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Husker Game Day
Nebraska Game Notes: Click Here
Colorado Game Notes: Click Here
Game Date: Feb. 4, 2009
Tipoff Time: 9:37 p.m. Central (8:37 p.m. Mountain)
Venue: Coors Events Center (11,064)
TV: Fox Sports Midwest, 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
Internet Video: ESPN360.com
Nebraska Looks for Second Consecutive Road Win with Trip to Colorado
The Nebraska Cornhuskers hit the road for the second consecutive game as they head to Boulder, Colo., to take on the Colorado Buffaloes on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
The Huskers and Buffaloes will tip off at 9:37 p.m. Central (8:37 p.m. Mountain) in a contest seen on Fox Sports Midwest with Greg Sharpe (play by play) and Eric Piatkowski (color) calling the action. The game will be aired within the state of Nebraska on Fox Sports Midwest on Time Warner Channel 37 in Lincoln; Cox Channel 47 and Qwest Channel 33 in Omaha; DirecTV Channel 672; and Dish Network channel 446. It can also be seen around the country on ESPN Fullcourt.
All of Nebraska’s games can also be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, consisting of 31 stations around the state and around the world for free on the Internet at Huskers.com, the official Web site of Nebraska Athletics. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka calls the action and former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary.
Nebraska will be trying to snap a two-game losing streak in Boulder while aiming for its second straight conference road victory. The last time the Cornhuskers won consecutive league road games was 2006-07, when the Huskers won at Missouri and at Texas Tech.
The Cornhuskers will be shooting for a 4-4 record in Big 12 Conference play after picking up their third league win at Texas Tech on Saturday. Nebraska has recorded a .500 or better mark at the midway point of conference play just three times in the Big 12 era (1998, 4-4; 1999, 5-3; 2006, 5-3).
Nebraska easily leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense at 58.9 points per game and has not allowed a team to score 80 points all season. The Huskers’ scoring defense ranked 12th nationally entering the week.
The Cornhuskers have taken great care of the ball this season, averaging just 11.5 turnovers per game to rank 12th in the country. The Huskers are second nationally in turnover margin, posting a +6.8 margin (11.5 NU turnovers, 18.3 opponent turnovers).
Entering the final stretch of his college career, senior guard Ade Dagunduro has made the most of his opportunities this season. Nebraska’s offensive spark the past few weeks, Dagunduro has posted at least 20 points in three of the first seven league games this season after not having a 20-point contest in his first 46 career contests. He has averaged 14.4 points on 61.4 percent shooting in the last 13 contests.
Scouting the Buffaloes
Nebraska hopes to earn its second straight win ? and second consecutive road victory ? when it heads to Boulder to take on the Colorado Buffaloes on Wednesday. The Cornhuskers will face a CU squad that currently holds a 9-11 record on the season, including a 1-5 mark in Big 12 Conference play.
Colorado has played well in league action but has come away with only one victory, a 55-49 win over Iowa State at home last week. The Buffs have three losses in games decided by eight or fewer points, including Saturday’s near miss at Kansas.
The Buffaloes went into Lawrence, Kan., and nearly knocked off the Jayhawks on their home court, falling by just a 66-61 mark. CU was within one basket in the final 10 seconds before falling for the eighth time in its last 10 contests.
Colorado was led by Dwight Thorne II, who had 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting while adding two assists and two steals. He was joined in double figures by Cory Higgins (15 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals) and Jermy Jackson-Wilson (12 points, five rebounds).
Higgins has been the Buffaloes’ offensive spark this season, averaging 17.5 points per game after posting just 8.3 points per contest last season. Higgins, who ranks among the national leaders in free throw percentage by hitting 85.4 percent (123-of-144) from the stripe, is also the team leader in rebounding (5.9 rpg), assists (59) and steals (44). He has hit 49.8 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from 3-point range this season.
Thorne has been a solid complement to Higgins, averaging 13.0 points per contest this season. Thorne has hit an impressive 53.5 percent from the field and is the team leader by knocking down 42.9 percent (30-of-70) from long range this season. He has hit 71.4 percent form the free throw line, helping the team hit a solid 72.8 percent from the stripe.
A pair of freshmen have also contributed heavily this year, as guard Nate Tomlinson and forward Austin Default have been in the starting rotation all year. Tomlinson has averaged 8.1 points per game and is second on the squad with 56 assists, trailing only Higgins. Default is third on the team in scoring at 8.9 points per game while ranking fourth in rebounding at 3.9 boards per contest. Jermy Jackson-Wilson, the only senior on the squad, is third in rebounding with 4.0 rpg, while adding 5.8 ppg.
Colorado is coached by Jeff Bzdelik (Illinois-Chicago, 1976). Bzdelik is in his second season guiding the Buffaloes and owns a 21-31 record in Boulder. He is 96-77 overall in his sixth year as a head coach after also holding the title at Air Force (2005-07) and Maryland Baltimore County (1986-88). Bzdelik served as the head coach for the Denver Nuggets from 2002-04 and spent more than 15 years in the NBA coaching/scouting ranks.
Possible Colorado Starting Lineup
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Pt. Rb.
Dwight Thorne II G 6-2 185 13.0 3.4
Cory Higgins G 6-5 185 18.5 5.9
Nate Tomlinson G 6-2 180 8.1 2.8*
Jermy Jackson-Wilson F 6-6 230 5.8 4.0
Austin Dufault F 6-8 210 8.9 3.9
*assists per game
Nebraska-Colorado Team Comparison
NU Stat CU
67.5______ Points Per Game______ 65.8
58.9___ Points Allowed Per Game___ 66.3
45.7____ Field Goal Percentage____ 46.8
42.1_ Field Goal Percentage Defense_ 45.4
37.7___ 3pt Field Goal Percentage___ 34.7
32.3 3pt Field Goal Percentage Defense 34.6
68.8____ Free Throw Percentage____ 72.8
28.5_____ Rebounds Per Game_____ 28.5
-5.2_______ Rebound Margin______ -4.8
13.7______ Assists Per Game______ 12.1
11.5_____ Turnovers Per Game_____ 14.2
9.3_______ Steals Per Game_______ 6.5
1.8_______ Blocks Per Game_______ 1.7
18.1_______ Fouls Per Game______ 18.1
The Series vs. the Buffaloes
Nebraska and Colorado enter Wednesday’s matchup meeting for the 143rd time in series history. The Cornhuskers hold a slight 74-68 series advantage after winning five of the last eight contests.
While the series is the second-oldest for the Huskers against current conference opponents, the total number of games ranks sixth against league foes.
Nebraska and Colorado are meeting in Boulder for the 65th time, with CU holding a 40-24 advantage on its home court. In the Coors Events Center, CU’s lead is just 15-14.
Colorado has won the last three matchups in Boulder, as well as six of the last seven on its home floor. Nebraska’s last win in Boulder came with a 68-61 win in 2005.
The last time either team swept the season series was 2005, as the home team has won each of the past seven matchups. Nebraska leads 14-10 in all games played during the Big 12 era.
Last year, the Huskers fell in Boulder, 55-51, in their first league road game of the season. Nebraska hit just 34 percent from the floor and fell despite committing only nine turnovers. It was one of three league wins on the year for the Buffaloes.
In the most recent meeting, Nebraska took a 68-49 win on Senior Night last year. Paul Velander was 5-of-9 from 3-point range for 16 points and Steve Harley added 14 points and two assists in 19 minutes. Aleks Maric had 17 points and 16 rebounds with six assists (zero turnovers), two blocks and three steals while playing in front of his parents for the last time.
Jack Moore Day on Saturday, Feb. 7
The University of Nebraska is proud to honor the play and memory of former Husker basketball standout Jack Moore. On Feb. 7 at the Huskers’ game against Texas, the Athletic Department and men’s basketball program will honor his legacy on what will officially be called Jack Moore Day.
One of the greatest playmakers in Husker history, a tribute to Moore’s life will be celebrated at the game, nearly 25 years following his untimely death in a plane crash on March 3, 1984. The crash also took the life of pilot Gary Johnson.
Born Dec. 26, 1959, Moore lettered for Nebraska for four years from 1979 to 1982 following a standout career at Muncie (Ind.) Central High School. Moore won the 1982 Francis Pomeroy-Naismith Award as the nation’s most outstanding senior under six feet when he was a consensus All-Big Eight performer.
He scored 1,204 points in his four-year career and his 382 career assists stand seventh on NU’s all-time chart. Moore was a career 90.1-percent free throw shooter and still ranks sixth in NCAA Division I history today. He broke the Big Eight record for career marksmanship at the charity stripe, which had been held by his coach, Mo Iba.
Off the floor, Moore was the first Husker cager to earn first-team academic All-Big Eight honors for three straight seasons. Nebraska’s yearly MVP Award is named in honor of Moore.
Members of the Moore family will be in attendance on Saturday, when a special halftime presentation will be made.
Quick Hits
Here is a quick look at the Huskers through games of Jan. 31:
Quick team notes
Nebraska snapped a four-game road losing streak in Big 12 Conference play at Texas Tech over the weekend and is now looking for its second straight league road win. The last time NU won consecutive road games in conference play was 2006-07, when the Huskers won at Missouri and came from 13 down to win at Texas Tech.
NU has the Big 12 Conference’s top scoring defense, allowing just 58.9 points per game. NU entered the week ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense.
Nebraska has forced three of its first seven conference opponents (Kansas State, 25; Kansas, 21; Texas Tech, 20) into 20 or more turnovers this season. Nebraska is first in the league and No. 2 nationally in turnover margin at +6.8, including a Big 12-best +6.7 in conference-only games.
The Huskers were also in the top 75 nationally entering the week in turnovers per game (12th), steals per game (14th), assist-to-turnover ratio (35th), 3-point field-goal percentage (43rd) and scoring margin (52nd).
The Huskers held each of their first 16 opponents under 67 points, becoming the first NU squad since 1981-82 to accomplish the feat. Only two teams (No. 6/5 Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) have topped 70 points against the Huskers this year.
The Huskers held four straight Big 12 Conference opponents to 51 or fewer points in games at the Devaney Center before Oklahoma State scored 76 in overtime on Jan. 24. Starting with Oklahoma last year, NU allowed 45 points, 49 points (Colorado), 51 points (Missouri) and 51 points (Kansas State) in consecutive home games.
Overall, the Huskers have held Big 12 opponents to 70 or fewer points in 13 of their last 16 games against league teams, including last year’s league tournament.
NU tied the school record (originally set at Iowa State in 2002) with only three turnovers against Maryland Eastern Shore. NU also had just six turnovers against Saint Louis, seven at No. 6/5 Oklahoma and eight vs. Kansas.
The Huskers are averaging 70.4 points per game at home while hitting 47.9 percent (344-of-718) from the field at the Devaney Center. On the road, NU has averaged 60.8 points on 40.6 percent (125-of-308) shooting.
Individual quick notes
Senior guard Ade Dagunduro has posted at least 20 points in a game three times in the past seven Big 12 Conference games. He had not scored 20 points in any of his first 46 career games at Nebraska.
Nebraska had a different leading scorer in five straight conference games before Dagunduro scored 24 against Kansas and 20 at Texas Tech to lead the Huskers.
Ade Dagunduro is averaging a team-best 14.4 points per game over the last 13 contests while hitting better than 61 percent from the field. He averaged 22.0 points per game in two contests last week.
Earlier this season Dagunduro hit 26-of-32 (81.3 percent) over a four-game span (ending with Maryland Eastern Shore).
Dagunduro tied the school single-game record by hitting all nine field-goal attempts against UMBC, the second-best single-game mark in the league during the Big 12 era.
Dagunduro had three straight made field goals to end the IPFW contest, connected on nine consecutive against UMBC and then knocked in his first three shots against South Carolina State to set the school record for consecutive made field goals at 15. Dagunduro surpassed Mikki Moore for the mark, as Moore had 13 straight made shots over three games in the 1997 NIT.
Sophomore Cookie Miller posted a season high in points in four of the past six games. He started the stretch by gaining 11 points at Iowa State and added 15 points against Kansas State. Miller came back to tie his career high with 19 points twice in the last three games, first against Oklahoma State and then on the road at Texas Tech.
Miller leads the team with 79 assists. He is looking to become the first Husker to lead NU in assists as a freshman and sophomore since Tyronn Lue in 1995-96 and 1996-97.
With 21 more assists, Miller will join Tyronn Lue as the only Huskers in program history to post at least 100 assists in each of their freshman and sophomore seasons.
Paul Velander has reached double figures just five times this season but is fourth on the team with 8.7 points per game. He ranked 12th nationally from 3-point range entering this week and has now hit 45.0 percent (50-of-111) to rank second in the Big 12.
Because of his quick release, Velander is averaging a 3-pointer every 9.84 minutes he is on the court (50 3s in 492 minutes), but has had a turnover only every 70.3 minutes (7 TOs in 492 minutes).
Velander has hit at least three 3-pointers in 12-of-20 games this season. Dating to last year, he has hit at least three treys in 17 of his last 27 games. Before that, he had hit at least three 3-pointers in a game just six times in his first 51 career games.
Velander, who led the nation in 3-point percentage as recently as Jan. 23, has struggled in his last three games. He has hit just 2-of-15 attempts from long range in that span, including going 0-of-2 from beyond the arc at Texas Tech. It was the first game this season he did not have a 3-pointer and snapped a streak of 22 straight games with a trey dating to last year.
Sek Henry has been proficient with the basketball on the year, hitting 49.2 percent from the field, including a solid 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
Henry has scored in double figures 11 times in 20 games this season, after scoring in double figures just nine times in his first 64 games.
Rolling on the Road
Nebraska has seen its share of road struggles in the past but the Huskers put that behind them on Saturday, Jan. 31, when Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak with an 82-69 victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock. The win also snapped a four-game regular-season Big 12 road losing streak dating to last year.
The Huskers broke out quickly, running to a 14-3 lead and made key plays down the stretch to earn their first league road win of the season.
Nebraska hit 55.1 percent (27-of-49) from the field, easily their best performance on the road this season. NU had not hit better than 43 percent from the field in its first five games away from Lincoln this year.
The 55.1 percent shooting is NU’s best in a league road game since hitting 59.0 percent from the field in a 65-59 win at No. 22 Texas A&M last season. That game was also NU’s last road victory in league regular-season play.
NU has now hit at least 50.0 percent from the field in three of its last six Big 12 regular-season road games dating to last year.
The Huskers’ 82 points were their most in a Big 12 game since March 5, 2007, when NU scored 85 in a win over Oklahoma State at home. That was a span of 26 games before the Huskers topped the 80-point plateau (home, away or at Big 12 Championship).
The last time Nebraska scored at least 80 points on the road was an 87-83 overtime loss at No. 7 Oklahoma State on Feb. 21, 2004, a span of 37 Big 12 regular-season road games before topping the 80-point mark again.
The Huskers’ last road victory when scoring at least 80 points came on Feb. 20, 2002, when Nebraska won 82-72 at Texas A&M.
Nebraska Road Scoring Margin (Big 12 games only)
No. Opponent, Year Margin (Score)
Texas A&M, 1998 +17 (75-58)
Kansas State, 2006 +15 (57-42)
Oklahoma, 1999 +15 (96-81)
Texas Tech, 2009 +13 (82-69)
Baylor, 2005 +11 (74-63)
Iowa State, 2006 +10 (73-63)
Texas A&M, 2002 +10 (82-72)
Line Time
Nebraska has had its ups and downs at the free throw this season, but one of the better efforts came at just the right time in a road game at Texas Tech. The Huskers hit 76.7 percent (23-of-30) from the line, including 80.8 percent (21-of-26) in the second period to pull away for an 82-69 victory.
The Huskers had entered the game hitting 68.1 percent from the charity stripe.
The 76.7 percent was Nebraska’s second-best effort this season when attempting at least 20 free throws in a game. The only time NU topped the mark was when it hit 87.1 percent (27-of-31) against Oklahoma State a week earlier.
Senior guard Ade Dagunduro did most of the hard work, hitting all 10 of his attempts from the line. He entered the game hitting 69.0 percent from the free throw line on the season.
Dagunduro became just the fifth Husker in the Big 12 era to hit all of his free throws when attempting at least 10 in a game, and the second under coach Doc Sadler. Overall, he’s the 12th Husker since 1982 to accomplish the feat.
Perfect Games at FT Line since 1982 (min. 10 att.)
Player Opponent (date) FT-FTA
Ade Dagunduro... at Texas Tech (1/31/09) 10-10
Charles Richardson Jr. at Missouri (2/3/07) 10-10
Nate Johnson..... Tennessee (12/13/03) 10-10
Jake Muhleisen... Kansas St. (2/9/02) 11-11
Tyronn Lue........ at Kansas (1/3/98). 10-10
Jamar Johnson... at S. Utah (11/30/91) 10-10
Tony Farmer...... at Oklahoma (3/8/91) 12-12
Beau Reid.......... Wyoming (1/23/89) 10-10
Pete Manning..... at Oklahoma (3/5/88) 11-11
Dave Hoppen..... at Oklahoma (1/29/85) 10-10
Dave Hoppen..... S. Colorado (11/29/84) 11-11
Jack Moore........ Oklahoma St. (2/10/82) 15-15
Strong Down the Stretch
Under the guidance of coach Doc Sadler the past two years, Nebraska has been a strong team in possibly the most important part of the season: the stretch run in February. When other teams are starting to wear down, Sadler’s squads the past two seasons have gone strong, finding nearly as much success as any team in the league.
NOTE: Because of bye weeks, not all teams play the same amount of games in the month of February each season. Records through Monday, Feb. 2, 2009.
February Big 12 Records (by wins; 2006 to present)
No. Team Record
1. Texas 14-2
2. Kansas 13-3
3. Texas A&M 10-5
4. Missouri 9-6
Nebraska 9-7
Texas Tech 9-7
7. Oklahoma State 7-8
Kansas State 7-9
9. Oklahoma 6-10
10. Iowa State 5-10
11. Baylor 4-12
12. Colorado 2-12
Getting Offensive
Nebraska received some significant offense from unexpected places over the past four games.
Cookie Miller, the Huskers’ assist leader (79) this season, has averaged 11.1 points per game in league action to rank second on the squad. He has hit 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from the field and 87.0 percent (20-of-23) from the line. He has averaged 34.7 minutes per game in league action.
Miller has set a season scoring high in four of the last six games. Miller had 11 points at Iowa State and came back with 15 at home against Kansas State. He then posted a career-high tying 19 points against Oklahoma State at home and then again at Texas Tech.
Ryan Anderson led NU with 19 points and seven rebounds against Oklahoma and came back with 14 points and eight rebounds against Oklahoma State. His 19 points at Oklahoma were a season high and the 33 points over the two games equaled his total from his previous eight games combined.
Anderson has averaged 7.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in Big 12 play. His rebound average is 11th in league-only games.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson missed the first four conference games with an injury but has come on strong since. He scored eight points against Oklahoma State and added a career-high 11 points at Texas Tech. He is 5-of-7 from 3-point range in his three games against conference teams.
Stealing the Spotlight
Nebraska has been among the national leaders all season for steals, entering this week ranked No. 14in the country with 9.3 steals per game. Overall seven Huskers have posted at least 17 steals this year, with five averaging at least 1.0 steal per game.
It's much of the same from a pair of familiar faces when it comes to steals. Junior guard Ryan Anderson and sophomore guard Cookie Miller have shown an impressive court awareness since joining the Huskers and have been among the teams' top defenders despite their size.
Anderson became just the 14th player in Nebraska history to record 100 steals in a career when he picked off one pass against Kansas on Jan. 28. At his current pace of 1.5 steals per game (10th in the Big 12 entering the week), Anderson could finish this season just within 10 steals of reaching the NU top 10.
After posting five steals at Texas Tech, Miller ranks ninth in the league in steals at 1.6 per game and has a chance to reach 100 before the end of his sophomore season. He needs three steals to move into the Nebraska all-time top 15.
Miller is trying to join Cookie Belcher and Erick Strickland as the only Huskers ever with at least 100 steals at the end of their sophomore seasons. Belcher had 162 in his first two years while Strickland had 107. 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.
Nebraska Career Steals (since 1978)
No. Player, Years Steals
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
10. Jack Moore, 1979-82 128
11. Jamar Johnson, 1992-94 126
12. Carl Hayes, 1990-92 125
13. Greg Downing, 1980-83 118
14. Ryan Anderson, 2007-present 101
15. Andre Smith, 1978-81 92
-- Cookie Miller, 2008-present 89
-- Sek Henry, 2007-present 74
Sadler Reaches Milestone
Coach Doc Sadler has been known to get everything possible out of his players and teams, as his work ethic has carried over to the court. In the past two seasons, Sadler’s effort pushed the Huskers to 17 and 20 wins, respectively, with last year’s first-round NIT victory giving the Huskers just the 12th 20-win season in the 112-year history of the program.
The Huskers’ win over Texas Tech on the road marked Sadler’s 50th victory at Nebraska. He now owns a 50-34 record in Lincoln, making him the fourth-fastest coach to reach 50 wins at NU in program history. Of the three who reached the mark faster at NU, two of those men coached in Lincoln before World War I.
Coaches to Win 50 Games at Nebraska
Coach Record at 50 wins
E.O. Stiehm................... 50-9 (59 games)
R.G. Clapp................... 50-19 (69 games)
Moe Iba....................... 50-32 (82 games)
Doc Sadler.................... 50-34 (84 games)
Danny Nee................... 50-42 (92 games)
Harry Good.................. 50-42 (92 games)
Joe Cipriano................ 50-44 (94 games)
Charles T. Black.......... 50-55 (105 games)
Barry Collier............... 50-57 (107 games)
Jerry Bush.................. 50-66 (116 games)
Turning Teams Over
Nebraska will try to turn up the defensive pressure at times this season, especially while playing with a heavily guard-oriented lineup, including many sets with 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 also forced a season-high tying 25 turnovers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.
The Huskers have now forced 365 turnovers through 20 games, while allowing teams to record just 215 assists on 397 baskets.
The Huskers have forced at least 20 turnovers in nine games this year. Last year, the Huskers forced 20 turnovers in a game six times all season.
Most Opponent Turnovers in 2008-09
Opponent Turnovers
San Jose State 25
Kansas State 25
Creighton 24
Oregon State 24
IPFW 24
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 23
South Carolina State 21
Kansas 21
Texas Tech 20
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 seven times this season and at least eight steals in 17 games this season.
Eight Huskers have recorded a steal this year, including five averaging at least 1.0 steal per game.
The most steals in a game by a single Husker this season is five on two occasions, most recently by sophomore guard Cookie Miller who tied his career high with five at Texas Tech. Junior guard Ryan Anderson also had five steals against Kansas State on Jan. 17. Four other players have recorded eight games with four steals each.
The defensive pressure has helped Nebraska to a 406-227 advantage in points off turnovers this season.
Handling with Care
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler has preached that the Huskers need to be efficient within their offense and not give away easy points. That philosophy includes taking care of the ball, something the Huskers have succeeded in doing well early in the season.
NU has averaged just 11.5 turnovers per game this season to rank 12th nationally entering the week.
The Huskers are first in the Big 12 Conference and are the only team in the league averaging fewer than 12.0 turnovers per game. Iowa State (12.0), Texas (12.4) and Texas A&M (12.5) are the only other Big 12 teams averaging less than 13.0 turnovers per game.
The Huskers entered the week ranked No. 2 nationally in turnover margin, and currently have a +6.8 margin to lead the Big 12 Conference.
The Huskers tied the school record by committing just three turnovers against Maryland Eastern Shore. NU equaled the team mark originally set in 2002 at Iowa State. Nebraska had just one turnover in the first half against Maryland Eastern Shore, and two miscues following the break.
Nebraska’s Best Turnover Games of 2008-09
Opponent NU Turnovers
Maryland Eastern Shore 3*
Saint Louis 6
Oklahoma 7
Kansas 8
* - tied school single-game record
Nebraska posted just six turnovers against Saint Louis, tying the previous low mark for miscues in Sadler’s first three years. NU also had just six turnovers against Colorado in 2007.
Nebraska posted 11 turnovers at Texas Tech, marking the 10th time overall ? and second straight road game ? under coach Doc Sadler that NU had 11 or fewer turnovers in a game away from Lincoln. It was the third time this season (also at Oregon State, 11 TO).
Nebraska had only three turnovers in the first half against Alabama State. NU also had two turnovers in the second half against Saint Louis, three in the first half at No. 6/5 Oklahoma and three in the second period against Kansas, giving the Huskers six halves this season (including each half vs. UMES) with three or fewer turnovers.
Bombs Away
Nebraska has been strong from outside the arc during coach Doc Sadler’s tenure, including this year. The Huskers are among the national leaders, hitting 37.7 percent from long range. Last season, Nebraska hit 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Paul Velander has been more effective than ever despite stepping back further to shoot. He is hitting 45.0 percent (50-of-111) from beyond the arc to currently rank second in the Big 12 Conference. He was 12th nationally entering the week.
Nebraska has hit better than 40 percent from the 3-point line as a team five times this season, including a season-high 56.0 percent against Alabama State.
The Huskers have hit 10 or more 3-pointers three times this season, including against Alabama State (14), Florida A&M (10) and Kansas State (10).
NU has posted at least eight 3-pointers in a game eight times.
Nebraska hit an impressive 14-of-25 (56.0 percent) from beyond the arc against the Alabama State. 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.
Nebraska had another game where all the shots were falling as the Huskers hit 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) against Kansas State on Jan. 17. Velander hit 6-of-10 by himself, while Cookie Miller connected on all three of his attempts. NU hit 50.0 percent from the field in the game.
Defense Among NCAA’s Best
Nebraska is among the Big 12 and national leaders in several defensive stats in 2008-09.
Nebraska was 12th in the country in scoring defense entering the week and currently leads the Big 12 in at 58.9 ppg. No other team in the league is holding opponents below 62 points per game as Texas ranks second at 62.8 points per contest.
The Huskers did not allow any of their first 16 opponents to score more than 66 points in a game. It was the longest streak to open a season without allowing an opponent to reach 67 points since the 1981-82 NU squad did it through the first 18 games of the year.
Only one other time (2003-04) in the 3-point era before this season 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 Nebraska held six consecutive opponents to fewer than 60 points in any stretch 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.
Nebraska has forced at least 20 turnovers in a game nine times this season, including three times in Big 12 Conference play (Kansas State, 25; Kansas, 21; Texas Tech, 20).
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.
Keeping Opponents in Line
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’s
3-point defense has improved dramatically with the change in the line.
Nebraska’s 3-point defense this year has been solid as opponents have hit just 32.3 percent from beyond the arc. Last season, opponents hit 36.4 percent on the year.
Nebraska’s 3-point percentage defense entered the week ranked 88th nationally. The Huskers are currently rank second in the Big 12 Conference in that category. NU has held eight teams under 25.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc this season.
Eleven of Nebraska’s 20 opponents have been held to five or fewer 3-pointers in a game, including five 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 20 games, Nebraska trails on the glass by over five rebounds per game
(-5.2 rpg, 33.7 to 28.5).
Nebraska has trailed on the glass in 15 contests this season, including all seven league contests. Overall, the Huskers have trailed on the boards in 12 of the past 14 games.
NU has trailed in each of its Big 12 contests, and has a -8.9 rebounding margin in league action. Nebraska’s 36 rebounds against No. 6/5 Oklahoma were its third-highest total of the season, and -3 margin against the Sooners was its best in Big 12 play. NU has been outrebounded by at least nine boards four times so far in league action.
The Huskers posted 11 offensive rebounds in each of the last three non-league games (33 total) after recording 27 offensive boards in the previous five games combined. NU has had at least 10 offensive rebounds in a game six times, most recently against Kansas when 13 of the Huskers’ 22 boards were on the offensive glass. NU also had 10 offensive boards against No. 6/5 Oklahoma on the road.
Dagunduro Getting on Track
After a sluggish start to the season, senior guard Ade Dagunduro has turned up the intensity on both ends of the court during league play.
One of the most athletic players in the Big 12 Conference, Dagunduro has recently brought his scoring average up to tie for first on the squad with 11.8 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 10 of the past 13 games, including at least 18 points five times.
Dagunduro started the season averaging just 4.8 points per game in three contests against San Jose State, TCU and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
After posting 11 combined points against Alabama State and Arizona State, Dagunduro has averaged a team-best 14.4 ppg on 61.4 percent shooting (70-of-114) over the past 13 games.
Dagunduro set a career high by scoring in double figures in five straight games (Oregon State, IPFW, UMBC, South Carolina State, Maryland Eastern Shore).
The senior posted a then-career high in the Big 12 opener, gaining a game-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting while helping Nebraska to its third league-opening win in 13 years. He also had five rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes.
Dagunduro had the best offensive game of his career against Kansas at home, posting a career-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 29 minutes while helping the Huskers remain within one point in the final 30 seconds.
Dagunduro recorded his second straight 20-point performance while helping Nebraska to a road victory over Texas Tech. He hit 5-of-6 from the field and 10-of-10 at the line for 20 points, while adding a season-high tying six rebounds with three assists and three steals.
Possibly Dagunduro’s biggest points of the non-conference 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 to the basket. Harley made a nice wrap-around pass to Dagunduro, whose uncontested layup with 2.7 seconds remaining was the game-winner.
Dagunduro’s slow start this season is the exact opposite of last year, which has been 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 gained only 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 19 points in 27 minutes of action. He topped his previous career best of 17 points last year in an overtime road loss to Western Kentucky.
Dagunduro scored 15 of his 19 points against UMBC 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 single-game record by hitting all nine of his attempts from the field against UMBC.
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 by a Husker against a non-conference opponent.
Consecutive Field Goals in Game (NU Record)
FG Name (Opponent) Date
9 Ade Dagunduro (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
Dagunduro’s mark was originally believed to be a single-game conference record, however, since then it has been established that Colorado center David Harrison had a 10-for-10 effort versus Baylor in 2004. It is believed that Dagunduro’s mark ties for second place in the Big 12 record book.
Dagunduro extended his streak of consecutive made field-goal attempts to 15 over three straight games, setting a new Nebraska record. He had three made shots to end the game against IPFW, added nine against UMBC and then hit his first three against South Carolina State to surpass Mikki Moore, who held the previous NU record by hitting 13 straight shots in three games in 1997.
Consecutive FG in Multiple Games (NU Record)
FG Name Season, games
15 Ade Dagunduro 2008-09, three
13 Mikki Moore 1996-97, three
Dagunduro’s streak of 15 straight made shots fell two shy of the old Big 12 record. His streak is second in the league this season behind Baylor’s Quincy Acy, who set the new Big 12 record by making his first 20 attempts from the field to start his career.
Miller Ready to Lend a Hand
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 79 assists (4.2 apg) and is second the team with 31 steals (1.6 apg). He is one of seven Huskers with at least 17 steals.
Miller has 39 turnovers to go with his 79 assists, ranking in the top five in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0-to-1). After posting a season-high five miscues with one assist against Kansas State on Jan. 17, Miller rebounded to have his best game distributing the ball at Oklahoma. He had seven assists with just two turnovers against the No. 6/5 Sooners on the road.
Miller has had at least four assists in 13 contests this season, including five straight games to end non-conference play. Miller’s season high is seven assists at No. 6/5 Oklahoma, and has had six assists four times.
Miller was efficient in leading the Huskers to a win in the Big 12 opener against Missouri. He had three assists against two turnovers in 36 minutes, but helped NU continually break the Tigers’ press. His defense also helped NU force MU into 16 turnovers with only 10 assists after the Tigers came into the game ranked third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Miller also drew three charges, all in the first half, against MU.
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.
Hot Henry
After a strong offseason, junior guard Sek Henry started out on a tear while helping the Huskers win six straight games to open a season for just the second time in the Big 12 era.
Henry has been more consistent on offense through the first 20 games of this season than at any point in his career. He is one of three players averaging at least 9.0 ppg, and has recorded 11 double-figure scoring games.
Henry posted 19 points against each Saint Louis and Florida A&M, one off his career high and the most points he has scored at home in the Devaney Center. He nearly matched the mark with 18 points vs. South Carolina State.
Henry added 13 points against Missouri to help Nebraska to a win in the Big 12 opener. It was the second-highest point total of his career against a Big 12 squad, trailing the 14 points he scored last season at Missouri.
Overall, he has scored at least 10 points four times in league play, including three of the last four contests.
He has posted double figure points 11 times in 20 games this season, after scoring in double figures just nine times in the first 64 games of his career. Henry posted double figures five times last year and four times as a freshman.
Henry has hit 64-of-130 shots (49.2 percent) from the field, including 20-of-50 (40.0 percent) from 3-point range. His career averages entering this season were 36.7 percent shooting and 26.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Henry has twice this season tied his career high with four steals in a game. He is currently fifth on the team with 22 steals through 20 contests.
Being aggressive is in Henry’s nature on the court and it is showing this year. He has raised his average to 66.0 percent from the free throw line, as he has done a nice job getting to the stripe recently. He is one of only three Huskers with at least 50 attempts at the line (35-of-53).
Henry raised his free throw average significantly of late, hitting 26 of his last 33 (78.8 percent) attempts over the past 10 games. Henry hit an impressive 7-of-8 from the line against UMBC after entering the game hitting 45.0 percent in his first nine games, and followed with a 7-of-9 effort against SCSU.
Energy Guy
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.”
After sitting out the first four games of Big 12 Conference action with an injury, Richardson came back to hit 2-of-3, including both 3-point attempts, to score eight points in 15 minutes against Oklahoma State.
Richardson scored a career-high 11 points in a road victory at Texas Tech. He came off the bench to hit 4-of-5 shots, including 3-of-4 from long range, in 19 minutes.
He has now hit 11 of his last 18 shots overall, including 7-of-13 from long range. The recent aggressiveness with ball came as a direct result of the coaching staff telling Richardson to focused on attacking on the offensive end.
Against UAPB, he scored a season-high nine points and had two assists without a turnover in 23 minutes of action.
He posted 13 points over the last two games of non-conference play after scoring just 12 points in his previous eight games.
He has posted at least three steals in a game three times this year, and is tied for sixth on the team with 17 steals. He needs seven steals to move onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 list.
Energy Guy . . . Too
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 come off the bench to hit 50
3-pointers in 20 games, including 12 games with at least three treys apiece. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 8.7 points per game.
Velander is currently second in the Big 12 Conference and was 12th nationally entering the week in 3-point percentage. He has hit 45.0 percent from behind the arc.
Velander posted as career-high tying 20 points behind a career-best six 3-pointers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.
He has hit double figures five times this season, including three of the last four games of the non-conference slate.
He also made his first 2-point basket of the year against UMBC and now has hit just 2-of-9 from inside the arc.
Velander leads the team with 20 charges taken, including three against each San Jose State and Saint Louis. If the statistic were kept nationally, it’s possible that Velander would lead the nation in charges taken.
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. As a team, NU has taken 39 charges in 20 games this year.
Balham Making Most of Minutes
Junior forward Chris Balham has been limited by chronic knee problems throughout his career and while he has not been able to practice or get on the court in games as much as he and coach Doc Sadler would like, Balham has made the most of his court time lately.
Over the past nine games, Balham has averaged 12.9 minutes per game, with a total of 116 minutes of action. He saw 46 minutes of action combined in his first seven games of the year, with a high of 10 minutes at TCU. He also missed three games this year because of chronic knee issues.
He played 18, 14, 17, 14, 10 and 12 minutes, respectively, between the Maryland Eastern Shore and Oklahoma games, the first time in his career he gained at least 10 minutes in more than three straight games. Overall, he has played at least 10 minutes in nine of the last 10 games.
Balham tied his career high with eight rebounds against Florida A&M. He added six boards on the road at Texas Tech for his most in conference play this year. Of his 37 rebounds in the past 10 games, 19 are offensive boards.
Balham scored a season-high seven points in consecutive games near the end of the non-conference slate this season. The only time Balham has scored more than seven points (his totals against SCSU and UMES) in a game was a career-high 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a road victory over No. 22 Texas A&M last season.
Harley is Leader of the Pack
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 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.
Harley is currently tied for the team lead with 11.8 points per game despite averaging just 8.7 points ? third on team ? over the first seven Big 12 Conference games.
Despite struggling to score in NU’s six Big 12 games this year, Harley has still come up big for the Huskers in other ways. He has had 20 rebounds, 12 assists and 15 steals in the first seven league games.
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' first 20-point game this year.
One of the most aggressive Huskers getting to the basket, Harley is second on the team with 67 trips to the free throw line. Harley, who has struggled in league play by hitting 5-of-14 from the free throw line, is averaging 3.4 rebounds and is third on the team with 44 assists and leads the squad with 33 steals.
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. He has had at least four rebounds in a game nine times this season.
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 one of only two players (also Cookie Miller) averaging more than 26 minutes per game. Harley has played a team-high 31.6 minutes per contest this season, including a career-high 40 minutes against UMBC.
Velander Reaches Top 10
Senior guard Paul Velander is the second Husker this season to place his name on the top-10 list, following junior guard Ryan Anderson.
Velander hit 1-of-2 from long range in the Big 12 opener against Missouri to match Ray Richardson’s mark for 10th place. He now is eighth in Nebraska history with 118 treys. He moved past teammate Ryan Anderson as Velander posted six 3-pointers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.
Velander has hit at least three 3-pointers in 12 games this year, with a career-high six against Kansas State (6-of-10 overall).
Velander’s 45.0 percent accuracy from beyond the arc is currently second in the Big 12 Conference.
He leads the team with 50 3-pointers in 20 games. He entered the week ranked 12th nationally in 3-point percentage despite struggling lately, hitting just 2-of-15 in his last three games.
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. Paul Velander (2006-pres.)........... 118
9. Joe McCray (2005-06)................ 117
10. Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.)......... 113
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, hitting 113 treys in his career to rank 10th in NU history.
Despite being one of the best 3-point shooters in the league the past two years, Anderson has struggled this season. He has hit 15-of-55 attempts (27.3 percent) after coming into the season hitting better than 39 percent in his career.
Anderson’s best long-range game this year came with four 3-pointers at No. 6/5 Oklahoma, marking the 15th time in his career he has had at least three treys in a single game. He also had three treys earlier this season against Alabama State.
He went 3-of-3 from the field against Florida A&M but did not attempt a 3-pointer. It was the first time in 30 games that he did not attempt a 3-pointer in a game. He also did not attempt a trey at Texas Tech, just the sixth game in his career he did not shoot from long range.
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.
Anderson, Velander Among Huskers’ Most Accurate Duos
Senior guard Paul Velander has 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 fifth in NU history for 3-point field-goal percentage at 40.7 percent (118-of-290) while coming off the bench in 79-of-80 contests.
He leads the team with 50 3-pointers this season, including three or more 3s in each of 12 games this year. Despite ranking second in the Big 12 Conference in 3-point percentage this season (45.0), Velander has struggled lately, hitting just two of his last 15 attempts over the past three games. He snapped his streak of at least one trey in each game when he went 0-of-2 at Texas Tech.
With Anderson and Velander, four of the players in the NU top 10 have played under Coach Doc Sadler.
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
6. Clifford Scales (1988-91) 45 110 .409
5. Paul Velander (2006-pres.) 118 290 .407
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 .378
10. Ryan Anderson (2007-pres.) 113 302 .374
McCray Starts Strong
Guard Toney McCray started the season out strong, scoring game highs with 17 points and nine rebounds in the season opener against San Jose State.
McCray hit 6-of-15 shots from the floor in his career debut against the Spartans and 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 ranks sixth on the team with 6.3 points per game. He is fourth on the team with 3.2 rebounds per game and leads the squad with 11 blocked shots.
McCray played inside most of the first 18 games of the season, but moved back onto the wing before the Kansas game, which was the first contest in this season that he did not play any minutes.
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. Overall, he is 9-of-23 this season from long range.
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.
In his first Big 12 Conference tilt, McCray posted five points with one rebound in five minutes. His 3-pointer late in the second half was a needed offensive spark as the Huskers held on for a victory over Missouri.
In Big 12 Conference play, McCray has hit 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from the floor while averaging 4.0 points per game.
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 especially in the non-conference season.
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, to tie the school record with 31 consecutive non-conference home wins. The streak ranked eighth nationally until NU fell to UMBC on Dec. 23.
Following the win over Florida A&M to end the non-conference schedule, Nebraska is now 29-1 under Coach Doc Sadler at home against non-conference opponents.
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.
The Huskers are 42-2 in non-conference play at home since last suffering consecutive home non-league losses in 2004-05.
During the school-record tying 31-game home non-conference win 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
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 against UMBC.
The near comeback against UMBC came just three days after the Huskers rallied from a five-point halftime deficit at home to pull away for a 75-48 victory over IPFW.
In an continuing theme, NU fell behind by 13 points at Iowa State before battling back to tie the game at 45-45 with under seven minutes to play. With 2:13 remaining, NU trailed by just two points, 55-53, but saw the Cyclones go on a 10-0 run to end the game.