebraska’s other seniors ? Steve Harley and Paul Velander ? have also been the team’s main scoring threats in the past three games. During that span, Harley has led the team with 15.7 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting while Velander had added 10.7 points per contest on 52.4 percent shooting.
The 2008-09 Cornhuskers are looking to become the second NU squad since 1981-82 to hold all of its first 11 opponents under 67 points. Only the 2003-04 team has matched the feat since the 1981-82 squad opened the season holding its first 18 opponents to 66 or fewer points.
Scouting The Bulldogs
South Carolina State comes into the contest with the Huskers following an unplanned 13-day layoff. SCSU last played on Dec. 17 when it fell at Idaho, 81-68. The Bulldogs were scheduled to face Savannah State on Dec. 20, but the game was postponed until the middle of January due to SCSU being unable to get out of Idaho because of bad weather.
With the setback against Idaho, the Bulldogs enter the matchup in Lincoln with a 5-5 record after losing each of their past two contests. Jason Johnson led SCSU with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting against the Vandals, while Jessie Burton had 13 points and Juilius Carter came off the bench to push in 10 points, including going 6-of-6 at the line.
Johnson is second on the team this season, averaging 13.1 points per game while hitting an impressive 65.4 percent (51-of-78) from the field. He ranked among the top 10 in the country last week for field-goal percentage.
Also the team’s leading rebounder and shot blocker. Johnson has averaged 7.4 rebounds per game, helping the Bulldogs rank among the top teams in the country in rebound margin at +8.8 (41.0 to 32.2). He has added 16 blocks and is second on the team with 10 steals.
Johnson trails only teammate Jimmy Williams, who his averaging 15.3 points per contest. He also ranked among the top 20 in field-goal percentage, hitting at a 62.7-percent clip from the floor this season. Williams has connected on just 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) from 3-point range, as the team is hitting just 29.4 percent beyond the arc. Williams is also second in rebounding at 5.7 boards per contest.
Four players have averaged more than 2.0 assists per game in the first 10 contests. The team has averaged 16.7 assists per game while scoring 74.4 points per contest. Defensively, the Bulldogs have allowed 72.8 points per game as teams have hit 45.0 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent beyond the arc.
South Carolina State is guided by coach TIm Carter (Kansas, 1979), who is in his second year leading the Bulldogs. Carter owns an 18-25 record with SCSU, and has posted a 178-177 career record. He spent his first 11 years as a head coach at Texas-San Antonio, where he led the Roadrunners to two NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2004) and won two Southland Conference titles.
Carter brought his UTSA team to the Devaney Center four times, with the most recent matchup in 2002. He is 0-4 coaching against the Huskers.
Carter is also familiar with the Devaney Center after serving as an assistant coach for the Huskers for one season during the 1983-84 campaign under Coach Moe Iba.
Possible SCSU Starting Lineup
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Pt. Rb.
Jason Johnson F/C 6-7 220 13.1 7.4
Jessie Burton G 5-11 170 4.7 1.8
Jimmy Williams G 6-4 195 5.9 2.9
Jason Flagler G/F 6-4 185 15.3 5.7
Westley Telfare G 6-4 190 7.3 2.7
The Series
The Huskers and Bulldogs meeting for the first time in series history.
South Carolina State is one of five teams on the 2008-09 schedule that the Huskers have either played once in series history or have never faced before.
Nebraska owns an 11-0 all-time record against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams.
The Bulldogs are the first of three straight teams from the MEAC to come to the Devaney Center to end the Huskers’ 2008-09 non-conference schedule. Also coming to Lincoln in the next eight days are Maryland Eastern Shore (Jan. 3) and Florida A&M (Jan. 5).
Nebraska-SCSU Team Comparison
NU Stat SCSU
64.3______ Points Per Game______ 74.4
55.1___ Points Allowed Per Game___ 72.8
45.3____ Field Goal Percentage____ 46.7
39.4_ Field Goal Percentage Defense_ 45.0
38.9___ 3pt Field Goal Percentage___ 29.4
29.1 3pt Field Goal Percentage Defense 36.4
68.4____ Free Throw Percentage____ 65.8
27.7_____ Rebounds Per Game_____ 41.0
-5.9_______ Rebound Margin______ +8.8
13.5______ Assists Per Game______ 16.7
12.7_____ Turnovers Per Game_____ 17.2
9.6_______ Steals Per Game_______ 7.4
2.4_______ Blocks Per Game_______ 4.4
19.1_______ Fouls Per Game______ 16.9
Quick hits
Here is a quick look at the Huskers through games of Dec. 23:
Nebraska has the Big 12 Conference’s top scoring defense, allowing just 55.1 points per game through 10 games. No other league squad is holding opponents below 60.0 points per contest.
Nebraska ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense as of Dec. 21, trailing only Washington State (48.0 ppg), Northwestern (52.6) and Ohio State (52.9).
Despite allowing a season-high 66 points to UMBC just before Christmas, the Huskers’ current scoring defense of 55.1 ppg will still likely rank in the national top 10 entering the South Carolina State game.
Nebraska ranked eighth nationally in turnover margin on Dec. 21. To date, the Huskers have caused 190 turnovers (19.0 turnovers per game) while posting 127 (12.7 tpg) miscues itself over 10 games, a margin of +6.3, which ranks second in the Big 12 Conference.
Nebraska has struggled at times scoring this season as NU has averaged 64.3 points per game. The Huskers have topped 70 points just three times in 10 games, although they have not allowed a team to score above 66 points in a contest this year.
Ade Dagunduro is coming off the best game of his career as he posted a career-best 19 points with three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in 27 minutes.
Dagunduro tied the school and Big 12 Conference single-game record by hitting all nine field-goal attempts vs. UMBC.
Dagunduro has hit 12 straight attempts from the field and will tie the school record for consecutive field goals over multiple games if he knocks down his first attempt against South Carolina State. Mikki Moore owns the mark with 13 straight made shots over three games in the 1997 NIT.
Paul Velander scored a season-high 14 points with four 3-pointers against UMBC. It was just his second double-figure scoring game this season, although he is third on the team with 9.3 points per game.
The Huskers had just six turnovers in the game against Saint Louis. It tied the lowest total by Nebraska under coach Doc Sadler.
Nebraska posted 11 turnovers at Oregon State, marking the eighth time under coach Doc Sadler that NU had 11 or fewer turnovers in a road game.
Nebraska outrebounded Alabama State 35-28, and has gained an advantage on the glass in three games this season. NU has trailed on the boards in each of the past four games by an average of 11.3 rpg.
The +7 rebounding margin against Alabama State was a season high. The -15 (40-25) rebound margin at Oregon State was a Husker season low.
Nebraska opened a season with a 6-0 mark for only the second time in the Big 12 era (also 2001-02).
Seven Huskers are averaging at least 1.0 steal per game. Cookie Miller leads the way with 15 steals, while three others have at least 13 steals apiece.
Sek Henry has been proficient with the basketball, hitting a team-best 56.9 percent from the field, including a solid 47.6 percent from 3-point range.
Redshirt freshman Toney McCray has been a key performer this season for Nebraska as he ranks fifth in scoring and leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots.
McCray has nine blocked shots this season and needs only four more to move into the Nebraska freshman top 10. John Turek and Venson Hamilton share the NU freshman record with 39 blocks in their rookie campaigns.
Paul Velander ranked 10th nationally from
3-point range on Dec. 21. His 50.9 percentage (28-of-55) leads the Big 12 Conference.
Velander has played the second-most minutes of any Husker so far as he has seen 254 minutes of action in 10 games. He had 777 minutes in 60 career games entering the season.
Cookie Miller leads the team with 37 assists against 16 turnovers this season. 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.
Miller helped the team post a season-best 23 assists on 30 baskets against Alabama State. Miller had six assists with two turnovers while Ryan Anderson led the team with a career-best seven assists without a turnover. Four Huskers had at least three assists apiece against the Hornets.
Dagunduro Getting on Track
After a sluggish start to the season, senior guard Ade Dagunduro has begun to turn up the intensity on both ends of the court.
One of the most athletic players in the Big 12 Conference, Dagunduro has recently brought his scoring average up to rank second on the squad with 9.4 points per game.
Possibly Dagunduro’s biggest points of the young season 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.
After posting 11 combined points against Alabama State and Arizona State, Dagunduro has averaged 15.0 ppg over the past three contests, tying his career high with three straight games scoring in double figures.
In the last three games, Dagunduro has averaged 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
Dagunduro posted 14 points against Saint Louis and 11 points vs. Creighton in consecutive games. He 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 in the first three games.
Dagunduro’s 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.
Record Performance
Senior guard Ade Dagunduro had what the Huskers hope to be a breakout game against UMBC as he posted a career-high 19 points in 27 minutes of action. He topped his previous best of 17 points last year in an overtime road loss to Western Kentucky.
Dagunduro scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and added three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals for an impressive all-around performance.
But the most impressive aspect of Dagunduro’s line on the stat sheet was the field-goal column. He finished the game hitting 9-of-9 attempts from the field, helping Nebraska hit 48.9 percent from the floor.
Dagunduro tied the school and Big 12 Conference single-game record by hitting all nine of his attempts from the field against UMBC.
Entering the South Carolina State game, Dagunduro has hit 12 straight field-goal attempts over his past two games. If he hits his first shot against SCSU, Dagunduro will tie the Nebraska record for consecutive made field goals. Mikki Moore holds the current record by hitting 13 straight shots over three games in the 1997 NIT.
Dagunduro became the fifth Husker in history to connect on nine consecutive shots from the floor in a single game. It was the fourth time the feat happened against a non-conference opponent.
Consecutive Field Goals in Game (NU Record)
FG Name (Opponent) Date 9 Ade Daguduro (UMBC) 12/23/08
9 Mikki Moore (at Nevada) 3/19/97
9 Venson Hamilton (Iowa State) 2/3/96
9 Dave Hoppen (Southern Illinois) 11/26/85
9 Chuck Jura (Iowa) 12/5/70
Consecutive Field Goals in Game (Big 12 Record)
FG Name (Team) Date 9 Ade Daguduro (NU) 12/23/08
9 Joseph Jones (TAMU) 2/4/06
9 CJ Giles (KU) 11/23/05
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 while hitting 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 13.5 points per game, an average that ranked 20th in the Big 12 Conference last week.
Harley set a career high with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting against IPFW. It was his second career 20-point performance and the Huskers' only 20-point game this year.
He has hit 46.2 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 35 trips to the free throw line (28 made free throws, 10th in league in free throw percentage at 77.1). Harley is also averaging 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
After opening the season hitting just 4-of-13 shots over the first two games, Harley has since knocked down 45-of-93 (48.4 percent) in the past eight 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.
Harley is the only Husker averaging more than 26 minutes per game, as he has played 30.8 minutes per contest, including a career-high 40 minutes against UMBC.
Hot Henry
After a strong offseason, Sek Henry entered his junior season on a tear while helping the Huskers to six straight wins to open a season for just the second time in the Big 12 era.
Through 10 games, Henry is one of four players averaging at least 8.0 points per game.
Henry posted 19 points against Saint Louis, one off his career high and the most points he has scored at home in the Devaney Center.
His 12 points against UMBC marked the fifth time this season he scored in double figures. Henry scored in double figures just five times last year and four times as a freshman.
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 29-of-51 shots (56.9 percent) from the field, including 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from 3-point range. His career averages entering this season were 36.7 percent shooting and 26.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Henry has twice this season tied his career high with four steals in a game. He is currently second on the team with 14 steals.
Being aggressive is in Henry’s nature on the court and it is showing this year. Although he has hit just 57.1 percent from the free throw line, he has done a nice job getting to the stripe as he one of only three players with at least 25 attempts from the line.
Henry raised his free throw average significantly against UMBC as he hit an impressive 7-of-8 from the line after entering the game hitting 45.0 percent in his first nine games this year.
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.
Following another strong performance in Nebraska’s game against IPFW, Sadler said:
“Brandon Richardson makes plays that don’t show up on the box score. When we went to the 1-3-1 for the first time (that night), he made two huge hustle plays. He does things that might give you three or four more possessions that you wouldn’t otherwise get in a game.”
Against UAPB, he scored a season-high nine points and had two assists without a turnover in 23 minutes of action.
He has posted six points over the past two games vs. IPFW and UMBC, after scoring just six points total in his previous five games.
He has eight steals over the past five games. Richardson posted at least three steals in a game three times this year, and is second on the team with 14 steals. He needs 10 steals to move onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 list.
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 conference 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 28 3-pointers in 10 games, including eight games with at least three treys apiece. He is third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game.
Velander leads the Big 12 Conference in
3-point percentage, as he has hit 50.9 percent from behind the arc.
Velander posted as season-high 14 points with four 3-pointers against UMBC. He also made his first 2-point basket of the year and drew two charges against the Retrievers.
He also leads the team with 12 charges taken, including three against each San Jose State and Saint Louis.
Velander’s effort finally rubbed off on his teams against IPFW. NU had six charges taken, each by a different individual, including one by Velander.
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 was sixth in the league in assists (3.6 apg) last year and the only freshman in the top 10 for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). He was fourth in the Big 12 for steals (1.93), and led the league in Big 12-only contests (2.0 spg).
This season, Miller leads NU with 37 assists and 15 steals.
Miller has averaged 8.0 points, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in his last two home games played (Alabama State, IPFW).
He had one of his best games of the season against Alabama State, scoring a season-high nine points while tying his season highs with six assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes. It was the first game he started this season and the 25th start of his career.
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 also sparked a struggling Husker squad in the second half against IPFW. He came off the bench and posted six assists, including four in the second half, with four steals to lead the Huskers to a come-from-behind victory.
Miller recorded four rebounds against Saint Louis, Creighton and Alabama State 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.
Former Husker great Cookie Belcher owns the Nebraska freshman record for steals with 87 and holds the NU and Big 12 Conference record with 353 steals in his career. Miller is trying to join Belcher and Erick Strickland as the only Huskers with 100 steals at the end of their sophomore seasons. Belcher had 162 in his first two years while Strickland had 107.
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.)........... 84
-- Cookie Miller (2008-pres.).............. 73
-- Sek Henry (2007-pres.)................. 66
Hitting from long range
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 105 treys in his career to tie for ninth in Nebraska history.
Despite being one of the best 3-point shooters in the league the past two years, Anderson has struggled recently, hitting just one of his last eight attempts over the past four games. On the year, he has hit just 7-of-26 attempts.
Anderson’s best long-range game this year came with three 3-pointers against Alabama State, marking the 14th time in his career he has had at least three treys in a single game.
Anderson is the only Husker ever to post at least 48 treys in each of his first two years at Nebraska.
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.
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. Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.)......... 105
Ray Richardson (1989-90).......... 105
-- Paul Velander (2006-pres.)............ 96
Along with Anderson, senior guard Paul Velander hopes to become the second Husker this season to place his name on the top-10 list.
Velander needs nine 3-pointers to equal Ray Richardson’s mark, which currently ties for ninth in Nebraska history.
Velander has hit at least three 3-pointers in eight games this year, with a season-high of four against UMBC.
He leads the team with 28 3-pointers in 10 games, ranking in the top 100 nationally for treys per game.
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 ranks third in NU history for 3-point field-goal percentage at 41.0 percent (96-of-234) while coming off the bench in 69-of-70 contests.
He leads the team with 28 3-pointers this season, including three or more 3s in each of eight 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. Paul Velander (2006-pres.) 96 234 .4103
4. Jay-R Strowbridge (2007-08) 50 122 .4098
5. Clifford Scales (1988-91) 45 110 .4091
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. Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.) 105 273 .385 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 has scored in double figures in three of the last five games, and ranks fifth on the team with 7.8 points per game.
The rookie is tied for the team lead with 3.9 rebounds per game and leads the squad with nine blocked shots.
McCray hit three 3-pointers against IPFW (3-of-5) after connecting on just 3-of-10 3-point attempts in his first eight games of the season.
McCray had nine points and five boards in the first road game of his career at TCU. He has shown he likes playing on the road as he added 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals at Oregon State.
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.
Bombs Away
Nebraska has been strong from outside the arc during coach Doc Sadler’s tenure, including this year. Despite the 3-point line moving back a foot to 20-9, the Huskers are still among the national leaders, hitting 38.9 percent from long range. Last season, Nebraska hit 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The Huskers had hit at a solid percentage from
3-point range in its first five games, but NU took it to a whole new level against Alabama State.
Nebraska hit an impressive 14-of-25 (56.0 percent) from beyond the arc against the Hornets. NU “only” connected on 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the floor overall.
The 14 3-pointers were the most by the Huskers since hitting 15 against Miami on the road in the 2006-07 season. The school record is 18 3-pointers against No. 1 Kansas in 2002.
Six Huskers hit from outside the arc, including four players with three 3-pointers apiece. Sek Henry led the way with a perfect 3-for-3 night beyond the arc while Ryan Anderson (3-of-4), Steve Harley (3-of-5) and Paul Velander (3-of-6) each had three treys apiece.
Amazingly on a night when all the 3s were falling, Velander attempted his first two shots inside the arc, missing both. Velander’s first 26 attempts from the field this season were 3-point attempts until a missed jumper in the first half against Alabama State. Entering the matchup with SCSU, he is now 1-of-5 from inside the arc this season.
Defense Among NCaa’s Best
Nebraska is among the Big 12 and national leaders in several defensive categories in 2008-09.
Nebraska leads the Big 12 in scoring defense at 55.1 points per game. Through Dec. 26, Iowa State was second in the league, allowing opponents 61.2 points per game.
Nebraska ranked 27th nationally and first in the conference in field-goal percentage defense on Dec. 22. Nebraska has allowed just one team to hit over 47 percent from the field this season, while six of NU’s first 10 opponents have been held under 40.0 percent from the field.
The Huskers have allowed teams to hit just 29.1 percent from 3-point range to rank among the top 40 in the country. NU has held three teams under 20.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc this season.
The Huskers have not allowed an opponent more than 66 points in a game. Nebraska opened the year by posting the longest streak without allowing a team to reach 67 points since the 2003-04 Nebraska squad did not allow an opponent to reach 65 points through the first 11 games of the season.
Only once in the 3-point era (2003-04) has Nebraska held every non-conference team below 67 points.
Nebraska held each of its first six opponents to fewer than 58 points. The last time NU held opponents to less than 60 points over the first six games of the year was the start of the 1943-44 season.
The last time the Huskers held consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points in any stretch of at least six games was the seven contests between games 12 through 18 of the 1981-82 season. That was a streak of 820 games before it was matched starting this season.
The Huskers have allowed 551 points in the first 10 games of the year. Nebraska has held its first 10 opponents to fewer than 555 combined points to open a season just five times since 1947-48.
NU’s Fewest Points Allowed in First 10 Games
(Since 1947-48, beginning of Big Seven Conference)
Year Points (Ppg)
1947-48................................ 512 (51.2)
1981-82................................ 531 (53.1)
1949-50................................ 532 (53.2)
2003-04................................ 535 (53.5)
2008-09................................. 551 (55.1)
2004-05................................ 555 (55.5)
1950-51................................ 561 (56.1)
1948-49................................ 569 (56.9)
1982-83................................ 573 (57.3)
1958-59................................ 581 (58.1)
Nebraska has forced at least 20 turnovers in a game five times this season.
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.
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.
Comeback Kids
Nebraska not only picked up its second straight win in Lincoln over in-state foe Creighton 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 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 was 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
Nebraska nearly added another fantastic finish to the list as it rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit, and 20-point overall deficit in the first half, to have the final shot at the win agianst UMBC. The Huskers pulled within two in the final minute and had the ball with less than 8 seconds remaining but came up short, falling by two points, 66-64.
Huskers Roll up Wins At home
When coach Doc Sadler took over the program before the 2006-07 season, Nebraska made winning at home a priority. When adding in the Huskers’ home game against Oregon at the Qwest Center in Omaha (considered a home contest due to RPI standards by NCAA), the Huskers won 31 straight games against non-conference teams, including 26 straight under Sadler.
Nebraska tied the school record with 31 straight non-conference home wins, a streak that ranked eighth nationally until the Huskers fell to UMBC on Dec. 23.
Following the loss to UMBC, Nebraska is 26-1 under Coach Doc Sadler at home against non-conference opponents.
The Huskers defeated teams from 10 different conferences, along with several teams that were independent at the time, while tying the school record.
Before falling to UMBC, Nebraska’s last home loss to a non-conference team came on Dec. 3, 2005 against UAB in a 73-72 setback.
During the streak, NU had one game decided by five or fewer points (two-point win over Creighton this year) and one other decided in overtime (win over Oregon at Qwest Center).
NU’s Longest Non-Conference Home Win Streaks
Games Dates
31 Dec. 8, 2005 to Dec. 20, 2008
31 Jan. 18, 1963 to Dec. 1, 1971
30 Dec. 30, 1989 to Nov. 27, 1994
16 Dec. 3, 1993 to March 16, 1995
15 Dec. 31, 2002 to Dec. 6, 2004
15 Dec. 23, 1985 to Dec. 4, 1987
14 Dec. 11, 1971 to Dec. 14, 1974
14 Dec. 11, 1948 to Dec. 1, 1951
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 190 turnovers through 10 games, while allowing teams to record just 96 assists on 179 baskets.
The Huskers have forced at least 20 turnovers in five games this year (25 vs. San Jose State; 23 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff; 24 vs. Creighton; 24 at Oregon State; 24 vs. IPFW). Last year, the Huskers forced 20 turnovers in a game six times all season.
The 24 turnovers forced at Oregon State are the most by a Husker opponent away from Lincoln since Texas Tech had 26 turnovers against Nebraska in the first round of the 1999 Big 12 Championship.
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 vs. North Texas in 2006.
The Huskers have had double-figure steals in four times this season and at least eight steals in nine games this season.
Eight Huskers have recorded a steal this year, including seven averaging at least 1.0 steal per game.
The most steals in a game by a single Husker this season is four. 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 while Cookie Miller had four against IPFW.
The defensive pressure has helped Nebraska to a 199-124 advantage in points off turnovers this season.
On the opposite end, Nebraska has been solid with the ball, averaging just 12.7 turnovers per game (opponents: 19.0 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.
Nebraska had just three turnovers in the first half against Alabama State. NU’s season low for a half was two turnovers in the second half against Saint Louis.
New Lines Drawn
While the 3-point line moved back one foot ? from 19-9 to 20-9 ? for the first time in men’s college basketball this season, Nebraska has not been effected as much as some teams around the country from beyond the arc.
Nebraska is hitting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc to rank third in the Big 12 Conference. Last year, the Huskers hit 34.4 percent from 3-point range on the season.
Senior Paul Velander has been more effective than ever despite stepping back further to shoot. He is hitting 50.9 percent (28-of-55) from beyond the arc to lead the Big 12 Conference.
Nebraska’s 3-point defense this year has been solid as opponents have hit just 29.1 percent (51-of-175) from beyond the arc. Last season, opponents hit 36.4 percent on the year.
Nebraska’s 3-point percentage defense leads the Big 12 Conference, the only league team holding opponents below 30 percent from beyond the arc.
Five of Nebraska’s 10 opponents have been held to five or fewer 3-pointers in a game, including four with three or fewer.
on the glass
The Huskers will put a small lineup on the floor just about every night this season, giving Coach Doc Sadler reason to be interested in Nebraska’s rebounding, especially on the defensive end. All of NU’s guards will need to be capable rebounders this season to keep the opposing team from getting easy baskets on second chances.
Through 10 games, Nebraska trails on the glass by more than five rebounds per game
(-5.9 rpg, 33.6 to 27.7).
The Huskers outrebounded each of their first two opponents but then fell on the boards in three straight games by a combined 26 rebounds.
Nebraska has trailed on the glass each of the past four games since outrebounding a much taller Alabama State squad by +7 boards, the Huskers’ largest rebounding margin of the season
Redshirt freshman Toney McCray and junior Ryan Anderson lead the team in rebounding, averaging 3.9 boards per game apiece. McCray owns a team game season-high nine boards in the season opener.
Jones opts for Surgery
Coach Doc Sadler announced during his postgame press conference on Dec. 3, that Eshaunte ?Bear’ Jones is done playing this year because of a foot injury.
“He’s finished as far as playing for this year,” Sadler said. “We wanted to try to get through the year because he’s such a good offensive player and he has some size, but he’s not going to be able to play anymore.”
On the year, Jones played in four contests, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He played 16 minutes in the season opener and then 12 minutes, 13 and 5 over the next three games before sitting out against Creighton and Alabama State. He had successful surgery on his foot on Dec. 18 and is expected to need a 3-4 month rehab before returning to the court.
Chapman to Transfer
Sophomore Alex Chapman announced on Tuesday, Dec. 16, that he will transfer from NU following the end of the fall semester. The forward from Canby, Ore., had not played in a game in his three semesters at Nebraska after suffering a knee injury that required surgery during the preseason each of the past two years.
Despite sitting out because of injury, Chapman was the Huskers’ tallest eligible player this season. Freshman center Christopher Niemann, who stands 6-11, is ineligible to play this season because of an NCAA ruling.