Huskers to Play in 2010 Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Lincoln, Neb. ? The Nebraska basketball team will get a tough early season test when it plays in the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament next November. The tourney will run Nov. 18-21, 2010, and the Huskers will play three games, with all the tourney contests slated to be carried by ESPN or ESPN360.com.

 

The 2010 tourney field was announced during this week’s opening games of the 2009 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Rounding out the talented eight-team field alongside Nebraska next year will be North Carolina, West Virginia, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Davidson, Western Kentucky and Hofstra. This season, the Tar Heels, Mountaineers and Golden Gophers are all ranked in the national top 25.

 

“This is going to be a test. With a field like that, you’re going to find out real quick what kind of team you have,” coach Doc Sadler said. “These early season tournaments are fun for the fans, but it’s tough for the team because you have three games in four days and have to make that quick turnaround. Hopefully it will be something good for us with so many young guys coming back.”

 

Nebraska will be playing in its first regular-season tournament since 2006-07 when the Huskers went 2-1 at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. The last time the Huskers played in San Juan was the 2000 San Juan Shootout, when NU won three straight games by a total of four points. NU had one-point wins over Iona and Kent State and won by two points over Southern Methodist to take the title. Overall, it will be Nebraska’s eighth regular-season tournament away from home during the Big 12 era.

 

The Huskers currently have 12 scholarship players who are juniors, sophomores or freshmen  who will have eligibility remaining after this season. Among those are six freshmen or redshirt freshmen, including center Jorge Brian Diaz, who is from Caguas, Puerto Rico.