Huskers Aim for Road Win at Iowa State

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Game Date: Feb. 24, 2010
Tipoff Time: 6:35 p.m. CT
Venue: Hilton Coliseum
Capacity: 14,356

Huskers on TV/Radio/Internet
Television: FS Midwest, ESPN FullCourt, Play-by-play: Greg Sharpe, Color: Eric Piatkowski
Radio: IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka, Color: Matt Davison
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Internet Video: ESPN360.com

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Game 28 Notes
2009-10 Record: 13-14, 1-11 Big 12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
Record at Nebraska: 68-54 (4th year)
Record at Division I: 116-72 (6th year)
Career Record: 236-111 (11th year)

Iowa State Cyclones
Game 28 Notes
2009-10 Record: 13-14, 2-10 Big 12
Head coach: Greg McDermott
Record at ISU: 57-65 (4th year)
Career Record: 278-192 (16th year)

Huskers Aim for Road Win at Iowa State
Nebraska hits the road to start the final two weeks of the regular season as the Huskers head to Ames, Iowa, to take on the Iowa State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 24. The 6:35 p.m. tipoff can be seen around the state of Nebraska on FS Midwest and nationally on ESPN FullCourt. The Husker telecast will feature Greg Sharpe (play by play) and Eric Piatkowski (analyst) and will be seen on channel 37 in Lincoln; channel 47 in Omaha; DirecTV channel 680; and Dish Network channel 451.

The game will also be heard live around the state of Nebraska on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network (Kent Pavelka, play by play; Matt Davison, color). The free audio and live stats will also be available on the Internet at Huskers.com.

Nebraska, which ends a streak of three straight road games against top-15 teams, comes into the game looking to snap a six-game losing streak while trying to pick up its first conference road win of the season. The Cyclones also enter the contest on a six-game skid, and their only Big 12 road victory this season came in Lincoln.

The Huskers have seen a scorching shooting touch erupt over the past two games from senior Ryan Anderson, who has averaged 22 ppg in the past week. The Seattle native has hit 14-of-21 shots (66.7 percent) from the field in the last two contests, including draining 11 3-pointers.

Anderson's strong play, which has led to a team-high 11.1 points per game this season, has put him over the 1,000-point mark, where he passed Herschell Turner for 24th place in NU history on Saturday. Anderson is just 19 points from matching Cary Cochran, who is No. 23 on the Huskers' all-time scoring list with 1,082 points.

With five more 3-pointers, Anderson will also join Cochran as the only two players in school history to record at least 48 3-pointers in three separate seasons. Anderson is currently sixth on the all-time 3-pointer chart at NU with 174, and needs just five to move into fourth place.

Sophomore Brandon Richardson has also averaged 10.5 points and a team-high 4.5 rebounds over the past two games. The Los Angeles native has hit 6-of-8 shots from the field and 8-of-10 at the charity stripe in that span. He leads Nebraska on the season by hitting 82.9 percent from the free throw line, where he leads the team in attempts (76).

Series history vs. Iowa State
Nebraska and Iowa State are meeting for the 232nd time this week with the Cornhuskers holding a 130-101 all-time series record since play began in the 1908-09 season. That year, the teams met four times with the Huskers winning three games. NU won 26 of the first 32 matchups in the early 1900s, but recently, ISU has won 16 of the last 27 contests since the start of the Big 12.

}} Eighteen of the past 35 games in the NU-ISU series have been decided by six points or less.

}} Iowa State has won each of the past three meetings in Ames, and owns a 60-47 series lead at home. In Hilton Coliseum, the Cyclones have won 23 of 38 matchups with the Huskers. Iowa State holds a 9-4 record at home in the Big 12 era. Nebraska's last win in Hilton Coliseum came in 2006. 

}} The home team had won four straight meetings before ISU won at Lincoln, 56-53, earlier this season. Before that, the road team had won five of the previous six matchups.

}} The teams have split the season series in seven of the past eight years, including each of the last two. ISU has swept the series three times in the Big 12 era (2000, 2001 and 2007), while NU has swept it once (1998).

Scouting the Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State enters the mid-week matchup looking to snap a six-game losing streak after falling to nationally ranked Texas A&M, 60-56, at home over the weekend. With the setback, the Cyclones fell below .500 with an identical record as the Huskers at 13-14, and dipped to 2-10 in league play, one game ahead of Nebraska.

ISU owns a 10-6 record at home this season but has lost three straight with setbacks against Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Those three contests were decided by a combined 13 points. In fact, five of the Cyclones' six home league games this year have been decided by a combined total of 21 points with Iowa State going 1-4 in those games. The other contest was a 23-point setback against No. 1 Kansas.

The Cyclones are led by junior Craig Brackins, who his averaging 16.5 points per game but has hit just 41.7 percent from the floor, including 31.9 percent from 3-point range. He has gotten to the line 134 times and hit 75.4 percent, and has pulled down 8.4 rebounds per game while tying for the team high with 31 blocks.

Brackins has averaged 16.1 points per game in league play, where he has been limited to 37.2 percent shooting while nailing only 9-of-45 (20.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Brackins is joined by newcomer Marquis Gilstrap in double figures with 14.4 points per game. In league play, Gilstrap is averaging a double-double with 14.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

As a team, Iowa State is averaging 72.1 points per game this season on 44.4 percent shooting. In Big 12 action, those numbers have dipped to 66.0 points on 39.7 percent shooting. Their numbers are similar to the Huskers except in the rebounding department where ISU has pulled down 39.2 boards per game in conference action, 10 more than Nebraska.

The Cyclones are coached by Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988). He owns a 278-192 overall record in his 16th season as a head coach and has posted an 57-65 record in four years at Iowa State.

Recent Meetings - Nebraska and Iowa State
Iowa State won the most recent meeting earlier this season in Lincoln, winning on the road against the Huskers for the fourth time in six seasons. Nebraska looks to return the favor this week as it aims for its first win in Ames since 2006.

}} Earlier this season in Lincoln in a game that featured 11 leads changes, Nebraska came up just short in a 56-53 loss to Iowa State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but Lance Jeter's long 3-pointer fell well short as the final buzzer sounded.

Nebraska, who lost a one-point lead at halftime, was led by Ryan Anderson's 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals, while Jeter added 12 points. The Huskers shot just 36.5 percent from the field, including a 5-of-19 performance from the 3-point line. Nebraska also left points on the board at the charity stripe, as the Huskers hit only 2-of-8 free throws.

Iowa State didn't fare much better, shooting only 39.3 percent from the floor. But the Cyclones were 6-of-16 from 3-point range and 6-of-14 from the line. Marquis Gilstrap led Iowa State with 15 points and 12 rebounds, as seven of the eight Cyclones who played finished with at least six points.

After a slow start, a 7-0 run gave the Cyclones a 15-9 lead and forced a Nebraska timeout with 12:45 left in the half. After Anderson's second 3-pointer of the half trimmed the lead to three, Iowa State used an 11-2 run to stretch the lead to 26-14 with eight minutes left. But from there, the Cyclones hit only three field goals the rest of the half. Nebraska quickly scored six straight points and a pair of Brandon Richardson 3-pointers and an Anderson steal and two-handed dunk highlighted an 18-2 Husker run that put Nebraska on top 32-28. A three-point play by Gillstrap cut the Husker lead to 32-31 at the half.

The Huskers stretched their lead to 46-41 at the midway point of the half before Scott Christopherson ended a three-minute Iowa State scoreless drought with a 3-pointer. Christopherson added another 3-pointer as the Cyclones use a 10-1 run to take 51-47 lead with 5:33 remaining in the half. During the run, Nebraska went more than five minutes without a field goal. ISU then moved ahead by three before the Huskers missed on a pair of opportunities in the final minute.

}} Last years in Ames, Nebraska rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit and tied Iowa State at 45-45 with less than seven minutes remaining, but the Cyclones hit four big shots down the stretch to pull away in the final three minutes and earn a 65-53 victory.

The Huskers trailed 32-20 at the intermission and scored the first six points of the second half before Craig Brackins and Lucca Staiger powered ISU back in front by double figures. Staiger's 3-pointer at the 15:09 mark, one of his six treys in the game, helped Iowa State match its largest lead of the contest at 13 points, 39-26. NU continued to battle and Steve Harley's basket with 2:55 to play cut the Cyclone lead to two, before ISU pulled away for good as it hit four of its last five shots from the field and 3-of-4 free throws, all in the final three minutes.

Huskers Still Hitting at Record Pace
Although Nebraska has been hot and cold while shooting from 3-point range in league play, the Cornhuskers are still hitting at a school-record pace from beyond the arc.

}} Despite shooting just 6-of-39 (15.4 percent) from 3-point range in games against No. 24 Baylor and No. 14 Texas, Nebraska came back in the next contest to connect on a season-high 14 3-pointers in 21 attempts, for a 66.7 percent accuracy at No. 7 Kansas State. The Huskers hit their last six attempts over the final three minutes of the game and had the contest tied in the final 30 seconds after scoring nine points in 20 ticks of the clock.

}} Following the sizzling performance at K-State, the Huskers hit 6-of-16 against Missouri (37.5 percent) and have now drained 176-of-446 attempts from 3-point range this season, good for 39.5 percent. That average would be a school record if the season ended today as the current mark stands at 38.9 percent by the 2003-04 squad. The second-place percentage is 38.3 percent by the 2000-01 Huskers, the only two times Nebraska has hit better than 38 percent for a whole season.

}} The Huskers' struggles against Texas (11.1 percent) and Baylor (19 percent) in consecutive games came after two straight games hitting better than 55 percent from long range. Nebraska connected on 58.8 percent at No. 1 Kansas and 55.6 percent at home vs. No. 10/11 Kansas State.

}} NU has hit at least 50 percent from 3-point range in eight games this season, including four times in Big 12 play. In two home games, the Huskers drained 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) against No. 3 Kansas and 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) against No. 10 Kansas State. NU also did it on the road at Allen Fieldhouse, connecting on 10-of-17 3-point attempts (58.8 percent) against the No. 1 Jayhawks on Feb. 6, and at Bramlage Coliseum against No. 7 Kansas State, when NU hit 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) from long range.

}} Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones leads the Big 12 Conference in all games by hitting 45.2 percent (38-of-84) from 3-point range this season. His 38 treys are a team high and are sixth in the NU freshman record book, just one away from reaching the top five.

}} In Big 12 games only, Anderson is tied for first in 3-point percentage at 47.4 after hitting 11 of his last 15 attempts (73.3 percent) from long range over the past two games. Jones is 10th in league play by hitting at a 39.5-percent clip.

Hitting Shots
Nebraska had struggled from the offensive end for two straight games before exploding for 87 points on the road at No. 7 Kansas State on Feb. 17. The Huskers had posted less than 60 points in three of their previous four games before putting up their highest point total in a Big 12 game under coach Doc Sadler.

}} Nebraska's point total was its highest in a road Big 12 game since putting up 96 points at No. 25 Oklahoma (won 96-81) in 1999. Overall, it was the Huskers' most points in a game away from Lincoln since falling in the 1999 National Invitation Tournament at TCU (101-89).

}} The Huskers hit a season-high 14 3-pointers, tying for their most in a game since posting 15 at Miami in 2006. It's also tied for the fourth-highest total by the Huskers in the Big 12 era.

}} NU's 58.3 percent shooting from the floor was a season high, as was the Huskers' 23 assists.

}} Over the final 2:36 of the KSU contest, the Huskers went 6-of-6 from 3-point range, including scoring nine points on three treys in a span of 20 seconds to tie the game at 87-all in the final minute. Nebraska also went 2-of-2 at the line and Kansas State was 14-of-14 at the free throw stripe. Nebraska missed one layup and KSU hit one, meaning the teams combined to hit 23 of the last 24 scoring attempts (field goal or free throw) in the last three minutes of game action.

}} Two of Nebraska's three highest-scoring games in league play have come on the road at No. 1 Kansas and at No. 7 Kansas. The other game came at home against then-No. 3 Kansas.

Jeter Does A little of Everything
Coming into the season, there was some question about who would become Nebraska's floor general as, after last season, two-year starting point guard Cookie Miller decided to transfer and go to school back in his home state of West Virginia. Today, there is no question who that commander is as point guard Lance Jeter has made his presence felt both on and off the court.

}} Jeter leads the team with 112 assists and his 4.1 assists per game are sixth in the Big 12 Conference. He has had at least four assists in 12 of the past 18 games.

}} In conference play, the 6-3, 225-pound native of Beaver Falls, Pa., is fifth entering the week with 4.1 assists per game. He posted a then-career high in each of his first two career Big 12 games with seven assists at Texas A&M and then eight against No. 3 Kansas at home.

}} Jeter's teammates helped him post his best game of the year as they made shot after shot against No. 7 Kansas on Feb. 17, leading to the point guard's first career double-double. Jeter had 12 points and finished with a career-high 12 assists as the Huskers hit 58.3 percent from the field.

}} At his current pace, Jeter could still challenge for a spot on the Nebraska single-season assist list. He has 112 assists to date - the sixth-highest total by a Husker in the Big 12 era - and needs 23 assists this season to reach 10th place on the single-season chart.

}} He also has shown good decision-making as he is fourth in the league this season with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio (112 to 53). Entering the week, Jeter ranked 61st nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio and his assist average placed him 120th in the nation.

}} Jeter has had at least five assists in 10 games this season, including six straight between Dec. 23 and Jan. 13. The six straight games with at least five assists is the longest streak by a Husker in the Big 12 era, surpassing the five straight games Charles Richardson Jr. had at least five assists in 2006-07.

}} While Jeter is not looked at as a primary scoring option, he has shown the ability to get to the basket and provide an offensive spark on occasion. He has posted seven double-figure scoring games, including 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting against Iowa State on Jan. 13 and 12 points at No. 7 Kansas State on Feb. 17.

}} Jeter can also be a force on the glass as he has shown the past 10 games. While he has had 37 assists in the last 10 contests (3.7 apg), he has also posted 43 rebounds (4.3 rpg), setting a career best three times. He posted a then-best six boards against Iowa State and had a team- and career-high seven boards twice, at Missouri and at home against Oklahoma. He also added six boards against Baylor.

Anderson Reaches 1,000-Point Club
Senior Ryan Anderson joined the 1,000-point club when he posted his first basket of the day against No. 1 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 6. Anderson joined one of the program's elite fraternities as he became only the 25th Husker ever to cross the 1,000-point barrier. He currently ranks No. 24 on the scoring chart.

}} Anderson is first Husker to join the 1,000-point club at Nebraska since Aleks Maric did it his junior year in 2006-07. Overall, Anderson is only the sixth Husker to reach the mark while playing in the Big 12 era, including just the fourth to play his whole career after the formation of the conference. The other Huskers to cross the plateau while playing against current Big 12 Conference teams include:

Aleks Maric (No. 5 all-time, 1,630 points, 2005-08)
Tyronn Lue (No. 8, 1,577 points, 1996-98)
Cookie Belcher (No. 9, 1,552 points, 1997-2001)
Venson Hamilton (No. 11, 1,416, 1996-99)
Cary Cochran (No. 23, 1,082, 1999-2002)

}} During his career, Anderson has posted 283 points (10.1 ppg) as a freshman, 278 points (8.4 ppg) as a sophomore, 213 points (7.1 ppg) as a junior and has 289 points (11.1 ppg) so far as a senior.

Versatile Anderson in Elite Company
Even before Ryan Anderson joined the 1,000-point club at No. 1 Kansas on Feb. 6, he was already among an elite list with some of his on-court accomplishments over the past three-plus seasons.

}} With his 12 points at No. 1 Kansas on Feb. 6, Anderson became one the ninth player in the Big 12 era - and second of three this season - to surpass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 3-pointers in a career. He is the first Cornhusker in the Big 12 era to do it and just the third Husker ever, joining Eric Piatkowski and Erick Strickland. The other players to play solely in the Big 12 era and reach those three marks are (as of Feb. 22): 

            • Tony Crocker (Oklahoma, 2007-present): 1,308 points, 527 rebounds, 194 3-pointers
            • Ryan Anderson (Nebraska, 2007-present): 1,063 points, 543 rebounds, 174 3-pointers
            • Obi Muonelo (Oklahoma State, 2007-present): 1,285 points, 566 rebounds, 226 3-pointers
            • Terrel Harris (Oklahoma State, 2005-09): 1,319 points, 512 rebounds, 153 3-pointers
            • Josh Carter (Texas A&M, 2005-09): 1,566 points, 509 rebounds, 299 3-pointers
            • Brandon Rush (Kansas, 2006-08): 1,477 points, 602 rebounds, 205 3-pointers
            • Richard Roby (Colorado, 2004-08): 2,001 points, 659 rebounds, 214 3-pointers
            • Cartier Martin (Kansas State, 2003-07): 1,546 points, 540 rebounds, 178 3-pointers 
            • Rickey Paulding (Missouri, 2000-04): 1,673 points, 526 rebounds, 191 3-pointers
            • Kirk Hinrich (Kansas, 2000-03): 1,753 points, 532 rebounds, 236 3-pointers

}} Last year Anderson became just the seventh Husker to record at least 100 3-pointers, 100 assists and 100 steals in a career. Among that short list are Eric Piatkowski, Tyronn Lue, Erick Strickland, Cookie Belcher, Cary Cochran and Jaron Boone, along with Anderson. For his career, Anderson now has 174 3-pointers, 159 steals and 213 assists. With his five steals against Iowa State on Jan. 16, Anderson joined Strickland as the only two Huskers ever with at least 150 in each of those three categories.

}} Anderson reached the 500-rebound mark when he posted a team-high eight boards against Iowa State on Jan. 16. The 6-4 Anderson will not reach the NU career top 10 (10th place is 679 boards by Rex Ekwall in 1955-57), but to his credit, Anderson has battled and persevered at the 4 spot each year despite giving up 6-8 inches and 50-80 pounds to most Big 12 opponents and still has moved his way into all-time top 25 rebounders at Nebraska. His 541 rebounds are currently No. 19 on the list.

}} Anderson crossed the 200-assist plateau with three assists at Colorado this season. He now has 213 assists in his career to rank No. 21 on the Husker all-time list.

}} With at least 40 steals in each of his final three seasons, including 46 steals and counting this year, Anderson has climbed among the top 10 in Husker history for career steals. His 159 career steals currently rank fifth all-time.

Diaz Gives Strong Play But still Looks for Consistency
Center Jorge Brian Diaz has been fairly strong in the scoring department for a freshman although he is still looking to become more consistent night in and night out in league play. The 6-11, 235-pounder has averaged 8.6 points per game on the season to rank second on the squad and has been one of the top shot blockers in the league this season.

}} On the year, Diaz has posted 10 double-figure scoring games and has had six other games with between seven and nine points. He is the leading Husker freshman with 231 points this season, and could still challenge for a spot on the Nebraska freshman scoring list. Tenth place is Jamel White with 8.7 points per game in 2006.

}} In conference play, Diaz has hit 49.0 percent (48-of-98) from the field. He knocked down 12 of his first 17 shots from the field (70.4 percent) in two games to open his Big 12 career before going 6-of-20 from the floor over the next three contests.

}} After struggling for three games, Diaz hit 5-of-9 attempts against Oklahoma including a pair of dunks as the Huskers won their first league game of the year. He then came back to add 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting against No. 10/11 Kansas State and 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting at No. 1 Kansas.

}} Diaz had three straight games with double figures against Oklahoma (10), Kansas State (13) and at Kansas (20), before being held to 23 combined points the past four games (six vs. Baylor; eight at Texas; zero at Kansas State; nine vs. Missouri).

}} Diaz matched his season high with three blocks vs. Iowa State and now has 10 blocks in 12 league games to rank 15th (0.8 bpg) in league-only games while ranking seventh (1.2 bpg) in the overall season stats. He is the highest-ranking freshman on the season list and second in league-only games.

}} While his scoring numbers continue to climb, Diaz has also shown flashes that he can compete on the boards. His best rebounding effort during league play came with nine boards against No. 1 Kansas in his first-ever trip to Allen Fieldhouse. He also had seven rebounds including two offensive boards while helping the Huskers to their first league win with a 63-46 victory over Oklahoma a week earlier.

}} Diaz needs nine boards to move onto the Nebraska freshman rebounds top-10 list. He has 107 rebounds this season including a team-high 44 offensive boards.

Richardson Providing a Spark
Despite fighting injuries and illness throughout the season, guard Brandon Richardson has started 12 games this season and has shown a solid improvement in his sophomore season. Whether coming off the bench or working in the starting lineup, he has given the Huskers a spark on both ends of the court this year.

}} When coming off the bench nine times in the past 18 games, Richardson has averaged 9.7 points per game on 49.0 percent (25-of-51) shooting, including 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from 3-point range. He has nailed 27-of-31 (87.1 percent) from the line while coming off the bench in that stretch. 

}} The talented Richardson - who was a 2,000-point scorer in high school - has posted double figures nine times in the last 18 games overall, including a career-best four-game stretch heading into league play.

}} Richardson is third on the team in scoring this season with 8.5 points per game after posting 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting at No. 7 Kansas State on Feb. 17. While his shooting percentage has dipped recently to 45.1 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from long range, he still ranks fourth on the team in field goals (64) and 3-pointers (22) while playing 22.7 minutes per contest.

}} Richardson set a career high with 18 points to lead Nebraska in a 12-point loss against No. 3 Kansas on Jan. 13. Despite missing the previous two days with the flu which caused him to lose about eight pounds, Richardson hit 5-of-6 shots from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and was 5-of-5 at the free throw line in 21 minutes off the bench.

}} Richardson added another strong contest as he helped the Huskers to their first Big 12 Conference win of the season when he had 16 points off the bench in a 63-46 victory over Oklahoma. He hit 6-of-11 shots from the field including 2-of-5 from 3-point range and added three rebounds and two steals in 28 minutes.

Board Support
Despite struggling on the glass in league play, Nebraska has won the rebounding advantage 11 times this season, including nine times at home. The Huskers are 10-1 in those contests. Senior Ryan Anderson and redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz have led the way for the Huskers this season, averaging 4.7 and 4.0 rebounds per game, respectively.

}} Anderson has been a mainstay on the backboards for the Huskers the past four years. While he will not break into the career top 10, the 6-4 Seattle native moved past the 500-rebound plateau on Jan. 16 against Iowa State when he had a team-high eight boards. Anderson became the 24th Husker in history to record at least 500 rebounds, and he has moved into the top 20 all-time as he now has 543 rebounds.

}} Anderson posted a career-best and team season-high 14 rebounds to go with 16 points in a win over Oregon State in December. It was his sixth career double-figure rebounding game and his third career double-double. 

}} In the regular-season opener, Diaz had 11 rebounds to go with nine points in his first career game. He added a second double-figure rebounding game with 12 boards against Chicago State.

}} Diaz narrowly missed his first career double-double when he posted 20 points and nine rebounds against No. 1 Kansas in Lawrence on Feb. 6. It was his highest rebounding total since mid-December.

}} Along with Diaz and Anderson, sophomore Myles Holley is the only other Husker with a double-figure rebounding game this year. He had 11 boards and seven points against Southern Utah.

}} As a team, Nebraska posted a season-high 41 rebounds against each Chicago State and Jackson State. Overall, the Huskers have recorded at least 35 rebounds in eight games. The total is already two more than last year's season total.

Taking Care of the Ball
Coach Doc Sadler's teams at Nebraska have always been noted for their blue-collar work ethic and their attitude toward having a stalwart defense, but over the past couple years another area has become a trademark of a Sadler-led program: ball security.

Last season, the Cornhuskers ranked 18th nationally and first in the Big 12 Conference in turnovers per game, giving up the ball just 11.5 times per contest. NU was one of only two teams (also Texas) to give up less than 12 turnovers per game in 2009 Big 12 Conference play as the Huskers led the league with just 185 turnovers in league action (11.6 tpg).

}} This season, Nebraska is holding on to the ball nearly as well. NU entered the week ranked 56th nationally in turnovers per game, and is currently averaging just 12.3 turnovers per contest despite giving up at least 16 miscues in five of its last eight contests. Nebraska has averaging 12.9 turnovers per game in Big 12 play.

}} The Huskers have turned the ball over seven or fewer times in five games, and less than 10 times on eight occasions. Nebraska set this year's season low and tied the school record with just three miscues against No. 24 Baylor. NU had one turnover in the first half and two in the second, marking the third time in school history a Husker squad posted three turnovers in a game, and the second time under coach Doc Sadler.

Standhardinger Showing Flashes
After sitting out the non-conference slate, freshman forward Christian Standhardinger jumped right into the action as conference play got started on Jan. 9 at Texas A&M. The 6-8, 210-pounder quickly made his presence felt as he had a team-high 13 points and seven rebounds vs. the Aggies.

}} Coming off the bench to provide a lift in energy and effort, Standhardinger has averaged 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in league play despite struggling with foul trouble recently to limit his playing time.

}} Of Standhardinger's 33 rebounds this season, 18 have come on the offensive end.

}} Averaging 13.3 minutes per game, Standhardinger has hit just 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the floor, but has gotten to the free throw line in Big 12 play 33 times, hitting 25 charity shots (75.8 percent). He is second in free throw attempts in Big 12 play despite the limited minutes. 

}} Standhardinger made his career debut just over seven minutes into the A&M game and had five points and three rebounds in the opening period. His 3-pointer in the second half gave Nebraska a 42-40 lead and his free throw less than a minute later gave NU its final lead of the game, 43-42.

}} In his second career game, Standhardinger posted eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with two rebounds (both offensive) in 19 minutes off the bench against No. 3 Kansas on Jan. 13. In the rematch, he had eight points with three assists and two steals in 18 minutes in Allen Fieldhouse.

}} Standhardinger posted his most efficient game yet at Colorado, when he had 14 points in 12 minutes off the bench although much of that came in the second half when NU was down by double figures late in the game. Showcasing his slashing European style of play, Standhardinger made nine trips to the free throw line in his limited minutes, converting eight attempts, and hit 3-of-5 shots from the floor.  He also added four rebounds, including three offensive boards.

}} On Saturday, Standhardinger hit 3-of-5 shots for seven points and added three boards (two offensive rebounds) and two blocks in 13 minutes off the bench.

}} An NCAA amateurism ruling mandated that the freshman forward had to sit out the first 15 games of the season because the club team he played on in his native Germany included a professional. It was the same team that produced fellow Husker Christopher Niemann, who had to sit out all of last season because of the NCAA's ruling at the time. Standhardinger was not allowed to travel with the team, but practiced with the Huskers during the non-conference season.

Bench Production
The Cornhuskers have spread the scoring around this season with only one player averaging double figures. Much of that production has come from the bench, as Nebraska has a deeper roster than many recent seasons.

}} The Husker bench outscored opponents in each of the first eight games and 19 times overall this season.

}} Nebraska posted its top bench production when it got 37 points from the non-starters against No. 24 Baylor. The Husker bench players outscored Baylor's bench 37-7, and NU's bench accounted for 69.8 percent of its scoring. The Huskers also had a tremendous effort from the bench at Colorado, when the bench scored 35 points for 58.3 percent of its 60 points scored against the Buffs.

}} The Huskers' production of 29 points at No. 7 Kansas State was one of 16 games when the Huskers had at least 25 points off the bench.

}} On the season, Nebraska has gotten 716 points (of 1,775 on the season) from its bench. That's 40.3 percent of the production that has come from outside the starting lineup.

}} The 26.6 points per game the Huskers have been getting from the bench are the third-most in the Big 12 Conference this season.

}} The most points by a Husker off the bench this year is 22 by Jorge Brian Diaz, who went 9-of-10 against TCU, while Eshaunte Jones added 21 points, including five 3-pointers, in a loss to BYU. Brandon Richardson also had 18 points off the bench against No. 3 Kansas and 16 points against Oklahoma, while Christian Standhardinger had 14 points in 12 minutes off the bench at Colorado.

}} Nebraska had three players score in double figures off the bench against No. 24 Baylor. Myles Holley led all Nebraska scorers with 11 points while Eshaunte Jones and Brandon Richardson each had 10 points.

Rankings Game
Nebraska had plenty of chances during February to extend a streak of knocking off ranked teams to 10 straight seasons, but fell to 0-6 on the year when it dropped a high-scoring affair, 91-87, at No. 7 Kansas State on Feb. 17. 

}} The stretch of five straight games against ranked teams - vs. No. 10 Kansas State, at No. 1 Kansas, vs. No. 24 Baylor, at No. 14 Texas and at No. 7 Kansas  State - was Nebraska's longest stretch of consecutive games (5) against ranked teams in school history.

}} Four of the games were against top-15 teams, including each of the last two on the road. The last time the Huskers faced top-15 squads in consecutive games was the 2004-05 campaign, but to put things in larger perspective, the last time Nebraska played consecutive true road games vs. top-15 teams was 1958-59.

}} The Huskers beat at least one ranked team for nine straight seasons from 2000-01 to 2008-09. Since the start of the streak, Nebraska is 13-45 against ranked teams, including 3-31 against top-15 squads. Nebraska is 8-9 against teams ranked between Nos. 20 and 25 during the streak, and 2-5 against teams from Nos. 16-19.

}} Before this season, the Huskers had previously faced four consecutive ranked squads on four separate occasions, but never faced five straight. Nebraska's best mark in a four-game stretch vs. AP ranked teams was 2-2 in 1991-92. NU also went 1-3 in 1994-95 and 1996-97, and was 0-4 in 1999-2000.

}} Overall, Nebraska is 5-17 against ranked squads under coach Doc Sadler with one victory last season, a 58-55 home win over No. 16 Texas.

}} The Huskers own a 55-210 all-time record against ranked teams, including a 19-111 mark against teams ranked in the top 10 and an 11-63 mark against top-five squads. The Huskers are 19-65 against ranked teams in the Big 12 era, including 2-31 against top-10 teams and 1-19 against top-five squads.

}} Nebraska has won at least two games against ranked teams in two of the past five seasons, and the three wins in 2007-08 against ranked teams were the most for the Huskers since going 4-1 in 1998-99.

}} Nebraska has played a top-three ranked team 11 times (0-11 record) in the Big 12 era, with all of the matchups coming against Kansas. In the Big 12 era, Nebraska is 0-5 against KU when the Jayhawks are ranked No. 1, 0-3 when ranked No. 2 and 0-3 when ranked No. 3. Two of those 10 games were decided by one field goal (once at home, 2002; once in Lawrence, 2005).

}} The Cornhuskers' last win over a top-10 team came in 2005, when the Huskers defeated No. 4 Oklahoma State, 74-67, at the Devaney Center. That was NU's first win against a top-five team since the 1994 Big Eight Tournament, when the Huskers knocked off No. 3 Missouri, and the first home win over a top-five team since 1993, when the Huskers beat No. 3 Kansas.

Scoring Defense Still Among League's Best
Coach Doc Sadler's squads have led the Big 12 Conference in scoring defense each of the past two seasons and ranked among the top 25 defenses in the country at the end of those years. This year has been much of the same despite having just three returning scholarship players available from last year's NIT squad.

}} After giving up 85.3 ppg over the past three games, the Huskers are looking to get back to their typical powerful defensive ways. Despite the recent slip, Nebraska still entered the week ranked second in the league in overall scoring defense by allowing 64.0 points per game on the season. Nebraska entered the week ranked 67th nationally in scoring defense.

}} In conference-only games, the Huskers have allowed 71.2 points per contest to rank sixth in the Big 12.

}} Despite the recent defensive slump, the Huskers' 64.0 ppg allowed on the season would still rank fifth in the NU record book during the Big 12 era.

}} Earlier in the season, the Huskers had the nation's top-ranked defense as Nebraska entered the Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 22 allowing just 54.1 ppg. The Huskers held the distinction for just one week as they gave up 70 and 88 points, respectively, while splitting games with Tulsa and BYU on a neutral court.

}} The magic mark under Sadler seems to be the 60-point plateau. Nebraska now has a sterling 46-6 record under Sadler when holding teams to 60 or fewer points, including an impressive 40-3 mark at home, although two of those losses have come in conference play this season.

}} The Huskers have allowed more than 70 points to a conference team just 15 times in 47 games (including the conference championship) since the start of the 2008 Big 12 slate. Seven of those contests have been at home and eight have been on the road.

}} The Huskers held Oklahoma to 46 points in NU's first league win of the season. The total marked the fifth time in coach Doc Sadler's tenure that NU has held a Big 12 opponent to 50 or fewer points.

}} Nebraska allowed a season-low 39 points to Chicago State, the 10th fewest points given up by a Nebraska squad since 1947. It was the third time a Sadler-led Nebraska team held an opponent to less than 40 points.

Block Party
Redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz has made a name for himself on the offensive end with a pair of 20-point contests this season, including a 20-point, nine-rebound effort at Allen Fieldhouse against No. 1 Kansas on Feb. 6. He owns two of the Huskers' four 20-point games this season as he also added 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting against TCU in his third career game. But it is on the defensive end that he is looking like one of the top freshmen in school history.

Diaz, who is the top-ranked freshman in blocks in the league, currently leads NU with 33 blocked shots. His 1.3 blocks per game are seventh in the Big 12 Conference on the season, and his 0.8 bpg in Big 12 play rank 15th. He is the top-ranked freshman on the year.

}} Diaz already ranks third in the Nebraska freshman record book with his 33 blocks. The only two rookies to ever record more are Venson Hamilton (1996) and John Turek (2002), who hold the Nebraska freshman record with 39 blocks each in their initial season.

}} Despite his strong start to the season, Diaz has had just three blocked shots in the last eight games, including zero in the past four contests.

}} Diaz has had a career high with three blocked shots in five contests this season including the Huskers' contest against Iowa State at home, his high in league play.

}} As a team, the Huskers own 77 blocked shots this season in 27 games, averaging 2.9 blocks per game. Last year, Nebraska had just 52 blocks in 31 games (1.7 bpg).

Freshman Highlights
Nebraska has had season-ending injuries to two players - Toney McCray and Christopher Niemann - who could have each earned starting roles this year. Add on to that the fact that seven of Nebraska's 11 active scholarship players are freshmen and sophomores, and it's easy to see why one of the least experienced teams in the Big 12 has had to rely on a number of youngsters in the early portion of the season.

Two of those players - redshirt freshmen Jorge Brian Diaz and Eshaunte Jones - have shown promise as they had performances that stack up among the best in NU freshman history.

}} Diaz became just the seventh Husker freshman with multiple 20-point contests as he posted 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting in his first-ever trip to Allen Fieldhouse as the Huskers played at No. 1 Kansas on Feb. 6. He added nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks, helping NU to a four-point lead with less than 16 minutes remaining before the Huskers fell by 11.

}} Early in the season, Diaz made his presence felt with 22 points as he helped the Huskers raced past TCU on Nov. 21 in a 90-77 victory. Diaz connected on 9-of-10 shots from the floor, with only a first-half miss keeping him from the NU record book. The Husker single-game record for most field-goals attempted without a miss is nine set five times.

}} Jones followed as he produced 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting in a loss to BYU in the HoopTV Las Vegas Classic. He hit 5-of-7 3-point attempts while adding three rebounds and two assists without a turnover.

}} Overall, Diaz and Jones are the 21st and 22nd freshmen to record a 20-point game for the Huskers since freshmen were reinstated by the NCAA for the 1972-73 season.

Taking the Shot
With so many new faces on the squad, it was only a matter of time before one of the youngsters was asked to step up and make a game-changing play. At USC on Nov. 29, it was more than just a game-changing play... it was a game-deciding shot.

}} Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones, playing in his ninth career game, had made just two field goals in the first half and had only been off the bench for five minutes in the second period before being called upon with less than a minute to play in a tie game. Jones didn't hesitate as the buried the game-winning shot from the corner, a 3-pointer with 11.7 seconds left. From there, the Huskers defended the perimeter well and USC only managed to get off an off-balance desperation shot at the buzzer to hold on for the win.

}} Jones finished the USC game with seven points, and his 3-pointer gave the Huskers their first road win of the season, and just the second true road win over a non-conference opponent under fourth-year coach Doc Sadler. It was NU's first road victory over a non-conference BCS team since defeating Tennessee, 62-61, in Knoxville in 2004.

}} Jones also led the Huskers in scoring in both games at the HoopTV Las Vegas Classic just before Christmas. He posted 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, all from 3-point range, to lead the Huskers to a victory over Tulsa, and came back a night later to record a career-best 21 points. He hit 6-of-11 shots from the field with five made baskets from 3-point range (seven attempts).

}} Jones has connected on 45.2 percent (38-of-84) from beyond the arc this year to lead the Big 12 Conference on the season. His 38 3-pointers are sixth on the NU freshman top 10 list and just one away from fifth place. He is aiming to become only the fifth freshman in school history - and first since current teammate Ryan Anderson - to post 40 treys as a freshman.

Niemann, McCray Out for Season
After making what looked to be a successful return from a torn ACL suffered in the final week of the regular season last year, 6-10, 265-pound sophomore center Christopher Niemann had a major setback as he tore the same ACL for a second time in the first week of September. After surgery to repair the damage that occurred during a non-basketball conditioning workout, Niemann will be out for all of the 2009-10 campaign.

Niemann is currently making good progress through rehab again, and is on pace to join the team for offseason workouts in late spring. He will have three years remaining on his original eligibility clock to play three seasons with the Huskers.

}} Nebraska coach Doc Sadler announced following Nebraska's game against UMKC on Nov. 24 that sophomore guard Toney McCray would have surgery on his elbow and be out for the remainder of the season. McCray injured the elbow in a pickup game in early September, sustaining a torn ligament. McCray tried to play through the pain as doctors assured him that it would get no worse if he waited until after the season to have surgery. But Sadler said that McCray indicated he had little confidence in his elbow and wasn't able to help the team the way he wanted to, and thought it would be better to have surgery now and be ready for the offseason in the spring of 2010.

McCray had successful surgery on Dec. 7 to repair the UCL in his elbow. He started rehab that week and is doing well, as he is on pace to try to join the team in the spring during offseason workouts.

}} Both Niemann and McCray were looked at as possible starters heading into the start of the season. McCray averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds over three games this year, hitting 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from the field. He played 18.3 minutes per game. Niemann has yet to play a game in a Husker uniform.

New Faces Line Husker Roster
While the Huskers will rely on three returning scholarship players for leadership - seniors Ryan Anderson and Sek Henry, and sophomore Brandon Richardson - most of the eyes will be focused on the faces of several newcomers who dot the inexperienced Nebraska roster.

}} Among the scholarship newcomers who have seen action for the first time in their Husker careers this season are juniors Lance Jeter and Quincy Hankins-Cole, sophomore Myles Holley, redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz and freshmen Ray Gallegos and Brandon Ubel. Freshman Adrien Coleman also played in the first semester before transferring at the holiday break. 

}} Freshman Christian Standhardinger, who was forced to sit out the first 15 games of the season because of an NCAA amateurism ruling, became eligible for the league opener at Texas A&M. He is the eighth scholarship Husker to play his first game for Nebraska this season.

}} Including walk-ons Matt Karn and Mike Fox, more than 60 percent (9 of 14 active players; 64.2 percent) of the Huskers who have recorded time during the regular season are playing for the first time in a Nebraska uniform this year. Another Husker - Eshaunte Jones - played only four games last year before an injury forced him to redshirt.