%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Husker Game day
NIT Bracket: Click Here
Nebraska Game Notes: Click Here
New Mexico Game Notes: Click Here
Game Date: March 17, 2009
Tipoff time: 9:05 p.m. CT
Venue: The Pit (18,018)
TV: ESPNU, Play-by-play: Doug Bell. Color: Reid Gettys.
Internet TV: ESPN360.com
Radio: Husker Sports Radio Network stations, Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka. Color: Matt Davison.
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: TBA
Ticket Information: Tickets will be available Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. at the UNM ticket office at The Pit and online at www.unmtickets.com. Tickets are $15 for adults/youth and $5 for UNM students. Parking will be $5 and first-come, first-serve in all lots.
Huskers Earn 22nd Postseason Appearance
For the second straight season and 22nd time in history, the Nebraska Cornhuskers earned a spot in the postseason as part of the 32-team field for the 2009 Master Card National Invitation Tournament. The Huskers, who earned a No. 6 seed, will open play on Tuesday, March 17 against No. 3 seed New Mexico. Nebraska and NMU will tip off at 9:05 p.m. CT (8:05 p.m. MT) in The Pit in a game carried on ESPNU. Doug Bell (play by play) and Reid Gettys (color) will call the action.
The Nebraska broadcast can also be heard on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, consisting of 31 stations around the state and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka calls the action and former Husker Matt Davison provides color commentary.
Nebraska opens its 16th appearance in the NIT on the road for just the sixth time in the first round. The Huskers will try to improve on their 3-2 first-round road record by utilizing one of the top scoring defenses in the country. Despite being the shortest team in Division I, the Cornhuskers earned an 8-8 record in the Big 12 Conference (18-12 record overall) by allowing just 59.4 points per game this season (17th nationally), including a Big 12-leading 62.4 ppg in league-only games. The stingy Huskers have held opponents below 70 points 25 times this season, including 12 times against conference teams (8-4 record).
NU will try to keep up with the Lobos’ explosive offensive attack behind the play of senior guard Ade Dagunduro, a third-team All-Big 12 selection, and junior Ryan Anderson. Dagunduro has averaged 17.6 points on 58.5 percent (31-of-53) shooting over the past five games with 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game. Anderson has posted 10.6 points and 2.3 assists per game in that span while hitting 53 percent from the field.
Scouting The Lobos
Nebraska enters postseason play at New Mexico against a Lobo squad that owns a 21-11 record after earning a share of the Mountain West Conference title. The Lobos were 12-4 in conference play to finish in a three-way tie for first place.
NMU was the No. 3 seed at the MWC Championship but fell in its first game to No. 6 seed Wyoming, 75-67. The Cowboys ran away with the victory by hitting 55.2 percent from the field while the cold-shooting Lobos hit just 35.6 percent.
New Mexico’s league tournament appearance looked much like the Huskers’ as NMU hit just 3-of-23 from 3-point range, including 0-of-11 in the second half as the Cowboys turned a four-point halftime deficit into an eight-point victory. NU hit just 31.5 percent from the floor in its first-round loss to Baylor in the Big 12 Championship, including hitting just 2-of-18 from long range after the intermission. Both NU and NMU played the same team (Baylor and Wyoming, respectively) in the regular-season finale and then just days later in the conference tournament.
Dairese Gary led the Lobos with 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting while Daniel Faris hit 5-of-6 attempts for 12 points. The rest of the team connected on just 11-of-43 from the floor. Tony Dandridge, who had 13 points against Wyoming, is the team’s leading scorer with 15.2 points per game while Faris adds 11.5 points with 6.2 rebounds per game on 51.6 percent shooting. Roman Martinez leads the team with 6.3 rebounds while adding 10.8 points per contest. Chad Toppert has come off the bench in 31 games to be the Lobos’ fourth double-figure scorer with 10.7 points per game by hitting a team-high 77 3-pointers. Martinez has added 65 treys, helping the team hit 38.0 percent (226-of-594) from long range.
Dandridge was a first-team All-MWC pick while Faris was second-team and Martinez and Toppert were honorable-mention.
The Lobos have been solid defensively by holding teams to 40.9 percent shooting, although squads have hit 235 3-pointers on 36.1 percent from long range. NMU is allowing 65.8 points per game while averaging nearly 74 points per contest on the offensive end. New Mexico has held a slight rebounding advantage (+2.6, 34.2 to 31.6) but has been solid with the ball, making just 12.4 turnovers per game, including 11.2 tpg in league play.
New Mexico is coached by Steve Alford (Indiana, 1987), who is in his second year with the Lobos. Alford owns a 45-20 record at New Mexico and has posted a 353-203 career record with previous stops at Iowa, Southwest Missouri State and Division II Manchester (Ind.) College. Alford was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year this season for helping NMU to a share of first place after being picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll.
Possible New Mexico Starting Lineup
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Pt. Rb.
Tony Dandridge G 6-5 215 15.2 4.1
Dairese Gary G 6-1 205 8.1 4.0*
Phillip McDonald G 6-5 190 7.2 3.3
Roman Martinez F 6-6 185 10.8 6.3
Daniel Faris F 6-9 235 11.5 6.2
*assists per game
Nebraska-New Mexico Team Comparison
NU Stat NMU
64.3______ Points Per Game______ 73.7
59.6___ Points Allowed Per Game___ 65.8
43.9____ Field Goal Percentage____ 46.1
42.8_ Field Goal Percentage Defense_ 40.9
36.4___ 3pt Field Goal Percentage___ 38.0
33.4 3pt Field Goal Percentage Defense 36.1
69.8____ Free Throw Percentage____ 70.2
27.9_____ Rebounds Per Game_____ 72.3
-6.3_______ Rebound Margin______ +2.6
13.3______ Assists Per Game______ 15.4
11.5_____ Turnovers Per Game_____ 12.4
8.5_______ Steals Per Game_______ 6.5
1.7_______ Blocks Per Game_______ 3.3
17.5_______ Fouls Per Game______ 20.8
The Series vs. New Mexico
Tuesday’s matchup in the first round of the 2009 National Invitation Tournament between the Huskers and Lobos will be the first ever between the teams on the basketball court.
Nebraska is 35-21 overall against teams from the Mountain West Conference.
The Huskers' last meeting with a Mountain West opponent came earlier this season when Nebraska played at TCU. The Huskers earned a 62-50 victory in their first road game of the season.
In addition to TCU, Nebraska also had two other common opponents with New Mexico this season. The Lobos defeated TCU twice in conference action while falling at Creighton by seven points and at Texas Tech by eight. NU defeated Creighton at home by two points and topped Texas Tech by 13 in Lubbock, Texas.
Nebraska’s Postseason History
Nebraska is a familiar competitor in the National Invitation Tournament as the Huskers are making their 16th all-time appearance in the 32-team field.
The Huskers are making their 22nd all-time postseason appearance (16 NIT, 6 NCAA).
Nebraska owns a 23-14 all-time record in the NIT, ranking among the national leaders in wins in the country’s oldest postseason tournament.
NU is playing in the postseason for the fourth time in six years, joining NIT appearances in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
The Cornhuskers are making their second straight postseason appearance under coach Doc Sadler. This is the first time NU has gone to postseason play in consecutive seasons since making nine straight postseason appearances (five NCAA, four NIT) between 1991 and 1999.
The Huskers have won their first game in the NIT in 11 of their last 12 appearances, and 12 of 15 times overall.
NU has won more than one game in the NIT five times in history (1983, 3 wins; 1987, 4; 1996, 5; 1997, 2; 2004, 2).
Nebraska has advanced to the NIT semifinals in New York City three times, in 1983, 1987 and 1996. The Huskers won the 1996 NIT championship with a 60-56 victory over St. Joseph’s.
During the regular season, NU played 16 games against teams that are currently competing in the postseason, including three teams in the NIT. Nebraska is 3-2 this season against the NIT field.
In the all-time record book, Nebraska owns a 159-171 mark against teams in the 2009 NIT field. Among the teams in their region of the bracket, the Huskers are 35-26 all-time against the other seven teams, including 1-0 this year against No. 1 seed Creighton.
Nebraska’s Records vs. Teams in the 2009 NIT
Team 2008-09 All-Time
Creighton 1-0 24-18
Bowling Green 0-0 2-1
Kentucky 0-0 1-2
UNLV 0-0 1-1
Notre Dame 0-0 5-2
UAB 0-0 2-2
San Diego State 0-0 0-1
Weber State 0-0 1-0
Kansas State 1-1 93-123
South Carolina 0-0 1-1
St. Mary’s (Calif.) 0-0 1-1
Washington State 0-0 6-2
Tulsa 0-0 0-2
Northwestern 0-0 3-1
Baylor 1-1 12-8
Virginia Tech 0-0 0-1
Duquesne 0-0 1-2
Miami 0-0 3-1
Niagara 0-0 2-0
Penn State 0-0 1-2
Totals 3-2 159-171
Nebraska has 10 players who have competed in at least one career postseason game, including six who played at least 15 minutes in each of NU’s two NIT games in 2008. Last year, Ade Dagunduro finally found his touch as he averaged 15.5 points per game in two NIT contests, hitting 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) from the floor while adding 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shot per game.
The Cornhuskers own a 15-1 record in Lincoln during NIT play, all in the Devaney Center. Nebraska’s only loss at home came in the second round of the 1995 NIT when Penn State defeated the Huskers, 65-59.
Nebraska is 10-0 in first-round NIT games played in Lincoln, and on the road, the Huskers are 3-2 in the first round of the NIT.
Nebraska on the Road in the NIT First Round
Opponent, Year Location Result
Michigan, 1980 Ann Arbor, Mich. L, 69-76
Creighton, 1984 Omaha, Neb. W, 56-54
Colorado State, 1996 Fort Collins, Colo. W, 91-83
Creighton, 2004 Omaha, Neb. W, 71-70
Hofstra, 2006 Hempstead, N.Y. L, 62-73
For a complete list of Nebraska’s all-time postseason appearances and postseason records (individual and team), check out pages 17 and 18 of these game notes.
Husker Foes Faring Well
The Huskers earned a shot to participate in the postseason by playing well against the top competition in the country.
Nebraska played 16 games against 12 teams that reached the 2009 postseason. NU owns victories over six of those teams, including three in the NCAA Tournament and three in the NIT.
The Huskers were 8-8 against the Big 12 Conference, which was rated No. 3 in the Conference RPI. The Big 12 had six teams earn NCAA Tournament bids and three NIT berths for a conference record nine postseason teams.
NU had six wins over postseason teams, including three in the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska also had three other close losses to NCAA teams, including Kansas (six-point loss but trailed by one in final 30 seconds), Oklahoma State (lost by two in OT; led by five in final four minutes) and Texas A&M (lost by two points on 3-pointer at the buzzer).
2008-09 NU Opponents in Postseason Play
Team Record Postseason NU vs.
Creighton 26-7 NIT 1-0
Alabama State 22-9 NCAA 1-0
Arizona State 24-9 NCAA 0-1
Oregon State 13-17 CBI 0-1
Missouri 28-6 NCAA 1-1
Kansas 25-7 NCAA 0-2
Oklahoma 27-5 NCAA 0-1
Oklahoma State 22-11 NCAA 0-1
Texas A&M 23-9 NCAA 0-1
Texas 22-11 NCAA 1-0
Kansas State 21-11 NIT 1-1
Baylor 20-14 NIT 1-1
Totals 273-116 6-10
Nebraska’s best win over a postseason team is its 56-51 victory over NCAA Tournament No. 3 seed Missouri in the Big 12 Conference opener. The Tigers went on to earn a 28-6 record and won the Big 12 Championship before getting the second-highest NCAA seed of any league team.
The Huskers own non-conference wins over two league champions (Creighton and Alabama State), and topped four non-conference teams with at least 17 wins including Creighton (26-7), Alabama State (22-9), Saint Louis (18-14) and South Carolina State (17-14).
Huskers Finish Eighth with 8-8 Mark
While the Huskers were hopeful of a little help on the final day of the regular season that could have pushed them as high as sixth in the league standings, Nebraska finished in sole possession of eighth place in the final Big 12 Conference standings with a win over Baylor on March 7.
Despite falling short of an upper-division finish, the win over the Bears still helped Nebraska reached one lofty goal that had not been accomplished in Lincoln in the past decade. Nebraska ended the regular season with an
8-8 record in conference play, the first .500 mark by the Huskers in Big 12 action since 1999 when NU went 10-6.
It is only the third time in 13 years of Big 12 Conference play that Nebraska has been at least .500 in league play. NU went 10-6 against league foes twice in the first three years after the formation of the league, earning the mark in 1998 and 1999.
Nebraska has finished with a 7-9 league record five times in the Big 12 era.
The Huskers were the eighth team this season to record at least eight Big 12 victories. It is the first time in the 13-year history of the league that eight teams have finished .500 or better. Previously, the high was seven teams with at least eight wins in 2004 and 2005.
Finishing Strong
Historically speaking, Nebraska has not ended the regular season on a positive note. This year’s strong finish, going 2-0 in the final week, marks only the second time in the Big 12 era that the Huskers have won the last two games of the regular season.
The last time NU won two straight games to end the regular season was 1998 when the Huskers won six straight contests.
Before 1998, the last time NU won its last two regular-season games was 1987. That year, the Huskers won their final two regular-season contests, fell in the Big Eight tournament to Kansas State, 47-45, and then reached the semifinals of the NIT in New York City.
Nebraska has won the regular-season finale for three straight years under coach Doc Sadler. Before Sadler’s arrival, the last time Nebraska won its final game before the start of postseason play was 1999.
Huskers Reach 18-Win Mark
When the Huskers defeated Baylor on Saturday, March 7, it marked the 23rd time in school history ? and second straight season under coach Doc Sadler ? that Nebraska reached the 18-win plateau.
It is only the fourth time in school history that the Huskers have won at least 18 games in consecutive seasons.
The last time NU won 18 or more games in back-to-back campaigns was during a school-record nine-year stretch with at least 18 wins from 1991 to 1999.
Sadler is the only coach in Nebraska history to get his team to post at least 18 wins twice in his first three years on the sideline. In fact, Sadler is the only NU mentor ever to help his teams win at least 17 games in each of his first three years on the Husker bench.
NU Improves Three Straight Years
Since the start of the 2007 conference season, only three teams in the Big 12 have improved their win total in league play each of the past three seasons. Among that group is Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
The Cornhuskers have improved from six wins in 2007 to seven last year and finally reached the .500 mark with an 8-8 campaign this season.
It is the second time in the Big 12 era that Nebraska has improved its conference win total for three straight years, matching the mark set from 2003 (3 wins) to 2004 (6) to 2005 (7).
It is only the ninth time ever that Nebraska has improved its league win total in three straight seasons, and just the second time since 1979 to 1981.
Only once have the Huskers improved their conference win total four straight years, from 1952 to 1955.
Anderson Joins Elite Company
Junior Ryan Anderson joined an elite club as he became just the seventh Husker to record at least 100 3-pointers, 100 assists and 100 steals in a career, joining Eric Piatkowski, Tyronn Lue, Erick Strickland, Cookie Belcher, Cary Cochran and Jaron Boone.
Entering the National Invitation Tournament, Anderson has 130 3-pointers to rank eighth in Nebraska history while his 112 steals rank 15th all-time at NU. He also has 159 career assists.
Trio of Huskers Earn Accolades
Senior guard Ade Dagunduro led three Huskers who earned postseason accolades Sunday, March 8, as he was selected to the All-Big 12 third team by a vote of the league’s head coaches. Dagunduro was the only Husker to earn a selection by the league’s head coaches, but he was joined by junior guard Ryan Anderson and senior guard Paul Velander on specialty teams selected by sports writers who regularly cover the Big 12 Conference.
In addition to being a third-team all-league selection, Dagunduro was also chosen by the coaches as a part of the six-man Big 12 All-Defensive Team. The honors were the first of Dagunduro’s career from the league coaches, as he was a Big 12 All-Newcomer Team selection by the sports writers last season.
Dagunduro’s selection marks the third straight season a Husker was named to one of the coaches’ top three all-league teams. He joined Aleks Maric, who was a second-team performer each of his last two seasons under coach Doc Sadler.
Dagunduro started the season slowly but has picked up the pace significantly in the conference season. He leads the team with 13.0 points per game overall, but averaged a team-best 14.8 points per game on 53.5 percent shooting in Big 12 Conference action. He ranked in the top 20 in conference play in scoring average (14th), rebounding (4.8 rpg, 17th) and field-goal percentage (4th).
A starter in all 30 games this season, Dagunduro has helped the Huskers rank 17th nationally through March 12, and first in the Big 12 Conference, in scoring defense by allowing just 59.6 points per game. He is fourth on the team in steals and leads the squad in rebounding while continually defending players in the post who stand 4-6 inches taller.
Along with the announced coaches teams, Dagunduro was selected to the sports writers’ All-Underrated Team while Anderson and Velander were also honored for their strong play this year. Anderson, a 6-4, 205-pounder who normally plays the 4 spot, was chosen for a spot on the sports writers’ All-Defensive Team while Velander, who has made only three starts in his 90-game career, was picked as a member of the All-Reserve Team.
Anderson has been strong down the stretch for the Huskers, averaging 10.2 points over the final six games of the regular season while hitting 52.4 percent from the floor, including 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from 3-point range. He also had 16 assists and five turnovers while collecting seven steals in that frame. On the year, Anderson has averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while ranking third on the team with 40 steals. He is 12th in Big 12 action with 1.4 steals per game.
Velander has put together a strong senior season despite struggling over the past month. He leads the Huskers and ranks in the top 10 in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (39.7) and in the top 15 for 3-pointers (58). He needs four treys to move into the Nebraska single-season top 10. Earlier this year he moved onto the Huskers’ career charts for 3-pointers (126) and 3-point percentage (38.8).
Quick Hits
Here is a quick look at the Huskers through games of March 15:
Quick team notes
NU posted 18 regular-season wins for the fourth time in the Big 12 era and the second straight season under coach Doc Sadler.
The Huskers recorded a .500 or better mark in conference play for just the third time in the Big 12 era (1998, 10-6; 1999, 10-6; 2009, 8-8).
The Huskers had a .500 or better mark at the midway point of conference action for just the fourth time in the Big 12 era (1998, 4-4; 1999, 5-3; 2006, 5-3; 2009, 4-4).
Nebraska has improved its Big 12 Conference record each of the past three seasons under coach Doc Sadler. The Huskers were 6-10 in Sadler’s first season (2006-07) and 7-9 last year before finishing with an 8-8 mark this season.
Over the past five games, Nebraska has hit 79.8 percent (71-of-89) from the free throw line, significantly better than the Huskers’ 69.8 percent on the season.
Since the start of the 2008 league season, the Huskers have held 12 Big 12 opponents to under 60 points in a game, including four of their last 11 games (Colorado, 53 points; Texas, 55; Colorado, 41; Texas A&M, 57).
Overall, the Huskers have held Big 12 opponents to 70 or fewer points in 22 of their last 26 games against league teams, including the last two league tournaments.
In 30 overall games this season, only three teams (No. 6/5 Oklahoma, Oklahoma State in overtime and Kansas State) have topped the 70-point plateau against the Huskers. Two of those games ? at Oklahoma and Kansas State ? were on the road.
With the Big 12 Conference’s top defense, Nebraska is giving up just 59.6 points per game. Since 1951, the Huskers have had a better scoring defense through a whole season only once (1982, 55.3 ppg).
The Huskers ranked 17th nationally in scoring defense on Friday, March 13.
Nebraska’s win over Colorado marked the third time this season Nebraska held an opponent to under 50 points (San Jose State, 46; IPFW, 48). Nebraska and Colorado set the Big 12 record low for combined points in NU’s 46-41 victory in Lincoln.
Nebraska tied the NCAA record with zero turnovers in a half in the opening period against Colorado at home and in the first half against Texas A&M. Ten times this season NU has committed three or fewer turnovers in a half.
NU tied the school record (originally set at Iowa State in 2002) with only three turnovers against Maryland Eastern Shore. NU also had just eight or fewer turnovers against six other teams, including five in Big 12 conference action.
Nebraska has forced four conference opponents (Kansas State, 25; Kansas, 21; at Texas Tech, 20; vs. Baylor, 21 at Big 12 Championship) into 20 or more turnovers in a game this season.
The Huskers lead in the league in fewest turnovers at 11.5 per game. NU is also second in the league and ended last week fifth nationally in turnover margin.
The Huskers were also in the top 75 nationally at the end of last week in turnovers per game (16th), steals per game (32nd), assist-to-turnover ratio (48th) and 3-point field-goal percentage (75th).
With victories at Texas Tech and Colorado, Nebraska won consecutive road games in conference play for the first time since 2006-07, when the Huskers won at Missouri and came from 13 points down to win at Texas Tech. Overall it was just the fifth time since the formation of the league that the Huskers won consecutive road league contests.
Nebraska added a third league road win at Baylor, which a week later reached the Big 12 Championship title game. The three conference road wins is the second-highest total by the Huskers in the Big 12 era.
Nebraska posted its second double-figure comeback victory of the season by erasing a 12-point, second-half deficit vs. then-No. 16/17 Texas to win 58-55. It marked the ninth straight season NU has defeated a ranked team. NU currently owns a 5-12 record against ranked squads under Doc Sadler.
Nebraska has 199 3-pointers this season. The 2009 Huskers now rank fifth in school history and each of coach Doc Sadler’s first three teams have posted at least 190 3-pointers to rank in the top seven in Nebraska history. Only four previous NU teams have posted 200 or more 3-pointers in a season.
Individual quick notes
Senior guard Ade Dagunduro has posted at least 20 points in a game five times against Big 12 Conference teams this season. He had not scored 20 points in any of his first 46 career games at Nebraska.
Over the last six games, Dagunduro has averaged 16.8 points on 55.4 percent shooting while Ryan Anderson has added 10.5 points on 50.0 percent shooting, including 48.0 percent (12-of-25) from 3-point range.
Redshirt freshman Toney McCray scored a career-best 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting at Baylor in the regular-season finale. It was one point better than his previous high of 17, set in the season-opener against San Jose State. McCray was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Monday, March 9, for his effort, the second time this season he won the award. He also earned the honor after his performance in the opener against San Jose State.
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. He also set a new school record with 15 straight made field-goal attempts over three games.
Junior guard Ryan Anderson recorded his 100th career steal earlier this year against Kansas at home. He is nearing the Nebraska career top 10 as he needs 16 steals to reach the list.
Sophomore guard Cookie Miller leads the team with 105 assists. He is the first Husker to lead NU in assists as a freshman and sophomore since Tyronn Lue in 1995-96 and 1996-97.
With three assists against Iowa State at home, Miller also joined Tyronn Lue as the only Huskers in program history to post at least 100 assists in each of their freshman and sophomore seasons.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson posted two steals against Iowa State in the home finale, moving onto the NU freshman top 10 chart. He now has 25 steals this season (in 25 games) and is tied with Ryan Anderson for eighth in the frosh record book.
Close Calls
Despite struggling on offense much of the season, Nebraska has been in nearly every game at the very end, leading to a large number of close calls this year.
Overall, the Huskers have had 12 games this season decided by six or fewer points with Nebraska holding a 6-6 record. The Huskers had 14 games decided by six or fewer points in coach Doc Sadler’s first two seasons combined.
Seven of the games in 2008-09 have been decided by one possession, with the Huskers holding a 3-4 record in games decided by three points or less. Nebraska had just four games decided by one possession in coach Doc Sadler’s first two years at Nebraska.
Nebraska is 2-2 in conference games decided by three points or less following its last-second loss to Texas A&M.
The last time Nebraska had more than 12 games in a season decided by six or fewer points was 2000-01. Nebraska went 7-9 in those games that year.
Better and Better
While the Huskers found tough times on offense through much of conference play, one constant during the league season has been the play of senior guard Ade Dagunduro.
The Inglewood, Calif., native earned third-team All-Big 12 honors by averaging nearly 15 points per game in league action while helping the Huskers earn at least eight league wins for the first time since 1999.
Dagunduro helped the Huskers fight for a second straight postseason berth by averaging 14.8 points per game in league action to rank among the top 12 scorers in the conference. He posted 237 points in Big 12 play, more than double his total in 16 contests last year (93 points, 5.8 ppg).
He also ranked in Big 12-only stats in rebounding (t-17th) and field-goal percentage (4th).
Dagunduro scored at least 16 points in nine games against Big 12 foes this year, including a career-high 24 points in a six-point setback against Kansas and again in a 16-point win vs. Iowa State. Last year, his Big 12 single-game high was 14 points at Kansas State.
He led the team in Big 12 play with 4.8 rebounds per game. Dagunduro was also the team leader in league action for field goals (83), field-goal attempts (155), field-goal percentage (53.5), free throws (64), free throw attempts (92) and tied for blocked shots (8).
Dagunduro scored in double figures 14 times in 17 games against Big 12 teams this season, after posting just four double-figure scoring games against conference teams last year.
Sadler Sets Mark
Husker coach Doc Sadler has quickly gained the attention of the rest of the coaches in the Big 12 Conference as, in just three seasons, he has made Nebraska one of the toughest squads to prepare for in the league.
A skillful tactician and master motivator, Sadler’s excellence on the sideline has taken hold as he has shot up the NU record book.
Sadler surpassed Moe Iba’s school record for most wins in the first three seasons on the NU sideline when the Huskers gave Sadler his 54th victory, 77-61 victory over Iowa State at home on March 4.
Sadler previously tied the school record with 37 wins in his first two seasons, equaling the mark originally set by Paul Schlisser who coached two years at Nebraska in the early 1920s.
Last year, Sadler joined Danny Nee as the only Nebraska coaches to reach the postseason at least once in their first two seasons on the Husker sideline. This year he joined Need as the only NU mentors to reach postseason play twice in their first three years.
Sadler and Nee are the only two Nebraska coaches since World War II to post at least one 20-win season in their first two years.
Coaching Wins at Nebraska (first three seasons only)
No. Coach, First Three Years Wins Record
1. Doc Sadler, 2007-present 55 55-39
2. Moe Iba, 1981-83 53 53-34
3. Danny Nee, 1987-89 51 51-46
4. “Jumbo” Stiehm, 1912-14 46 46-6
5. Barry Collier, 2001-03 38 38-50
6. Harry Good, 1947-49 37 37-37
Joe Cipriano, 1964-66 37 37-38
8. R.G. Clapp, 1904-06 32 32-12
9. Charles T. Black, 1927-29 30 30-22
10. E.J. Stewart, 1917-19 29 29-23
11. Jerry Bush, 1955-57 27 27-40
12. A.J. Lewandowski, 1941-43 20 20-23
13. William H. Browne, 1933-35 16 16-36
14. Frank Lehmer, 1897-99 7 7-3
Back to the 50s
Nebraska has been one of the top defensive teams in the nation each of the past two seasons under coach Doc Sadler.
The Huskers led the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense in 2007-08, allowing just 60.7 points per game to rank 18th nationally. It was the Huskers’ best scoring defense since 1982 (55.3 ppg).
Nebraska ended last week ranked 17th nationally in scoring defense and is currently holding teams to 59.6 points per game. The Huskers finished first in scoring defense in league play, allowing 62.4 points per game in Big 12-only games.
Nebraska was one of only two league teams (also Kansas, 65.4 ppg) that allowed less than 69.0 points per game in Big 12 play.
NU held five teams to 55 or fewer points in Big 12 play, including Missouri (51), Kansas State (51), at Colorado (53), Texas (55) and vs. Colorado (41). NU previously had held four league teams to 55 or fewer points in coach Doc Sadler’s first two seasons combined.
Before this year against Colorado (53 points) and Texas (55), the last time Nebraska held consecutive Big 12 opponents to 55 or fewer points was 1999 when NU held Iowa State and Colorado to 52 points apiece in back-to-back road games.
Dating to last season, Nebraska has held seven of its last 10 Big 12 Conference foes at the Devaney Center to 57 or fewer points. Three times in that frame the Huskers have held teams under 50 points.
Nebraska’s 59.6 ppg scoring defense gives the 2009 Huskers a chance to become only the second NU squad since 1951 to allow less than 60 points per contest for a whole season. In that span, only the 1982 NU squad has finished a season allowing less than 60 points per contest, as it gave up 55.3 points per game to rank 10th nationally.
NU has held teams to 55 or fewer points 30 times under coach Doc Sadler in the past three years, including 11 times against league opponents.
And One in the 40s
Nebraska’s defensive effort reached even deeper when it faced Colorado at home on Feb. 18. The Huskers needed the strong defensive effort as Nebraska’s offense struggled to score against the Buffs, but still managed to record a 46-41 victory.
The 87 combined points were a Big 12 record low. The previous low was 89 points between two teams on two occasions, both in 2006 and with both games involving Texas A&M.
The Huskers held CU to 41 points, marking the fifth time in the past six meetings NU held the Buffs to 55 or fewer points, and second straight game in Lincoln it held CU to 49 or fewer points.
Colorado’s 41 points were the fewest Nebraska has allowed a league opponent since giving up just 41 points in a two-point loss to Kansas State in the 1984 Big Eight Tournament.
Nebraska’s 46 points were the fewest by the Huskers in a victory since 1966, when NU defeated Oklahoma 45-41 in Stillwater, Okla., in a game that went into overtime.
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 this season.
Nebraska has averaged just 11.5 turnovers per game this season and ended last week ranked 16th nationally in the category.
The Huskers led the Big 12 Conference in fewest turnovers after several noteworthy performances, particularly when NU had zero turnovers in the first half in games against Colorado and Texas A&M. In conference-only games, NU led the league standings for turnovers per game at 11.6 (185 total), joining Texas (11.6 tpg, 186 total) as the only teams to average less than 12 turnovers per game in Big 12 play.
Nebraska tied the NCAA, Big 12 and school record with zero (0) turnovers in the first half at home against Colorado and turned the trick again in the opening frame against Texas A&M. NU posted its Big 12-best with six total miscues against the Buffs, all after the half, while finishing with eight TOs against the Aggies.
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
Colorado **6
Saint Louis 6
at Oklahoma 7
Iowa State 7
Kansas 8
Texas A&M **8
vs. Baylor (at Big 12 Championiship) 8
* - tied school single-game record
** - Zero (0) turnovers in the first half to tie NCAA record.
The Huskers ended last week ranked
No. 5 nationally in turnover margin. Nebraska currently has a +5.8 margin to rank second in the Big 12 Conference.
Nebraska posted 10 turnovers at Kansas, marking the 11th time overall under coach Doc Sadler that NU had 11 or fewer turnovers in a game away from Lincoln. It was the fourth time this season (also at Oregon State, 11 TO; 7 at Oklahoma; 11 at Texas Tech; 10 at Kansas).
The Huskers have recorded 10 halves this season with three or fewer turnovers, most recently in the second period against Baylor at the Big 12 Championship.
Finding Road Success
Nebraska has seen its share of road struggles in the past but the Huskers put that behind them on Saturday, Jan. 31, when NU 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.
Nebraska made it two straight league road wins when it defeated Colorado 55-53 in Boulder. It was the fewest points Nebraska has allowed on the road since giving up 42 points in a 15-point victory at Kansas State in 2006.
The Huskers broke out quickly in both games before making key plays down the stretch to hold on for victory.
Before the Colorado game, the last time Nebraska won a conference road game when scoring 55 or fewer points was Feb. 4, 1984, at Kansas State when the Huskers won 47-46.
When the Huskers allowed Colorado just 53 points in Boulder, it was only the 12th time in the Big 12 era that Nebraska held its opponent to under 60 points in a road contest. The Huskers improved to 9-3 in those games.
Fewest Points Allowed by Nebraska in
Conference Road Game (Big 12 era only)
No. Opponent, Year Points Allowed Score
1. Kansas State, 2006 42 W, 57-42
2. Colorado, 1999 52 W, 57-52
Iowa State, 1999 52 L, 47-52
4. Colorado, 2009 53 W, 55-53
5. Colorado, 2008 55 L, 51-55
Baylor, 1999 55 W, 68-55
6. Oklahoma State, 2006 57 W, 59-57
7. Texas A&M, 1998 58 W, 75-58
8. Texas A&M, 2008 59 W, 65-59
Texas Tech, 2007 59 W, 61-59
Kansas, 2005 59 L, 57-59
Kansas, 1999 59 W, 64-59
Nebraska hit 55.1 percent (27-of-49) from the field against Texas Tech, easily its best performance on the road this season. The Huskers followed up with a 47.4-percent effort at Colorado. NU has hit better than 43 percent from the field three other times (at Kansas State, 49.0 percent; at Baylor, 45.5 percent) in its other nine games away from Lincoln this year.
Nebraska’s shooting percentage at TTU was its 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, the last road victory in league regular-season play before downing the Red Raiders.
The Huskers’ 82 points at Texas Tech 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 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)
Stealing the Spotlight
Nebraska has been among the national leaders for steals all season, ending last week ranked No. 32in the country. The Huskers currently average 8.5 steals per game to rank second in the league. Overall seven Huskers have posted at least 23 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 16th 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 (12th in the Big 12 entering the week), Anderson could finish this season just outside the NU top 10.
Miller ranks eighth in the league in steals at 1.5 per contest and became the 17th Husker ever with 100 steals when he posted three against Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 Championship.
Miller became just the third Husker ever with at least 100 steals at the end of his sophomore season, joining Husker legends Cookie Belcher and Erick Strickland. 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 with 353 steals in his career.
Overall the Huskers have three players ranked in the top 12 in the Big 12 Conference listing for steals. Along with Anderson and Miller, Steve Harley is second for the Huskers and ranks 11th in the league at 1.4 steals per game (43 total), including ranking sixth in league-only games.
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
Jack Moore, 1979-82 128
11. Jamar Johnson, 1992-94 126
12. Carl Hayes, 1990-92 125
13. Eric Piatkowski, 1991-94 122
14. Greg Downing, 1980-83 118
15. Ryan Anderson, 2007-present 112
16. Cary Cochran, 1999-02 110
17. Cookie Miller, 2008-present 102
-- Sek Henry, 2007-present 80
-- Steve Harley, 2008-present 77
Turning Teams Over
Nebraska has turned up the defensive pressure 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 it 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 NU forced 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 519 turnovers through 30 games, while allowing teams to record just 323 assists on 614 baskets.
The Huskers have forced at least 20 turnovers in 10 games this year. Last year, the Huskers forced 20 turnovers in six games.
Most Opponent Turnovers in 2008-09
Opponent Turnovers
San Jose State 25
Kansas State 25
Creighton 24
at Oregon State 24
IPFW 24
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 23
South Carolina State 21
Kansas 21
vs. Baylor (Big 12 Championship) 21
at 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 eight times this season and at least eight steals in 22 games this year.
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 NU to a 547-334 advantage in points off turnovers.
Nine Huskers have recorded a steal this year, including five averaging at least 1.0 steal per game.
Nebraska Freshman Steals (since 1979)
No. Player, Year Steals
1. Cookie Belcher, 1997 87
2. Cookie Miller, 2008 57
3. Tyronn Lue, 1996 50
4. Erick Strickland, 1993 47
5. Joe McCray, 2005 32
Clifford Scales, 1988 32
7. Jake Muhleisen, 2002 28
8. Jaron Boone, 1993 26
9. Ryan Anderson, 2007 25
Brandon Richardson, 2009 25
11. Beau Reid, 1988 24
-- Toney McCray, 2009 23
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 36.4 percent from long range. Last season, Nebraska hit 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Sek Henry has become one of the team’s most improved 3-point shooters this year, as he has hit 35.6 percent (26-of-73) from long range. He came into the year hitting just 26 percent in his first two years, draining 37-of-140 attempts. He has more 3s this year than either of his first two seasons (17 and 20, respectively).
Despite struggling down the stretch, Paul Velander has been effective this season from beyond the arc as he is hitting 39.7 percent to rank 10th in the Big 12.
Velander led the nation by hitting 50 percent (48-of-96) on Jan. 24 but has hit just 10-of-50 (20.0 percent) since then, including going 0-of-14 from 3-point range over the past four games.
Velander has 58 treys and needs four
3-pointers to break into the Nebraska single-season top 10. He is already tied for eighth on the NU class list. Only five Huskers have had more than 60 3-pointers during their senior season, and only one has had more than 67 (Cary Cochran with school record 89 in 2002).
Nebraska has hit better than 40 percent from the 3-point line as a team seven times this season, including at least 50 percent five times this year. The Huskers hit at least 50 percent from long range three times against Big 12 Conference teams at home (vs. Kansas, Texas and Iowa 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).
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 3s, while Cookie Miller connected on all three of his attempts. NU hit 50.0 percent overall from the field.
After struggling in recent weeks, the Huskers hit 50.0 percent (8-of-16) from beyond the arc against Iowa State in their final home game of the regular season, helping Nebraska to a 16-point victory. It was the first time in five games that NU had hit above 40 percent from 3-point range. The eight treys were Nebraska’s most since posting eight against No. 6 Oklahoma on Jan. 21 (11 games before).
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 33.4 percent from beyond the arc. Last season, opponents hit 36.4 percent on the year.
The Huskers currently are third in the Big 12 Conference in that category. NU has held eight teams under 25.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc this season.
Thirteen of Nebraska’s 30 opponents have been held to five or fewer 3-pointers in a game, including five with three or fewer.
On the Glass
The Huskers put a small lineup on the floor just about every night, 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.
Entering the postseason, Nebraska trailed on the glass by over six rebounds per game
(-6.3 rpg, 34.2 to 27.9).
Nebraska has trailed on the glass in 23 contests this season, including each of its first seven league contests before outrebounding Colorado on the road. Overall, the Huskers have trailed on the boards in 20 of the past 24 games.
NU has trailed on the boards in all but two of its Big 12 contests, and had a -7.6 rebounding margin in regular-season Big 12 action. Nebraska’s 38 rebounds against No. 17/19 Missouri were its second-highest total of the season and just the second time in league play NU outrebounded (38-36) an opponent.
Nebraska’s +8 rebound advantage at Colorado (30-22) was its biggest against a league squad. The Huskers’ -25 margin (43-18) vs. Baylor in the Big 12 Championship was its worst, as BU forward Kevin Rogers outrebounded the Huskers by himself, 20-18. NU also suffered two bad rebounding nights against Kansas, trailing by 22 on the road and 16 at home.
Nebraska, which is listed as the shortest team in Division I by kenpom.com, held nearly even on the boards against Texas, the Big 12 Conference’s tallest team. UT only posted a +4 (34-30) advantage on the glass over the Huskers.
NU has had at least 10 offensive rebounds in a game eight times, most recently at Kansas State when 11 of the Huskers’ 25 boards were on the offensive glass. NU also had at least 10 offensive boards at No. 6/5 Oklahoma (10) and against Kansas (13), Texas (11) at home and at Missouri (11).
Nebraska had a season-low two offensive rebounds against Baylor in the regular-season finale. Ade Dagunduro was the only Husker with an offensive board, as the other was an offensive team rebound.
Line Time
Nebraska has had its ups and downs at the free throw line 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 vs. the Red Raiders, 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.
Three of Nebraska’s four best games at the foul line when attempting at least 20 free throws have come on the road. Along with the 76.7 percent at Texas Tech, NU has topped 76 percent when it hit 81.3 percent (18-of-22) at Kansas State and 86.4 percent (19-of-22) at Baylor.
Senior guard Ade Dagunduro did most of the hard work against Texas Tech, 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
Dagunduro Puts Up Stats
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 and went on to earn third-team All-Big 12 honors.
One of the most athletic players in the league, Dagunduro has recently brought his scoring average up to lead the squad with 13.0 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 19 of the past 23 games, including at least 17 points nine times.
In Big 12 play, he averaged a team-best 14.8 ppg. He averaged a team-best 4.8 rebounds per game in Big 12 action (no other Husker was over 3.8 rpg) and he posted 24 assists, 18 steals and eight blocks while hitting 53.5 percent (83-of-155) from the field.
Dagunduro started the season averaging just 4.8 points per game in three contests against San Jose State, TCU and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The senior posted a then-career high in the Big 12-opening win against eventual Big 12 tournament champion Missouri. He gained 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.
The senior tied his career best on Senior Night, pouring in 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting to help Nebraska earn a 77-61 win over Iowa State. He had six boards, one block and one steal in 33 minutes while dueling his close friend, ISU’s Craig Brackins, who had 25 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out.
Dagunduro added another 20-point contest with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship. He also posted six rebounds, two assists and three steals, all team highs.
Other solid games of note for Dagunduro include 17 points and nine boards against No. 16/19 Texas, 18 points and six boards vs. Colorado at home and 16 points and seven rebounds at Kansas State.
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 was 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 last year, 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 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 in an impressive 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 in 2008-09 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.
Last year, Miller was sixth in the league in assists (3.6 apg) 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 105 assists (3.6 apg) and paces the team with 44 steals (1.5 apg). He is one of seven Huskers with at least 23 steals this season.
Miller has 57 turnovers to go with his 105 assists, helping him rank in the top seven in the Big 12 Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8-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 also had seven assists on the road against Kansas State.
Miller has had at least four assists in 15 contests this season, including five straight games to end non-conference play. He has had six assists six times, including posting six assists with just one turnover against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse.
Miller was efficient in leading the Huskers to a win in the Big 12 opener against eventual Big 12 tournament champion Missouri at home. 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.
Henry Adding to Arsenal
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 this season than at any point in his career. He is averaging 8.1 ppg to rank third on the team.
Henry has posted double figure points 12 times in 30 games this season, although he has not had more than eight points in any of his last seven games. Despite the late-season struggles, he has picked up the pace from the past two seasons when he scored 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 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 eventual Big 12 tournament champion 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 scored at least 10 points five times in league play this season after posting double figures just four times in his first two Big 12 campaigns combined (35 games including league tourney).
Henry has hit 81-of-183 shots (44.3 percent) from the field, including 26-of-73 (35.6 percent) from 3-point range this season. 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 28 steals through 30 contests.
On the glass, Henry set a new personal high with nine rebounds at home against Iowa State. He just missed his first career double-double as he had eight points, while also tying his season high with four assists.
Henry raised his free throw average significantly of late, hitting 39 of his last 53 (73.6 percent) attempts over the past 18 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 attempts, including both 3-point tries, to score eight points in 15 minutes against Oklahoma State.
Richardson scored 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.
In another strong road performance, Richardson scored a career-best 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting to lead Nebraska at No. 17/19 Missouri. He added four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 20 minutes.
He has posted at least three steals in a game three times this year. He is sixth on the team with 25 steals, and reached the Nebraska freshman top 10 against Iowa State. His 25 steals tie him with Ryan Anderson for ninth on the Nebraska frosh chart.
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 58
3-pointers in 30 games. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.2 points per game.
He has hit at least three 3-pointers in 12 games this season. Dating to last year, he has hit at least three treys in 17 of his last 39 games. Before that, he had hit at least three 3-pointers in a game just six times in his first 51 career games.
Velander led the nation by hitting 50.0 percent (48-of-96) to open the year through Jan. 24. Since then he has hit just 20.0 percent (10-of-50) from long range.
Velander is 10th in the Big 12 Conference in 3-point percentage, hitting 39.7 percent from behind the arc on the season.
Entering the postseason, Velander needs four 3-pointers to move onto the Nebraska single-season top-10 chart. Velander also ranks eighth in NU single-season history for
3-point percentage.
Velander posted as career-high tying 20 points behind a career-best six 3-pointers against Kansas State on Jan. 17.
He also leads the team with 26 charges taken in 30 games, 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 53 charges in 30 games this year.
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 floor when he steps outside the 3-point line. Anderson has made a living with the long ball, hitting 130 treys in his career to rank eighth in NU history.
Despite being one of the best 3-point shooters in the league the past two years, Anderson struggled much of this season. He has hit 32-of-89 attempts (36.0 percent) after coming into the season hitting better than 39 percent in his career.
He has started to turn it around over the last 11 games, hitting 17-of-34 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc.
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 and at home on Senior Night against Iowa 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.
Comeback Kids
Under coach Doc Sadler, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have become a team that is hardly ever out of a contest as it has shown the determination and will to come back repeatedly in difficult situations.
Nebraska’s most recent account of a major comeback was against No. 16/17 Texas at home on Feb. 7. The Huskers trailed by 12 points early in the second half and by 10 points with just under 11 minutes remaining. NU continued to chip away at the lead and went ahead with less than two minutes remaining before Ade Dagunduro’s 3-pointer in the final minute sealed the 58-55 victory.
It was the second time this season Nebraska posted a significant come-from-behind win. Against Creighton, the Huskers were 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 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.
By coming back from 12 points down against Texas, the Huskers made their ninth double-digit comeback against league teams in the Big 12 Conference era. It was the second time under Sadler, as NU came back from 13 points down on the road against Texas Tech in 2007.
The 13-point deficit the Huskers overcame against Creighton matched the largest comeback under Coach Doc Sadler. It tied for the second-largest comeback by Nebraska during the Big 12 era, matching the 13-point deficit NU overcame at Texas Tech.
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
2008-09 No. 16/17 Texas 12 points
2002-03 vs. UC Santa Barbara 12 points
1998-99 Texas A&M 12 points
2005-06 Baylor 11 points
2004-05 No. 4 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
Unfortunately, the Huskers saw the other end of a comeback against Texas A&M as Nebraska led by 18 points twice in the second half before the Aggies rallied. Josh Carter’s
3-pointer with less than a second remaining gave A&M the come-from-behind victory.