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Husker fans who will be attending the game Tuesday night are encouraged to be in the arena at their seats by 6:40 p.m. for the start of the Senior Night presentation to honor Husker seniors Ben Nelson, Sek Henry, Ryan Anderson and student coach Chris Balham before their final home regular-season appearance of their careers.
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Game Date: March 2, 2010
Tipoff Time: 7:07 p.m. CT
Venue: Devaney Center
Capacity: 13,595
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 30 Notes
2009-10 Record: 14-15, 2-12 Big 12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
Record at Nebraska: 69-55 (4th year)
Record at Division I: 117-73 (6th year)
Career Record: 237-112 (11th year)
Colorado Buffaloes
Game 29 Notes
2009-10 Record: 13-15, 4-10 Big 12
Head coach: Jeff Bzdelik
Record at CU: 34-57 (3rd year)
Career Record: 109-104 (7th year)
NU's Possible Starting Lineup 2009-10 stats
No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Rbs.
5 Sek Henry Sr. 6-4 200 7.3 3.4
11 Christian Standhardinger Fr. 6-8 210 7.5 3.6
21 Jorge Brian Diaz RFr. 6-11 235 8.6 4.1
34 Lance Jeter Jr. 6-3 225 7.4 4.0*
44 Ryan Anderson Sr. 6-4 195 11.0 4.9
*assists per game
CU's Possible Starting Lineup 2009-10 stats
No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Rbs.
1 Nate Tomlinson So. 6-3 185 5.3 4.1*
5 Marcus Relphorde Jr. 6-6 220 10.8 4.1
10 Alec Burks Fr. 6-6 185 16.5 4.7
11 Cory Higgins Jr. 6-5 190 18.6 3.8
33 Austin Dufault So. 6-9 230 6.0 3.3
*assists per game
Huskers Shoot for Senior Night Win over Buffs
Nebraska ends a two-game homestand with its final regular-season home contest as it plays host to Colorado on Tuesday, March 2. The 7:07 p.m. tipoff can be seen in Nebraska on FS Midwest, in Colorado on FS Rocky Mountain and nationally on ESPN FullCourt. The 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 652; and Dish Network channel 449.
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). Free audio and live stats will also be available on the Internet at Huskers.com.
Nebraska will be aiming for its second straight win while trying to send out the senior class in style. Four Huskers - guards Ryan Anderson and Sek Henry, forward Ben Nelson and student coach Chris Balham - will be honored before the game. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:40 p.m. for the Senior Night presentation.
Once the teams hit the court, the Huskers will be gunning for a season split with the Buffs. CU won the first matchup 72-60 last month, but the Huskers have since found a scoring touch that would have come in handy in Boulder. Nebraska has averaged 75.8 points per game over the past four contests. During that span, the Huskers have had at least one player each game post 20 or more points (five total 20-point games), after having just four 20-point games in the first 25 contests of the season.
In Saturday's double overtime victory, senior Sek Henry was the latest to step up. Henry hopes to build off his career-high 21-point game, which included 12 points in overtime plus two free throws with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Starting with those free throws with 42 seconds to play, Henry connected on his last nine scoring attempts, including three field goals (two 3-pointers) and six free throw attempts. Henry's strong effort helped the Huskers post their second-largest comeback victory in the Big 12 era, after being down by 14 points in the first half.
The Huskers will be trying to split the season series with CU for the fourth time in five years, while holding off the Buffs' attempt at just their second season sweep of NU since 1972-73. Nebraska is 11-2 at home against Colorado since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.
Series history vs. Colorado
Nebraska and Colorado will be meeting for the 146th time this season when they face off on Tuesday in Lincoln. The Huskers hold a slim 76-69 advantage in the series that dates back to the 1902-03 campaign. While the teams' first meeting was more than 100 years ago, it wasn't until 1947-48 during Big Seven Conference play that the teams started facing each other every season.
}} The series between the Huskers and Buffaloes is NU's second shortest among former Big Eight teams at 145 games. The only team in the old Big Eight Conference that NU has faced fewer times is Oklahoma State at 114 matchups (NU leads 62-52). Nebraska has won 33 of the last 50 meetings overall.
}} Colorado will be aiming for its first season sweep of Nebraska since 2003-04. That was the Buffs' first sweep against the Huskers since 1972-73.
}} In Lincoln, Nebraska holds a 50-14 series advantage, including a commanding 28-6 lead at the Devaney Center. In the Big 12 era, Nebraska holds a 16-12 overall lead in the series, including 11-2 at home.
}} Nebraska's 46-41 victory over Colorado last season in Lincoln marked the fewest combined points ever recorded in a Big 12 contest. It surpassed the previous record of 89 points set on two occasions, both in 2006.
}} Colorado's 41 points last year in Lincoln marked the fewest points Nebraska has allowed against a conference opponent since giving up just 41 in a two-point loss at home during the 1984 Big Eight Tournament. The Huskers' 46 points in that contest were the fewest by Nebraska in a victory since 1966, when NU defeated Oklahoma State 45-41 in overtime in Stillwater, Okla.
}} Nebraska has held the Buffaloes to 55 or fewer points in four of the last five meetings, and six times in the past 10 matchups. CU has not topped 50 points in the Devaney Center for three straight seasons, since scoring 77 in a loss in 2006.
Scouting the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado enters the midweek matchup looking to post its fifth conference win and, like the Huskers, is aiming for its first two-game win streak of the league season. The Buffs own 13-15 overall record and are 4-10 in conference action after defeating Iowa State, 75-72, on Saturday.
Colorado will be looking for its first league road win of the season. CU is 0-7 against Big 12 teams on the road and 1-10 away from Boulder this year with the lone win coming against Chaminade in Hawaii in November.
When they hit the road, the Buffs hope to see guard Cory Higgins keep his hot hand after he led the way with 33 points against the Cyclones. He hit on 12-of-15 shooting to help CU connect on 55.1 percent from the field and 12-of-12 at the line. Along with Higgins, Marcus Relphorde had 12 points, Alec Burks added 11 and Casey Crawford came off the bench for 10 to give CU four double-figure scorers.
On the season, Higgins leads CU and ranks among the Big 12 leaders with 18.6 points per game on 49.7 percent shooting. He has hit 30 3-pointers to lead the squad, although seven Buffs have at least 15 treys this year. He is also extremely accurate at the charity stripe, hitting 146-of-173 attempts (84.4 percent) to rank among the Big 12 free throw percentage leaders. He is second on the team with 67 assists and paces the squad with 51 steals.
Along with Higgins, Burks is among the highest scoring freshmen in the league with 16.5 ppg while Relphorde adds a third double-figure scorer (10.8 ppg) for the Buffs. Burks is the team's top rebounder at 4.7 boards per game, and has hit a team-high 52.3 percent (149-of-285) from the field, helping CU hit 46.7 percent on the season. As a team, the Buffs are among the top free throw shooting squads in the country, hitting 77.3 percent as a team this year. That accuracy has helped CU rank among the top scoring teams in the league, averaging 73.7 ppg on the year, including 70.6 ppg in Big 12 action.
The Buffaloes are coached by Jeff Bzdelik (Illinois-Chicago, 1976). He owns a 34-57 record in his third season guiding the Buffs' program and a 109-104 record in seven seasons as a collegiate head coach.
Recent Meetings - Nebraska and Colorado
Nebraska has been strong against the Buffs in Lincoln, owning a 28-6 all-time advantage at the Devaney Center, including an 11-2 mark since the formation of the Big 12 Conference. Last year, the Huskers grinded out a difficult win in an ugly contest to earn a season sweep. This year, CU will be looking for just its second series sweep over Nebraska since 1972-73.
}} Last year in Lincoln, Nebraska edged past Colorado, 46-41, in a defensive battle at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Neither team shot well as Nebraska hit just 34.8 percent from the field, and Colorado connected on only 31.0 percent of its shots.
The Huskers, however, did do an outstanding job taking care of the ball, finishing with just six turnovers. Nebraska did not commit a turnover in the first half and had just two over the final 13 minutes of the contest. The Huskers forced Colorado into 16 turnovers, which led to 17 NU points.
The 87 total combined points by Nebraska and Colorado was a Big 12 record for fewest combined points in a league contest, surpassing the previous record of 89 points set on two occasions, both in 2006. Colorado's 41 points marked the fewest Nebraska has allowed against a Big 12 opponent since giving up just 41 in a two-point loss at home during the 1984 Big Eight Tournament, while the Huskers' 46 points were the fewest by Nebraska in a victory since 1966. That year, NU defeated Oklahoma State 45-41 in overtime in Stillwater, Okla.
}} Earlier this season in Boulder, Colorado came out as the aggressor, forcing 16 Husker turnovers and hitting 48.8 percent from the floor to pull away for a 72-60 victory at the Coors Events Center.
A sluggish start for both teams limited the production until CU gained traction on offense late in the first period. After NU closed to 18-13 on Eshaunte Jones' 3-pointer with 4:11 to play in the half, Colorado posted quick 10-2 run to stretch the lead to 28-15. The Huskers surpassed their season turnover average in the first 20 minutes of the game and Colorado converted those miscues into eight points on the other end to lead 31-21 at the half.
Colorado extended the lead to 15 points, 40-25, with 16:45 to play. CU eventually pushed the lead out to 20 points as NU recorded only one field goal in the first six minutes of the second half.
Freshman Christian Standhardinger led the Huskers with 14 points as the only Husker in double figures while freshman Alec Burks scored a game-high 21 points to pace Colorado.
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.
}} Nebraska ranks second in the league and 12th nationally by hitting at a 39.8-percent clip from beyond the arc this season. 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 current second-place percentage is 38.3 by the 2000-01 Huskers, marking the only times Nebraska has hit better than 38 percent over a season.
}} The Huskers hit 9-of-22 3-point attempts vs. Texas Tech (40.9 percent) and have now drained 194-of-487 attempts from 3-point range this season. The 194 3-pointers tie for sixth place in the Nebraska single-season record book. Only five NU teams (2002, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2009) have topped 200 3-pointers in a season.
}} All four of coach Doc Sadler's Nebraska squads now rank in the top eight in school history for 3-pointers. His 2007 squad is second with 244 treys, while the 2009 (206, 5th) and 2008 (190, 7th) squads also rank among the program's best.
}} Despite shooting just 6-of-39 (15.4 percent) combined 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 on the scoreboard in the final 30 seconds after scoring nine points in 20 seconds off the clock.
}} 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.
}} Anderson has moved up to third among the Big 12 3-point percentage leaders by now hitting 42.5 percent from beyond the arc. Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones leads Nebraska in all games by hitting 44.7 percent from 3-point range but does not have enough made shots to qualify for the Big 12 statistics. His 38 treys are sixth in the NU freshman record book.
}} In conference games only, Anderson leads the Big 12 3-point percentage at 48.5 after hitting 16 of his last 24 attempts over four games.
Comeback Trail
Entering their game against Texas Tech on Feb. 27, the Huskers owned a 1-12 league record and had lost nine games when either leading or trailing by a basket or less in the second half, including five losses when leading or trailing by a basket in the final 10 minutes of the game. Despite the lack of success in finishing games, the Cornhuskers never gave up and finally came through in memorable fashion against the Red Raiders.
}} Nebraska overcame a 17-0 first-half run by Texas Tech and surged ahead in the second half by using its own 18-0 run, which started when the Huskers trailed by 10.
}} After the Red Raiders held the Huskers to one field goal in the final five minutes to send the game to overtime, Nebraska again had to respond as it trailed by five points with 2:44 to play in the first overtime before rebounding to force the second OT.
}} The comeback was the second-largest in a Husker victory during the Big 12 era, trailing only the 20-point comeback NU made against Kansas State in 1996-97. It was the 12th double-digit comeback for an NU win in the Big 12 era, and the third under coach Doc Sadler, whose teams now own three of the top four largest comebacks by Nebraska since the formation of the Big 12.
}} Senior Sek Henry led the way for the Huskers with a career-best 21-point performance. Henry scored 12 points in the overtime periods, after knocking down two free throws with less than a minute left in regulation to help push the Huskers to overtime. He hit all three of his shots in overtime, including two 3-pointers, and was 4-of-4 at the free throw line in the extra session to help the Huskers to the win.
Making Their Presence Felt
Seven of Nebraska's 11 active scholarship players this season are freshmen and sophomores, giving several youngsters more than ample opportunity to step up and play a major role for the Huskers this season. That is exactly what has happened on more than one occasion as three Husker freshmen have recorded 20-point contests this season while helping the rookie class account for 40 percent of the team's scoring.
}} Forward Christian Standhardinger is the most recent freshman to step up for the Huskers as he posted a career- and team-season high 25 points in his first career start at Iowa State on Feb. 24. The 25 points were the ninth-most by a freshman in school history and the most in the first career start by an NU freshman.
}} Standhardinger's 25 points came on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 shooting at the free throw line. He also filled the stat sheet by hitting a pair of 3-pointers, adding eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 34 minutes. Each was a career high.
}} Along with Standhardinger, redshirt freshmen Jorge Brian Diaz (twice) and Eshaunte Jones (once) have each recorded 20-point contests this season. The three freshmen with 20-point games in the same season is a Nebraska record.
}} Diaz became just the eighth Husker freshman with multiple 20-point contests as he posted 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting in his first 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 posted 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.
}} 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, the trio became the 21st, 22nd and 23rd freshmen to record a 20-point game for the Huskers since freshmen were reinstated by the NCAA for the 1972-73 season.
}} Nebraska's freshmen have accounted for 46 starts this season including 23 by Diaz and 16 by Brandon Ubel. The Huskers have seen five different freshmen start a game this year, including one game (BYU) with three freshmen in the starting lineup together.
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, but it wasn't until NU's game Iowa State on Feb. 24 that he showed much of his potential that only his teammates had seen in practice.
}} Standhardinger has averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in league play despite struggling with foul trouble that has limited his playing time in some stretches. Of Standhardinger's 47 rebounds this season, 21 have come on the offensive end, the second-highest total among Huskers in league action despite his limited minutes.
}} After hitting just 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the floor in his first 11 appearances (all off the bench), Standhardinger made his first career start at Iowa State and hit 9-of-17 shots (52.9 percent) from the floor. He also hit 2-of-4 from 3-point range after entering the game having hit just 2-of-8 in his first 11 games.
}} Standhardinger has gotten to the free throw line 44 times in Big 12 play, hitting 34 shots (77.3 percent). He is second on the team in free throw attempts in Big 12 play despite averaging just 15.0 minutes per contest.
}} Standhardinger scored 25 points against Iowa State in his first career start. It's the most points ever by a Husker freshman in his first career start, and the ninth-highest single-game point total by an NU freshman ever. He is the third Nebraska freshman to post a 20-point game this season, joining Jorge Brian Diaz (twice) and Eshaunte Jones.
}} Standhardinger has posted three double-figure scoring games this season, including 13 points in his debut at Texas A&M and 14 points at Colorado. In the seven games between the Colorado and Iowa State games, Standhardinger had just 32 points before exploding for 25 against the Cyclones in Ames.
}} 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.
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 11 double-figure scoring games and has had seven other games with between seven and nine points. He is the leading Husker freshman with 250 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 49.1 percent (57-of-116) from the field. He has hit at least 55 percent from the field in six league games, but has had more than 10 attempts only four times vs. Big 12 teams.
}} 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 over four straight games (six vs. Baylor; eight at Texas; zero at Kansas State; nine vs. Missouri). He came back with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting at Iowa State on Feb. 24.
}} Diaz matched his season high with three blocks vs. Iowa State and added two more at ISU. With two blocks against Texas Tech, he now has 14 blocks in 14 league games to rank 11th (1.0 bpg) in league-only games while ranking seventh (1.3 bpg) in the overall season stats. He is the highest-ranking freshman on each season list.
}} 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 lone league win over Oklahoma a week earlier.
}} Diaz moved onto the Nebraska freshman rebounds top-10 list with six rebounds against Texas Tech. He has 118 rebounds this season including a team-high 49 offensive boards.
}} Here is a breakdown of Diaz's season stats compared with those of a few other notable Husker freshman post players in history. Diaz ranks favorably in several categories against the other top freshman post players in NU history, including the school's all-time scoring leader (Dave Hoppen) and three others who went on to rank among the top 15 scorers all-time at Nebraska (Andre Smith, Aleks Maric and Venson Hamilton):
Name, freshman year GP Min. FG-FGA-Pct. FT-FTA-Pct. Off-Def-Tot-Avg. A TO Blk Stl Pts. Avg.
Dave Hoppen, 1982-83 32 25.9 163-311-.524 119-159-.748 *-*-161-5.0 41 64 19 16 445 13.9 |
Andre Smith, 1977-78 30 * 105-190-.553 68-111-.613 *-*-144-4.8 27 * 11 10 278 9.3
Jorge Brian Diaz, 2009-10 28 23.7 113-218-.518 24-46-.522 49-69-118-4.1 28 42 37 16 250 8.6]
Aleks Maric, 2004-05 27 20.8 79-165-.479 58-71-.781 70-99-168-6.3 13 37 16 13 216 8.0
Venson Hamilton, 1995-96 31 14.6 71-130-.546 54-100-.540 *-*-161-5.0 19 48 39 20 196 6.1
John Turek, 2001-02 26 22.7 61-156-.391 19-50-.380 70-92-162-6.2 17 19 39 14 141 5.4
*complete statistics not available.
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 117 assists and his 4.0 assists per game are ninth in the Big 12 Conference. In conference play, he is seventh entering the week with 4.1 assists per game.
}} Jeter's teammates helped him post possibly his most well-rounded 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.
}} Jeter needs 18 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 (117 to 57). Entering the week, Jeter ranked 69th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio and his assist average placed him 142nd 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.
}} Jeter can also be a force on the glass as he has shown recently. While he has had 42 assists in the last 12 contests (3.5 apg), he has also posted 52 rebounds (4.3 rpg), setting a career best four times. He posted a then-best six boards against Iowa State and had a team- and career-high seven boards three times -- at Missouri and at home against Oklahoma and Texas Tech. 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 ranked No. 23 on the scoring chart with 1,083 points, as he passed former Husker Cary Cochran, the Huskers' all-time 3-point leader, with 12 points against Texas Tech.
}} 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 a career high 309 points (11.0 ppg) 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. 27):
• Tony Crocker (Oklahoma, 2007-present): 1,314 points, 531 rebounds, 195 3-pointers
• Ryan Anderson (Nebraska, 2007-present): 1,083 points, 558 rebounds, 179 3-pointers
• Obi Muonelo (Oklahoma State, 2007-present): 1,316 points, 571 rebounds, 232 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 179 3-pointers, 162 steals and 221 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 has since moved his way into all-time top 25 rebounders at Nebraska. His 558 rebounds are currently No. 19 on the list.
}} Anderson crossed the 200-assist plateau with three assists at Colorado this season. Anderson, who posted a career-high tying seven assists (zero turnovers) at Iowa State on Feb. 24, now has 221 assists in his career to rank No. 19 on the Husker all-time list.
}} With at least 40 steals in each of his final three seasons, including a career-high 49 steals this year, Anderson has climbed among the top 10 in Husker history for career steals. His 162 career steals currently rank fifth all-time.
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 were 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.
}} Three of Nebraska's five highest-scoring games in league play have come on the road at No. 1 Kansas (64), at No. 7 Kansas (87) and at Iowa State (74). The other games came at home against then-No. 3 Kansas (72) and vs. Texas Tech (83) in two overtimes.
}} In the four games since scoring just 51 points in a 40-point loss at then-No. 14 Texas, the Huskers have averaged 75.8 points per contest on 44.8 percent shooting. NU has hit 70.5 percent from the free throw line in those games while nailing 48.7 percent from 3-point range. The Huskers also trailed on the glass just 35.8-34.0. Opponents have averaged 80.5 points on 44.2 percent shooting, including 44.0 percent from long range and 73.0 percent at the charity stripe in the stretch.
Board Support
Despite struggling on the glass in league play, Nebraska has won the rebounding advantage 12 times this season, including 10 times at home. The Huskers are 11-1 in those contests. Senior Ryan Anderson and redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz have led the way for the Huskers this season, averaging 4.9 and 4.1 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 558 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 52 rebounds against Texas Tech in a two overtime win. It was the highest total for a Doc Sadler-led Husker squad and the first time NU topped 50 rebounds since 2006. The last time NU had more than 52 rebounds was the 2004-05 season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
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 still strong with the ball although not quite at the level it was last year. NU entered the week ranked 62nd nationally in turnovers per game, and is currently averaging 12.4 turnovers per contest despite giving up at least 16 miscues in five of its last 10 contests. Nebraska has averaged 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.
}} Nebraska had 13 turnovers in the double overtime win against Texas Tech on Feb. 27. The total matched NU's average coming into the game (12.9 tpg), although taking care of the ball was a primary reason the Huskers won the game. NU had 10 turnovers in the first half, and had three more in the first 10:15 of the second period. From there, the Huskers went nearly 20 minutes without committing a turnover in the last 9:45 of the second period and the two, five-minute overtime sessions.
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 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.
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' nine 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, easily leads NU with 37 blocked shots. His 1.3 blocks per game are seventh in the Big 12 Conference this season where he is the top-ranked freshman. He is also 11th in league-only games with 1.0 bpg.
}} Diaz ranks third in the Nebraska freshman record book with his 37 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 seven blocked shots in the last 10 games, including zero in four straight contests until posting two at Iowa State. Of his 14 blocks in league play, five came against the Cyclones.
}} 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 86 blocked shots this season in 29 games, averaging 3.0 blocks per game. Last year, Nebraska had just 52 blocks in 31 games (1.7 bpg).
Jones Hits From Long Range
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 44.7 percent (38-of-85) from beyond the arc this year to rank first on the team 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.
2009-10 Scholarship Breakdown
Seniors: 2 (returnees Sek Henry and Ryan Anderson)
Juniors: 2 (transfers Lance Jeter and Quincy Hankins-Cole)
Sophomores: 4 (returnees Toney McCray, Brandon Richardson and Christopher Niemann*; newcomer Myles Holley)
Redshirt Freshmen: 2 (Eshaunte Jones and Jorge Brian Diaz)
True Freshmen: 3 (Brandon Ubel, Ray Gallegos, Christian Standhardinger)
*sat out last season per NCAA ruling on amateur status; has not played at Nebraska
Youth Movement
While Nebraska entered the season knowing it will have a number of young players in the lineup on any given night, it did not realize it would have two of the youngest players in their respective classes.
}} Freshman Brandon Ubel is the third-youngest player overall in the Big 12 Conference this season. Born on Aug. 29, 1991, only Jaye Crockett of Texas Tech (Oct. 16, 1991) and Tyler Stone of Missouri (Sept. 8, 1991) are younger than Ubel.
}} While Ubel is one of the youngest in the league, another Husker is the youngest for his class. Junior college transfer Quincy Hankins-Cole, who graduated high school when he was 16 and played the past two years at Polk (Fla.) CC, did not turn 20 years old until Feb. 18, 2010. The next youngest junior in the Big 12 is Kansas State's Jacob Pullen, who turned 20 on Nov. 10. In fact, Hankins-Cole is three months younger than redshirt-freshman Jorge Brian Diaz, who turned 20 on Nov. 13.