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Live game stats
Live radio broadcast (free)
Check out the team and coaches on NU Hoops Blog
Live video stream on ESPN360.com
Game Date: March 6, 2010
Tipoff Time: 12:47 p.m. CT
Venue: Gallagher-Iba Arena
Capacity: 13,611
Huskers on TV/Radio/Internet
Television: Big 12 Network, ESPN FullCourt, Play-by-play: Bob Carpenter, Color: Bryndon Manzer
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 31 Notes
2009-10 Record: 14-16, 2-13 Big 12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
Record at Nebraska: 69-56 (4th year)
Record at Division I: 117-74 (6th year)
Career Record: 237-113 (11th year)
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Game 30 Notes
2009-10 Record: 20-9, 8-7 Big 12
Head coach: Travis Ford
Record at OSU: 43-21 (2nd year)
Career Record: 233-195 (13th 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 7.7 3.8
21 Jorge Brian Diaz RFr. 6-11 235 8.8 4.1
34 Lance Jeter Jr. 6-3 225 7.6 3.9*
44 Ryan Anderson Sr. 6-4 195 11.0 5.2
*assists per game
OSU's Possible Starting Lineup 2009-10 stats
No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pts. Rbs.
02 Obi Muonelo Sr. 6-4 220 13.4 5.2
12 Keiton Page So. 5-9 170 10.5 2.5*
21 Fred Gulley Fr. 6-2 175 1.5 2.4
23 James Anderson Jr. 6-6 210 22.8 6.0
31 Matt Pilgram Jr. 6-8 235 8.1 6.8
*assists per game
NU/OSU Set to Battle in Regular-season Finale
The Nebraska Cornhuskers end the regular season this weekend as they head to Stillwater, Okla., to take on the host Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, March 6, at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The game will tip off at 12:47 p.m. and can be seen in select markets on the Big 12 Network as well as nationally on ESPN FullCourt. The telecast will feature Bob Carpenter (play by play) and Bryndon Manzer (analyst) and will be seen on KLKN in Lincoln; KXVO in Omaha and Lincoln; and KIIT in North Platte.
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.
The Huskers and Cowboys enter the contest already knowing their seeds in next week's Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, making this game the only one on Saturday that will not affect the seedings. No matter the outcome Saturday, Nebraska will be the No. 12 seed in the league tourney, although a Husker win coupled with an ISU loss would put NU into a tie for 11th place in the final regular-season standings. OSU will be the No. 7 seed in the tournament but a win on Senior Day and a Texas loss to Baylor would push the Cowboys into a tie for sixth place in the standings.
Nebraska and Oklahoma State have both found success this season with the long ball. OSU is tied for the league lead with 237 3-pointers this year, including a conference-best 135 in Big 12 games (23 more than second place). The Huskers are sixth in league action with 101 3-pointers and rank second on the season in 3-point percentage, hitting at a school-record pace of 39.7 percent.
Senior Ryan Anderson has led the way as he is third on the season (42.7) and first in the Big 12 statistics (48.6) in 3-point percentage. He will battle OSU's senior sharpshooter, Obi Muonelo, who is second on the year (43.2) and fourth in conference-only (43.7) percentage.
When the Huskers get the ball inside, redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz has been impressive at times this season. On Tuesday, he had 15 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting, his seventh double-figure scoring effort in league play. He is among the top 10 freshman in NU history for scoring average (8.8 ppg), 10th in rebounds (122) and needs one blocked shot to tie the Husker freshman record.
Series history vs. Oklahoma State
The Huskers and Cowboys enter their 115th all-time matchup looking to end the regular season on a high note. Oklahoma State has had the upper hand in each of the past three matchups, including the lone contest in the Big 12 Championship.
}} Oklahoma State owns an 8-6 advantage over the Huskers in the Big 12 era, although Nebraska still holds a slim 62-52 series advantage all-time despite the Huskers winning just 10 of the past 33 meetings with the Cowboys.
}} OSU has won three straight games over the Huskers and six of the past 10 meetings. At home, the Cowboys are 31-15 all-time against the Huskers, including 29-15 in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Oklahoma State owns a 4-2 record over Nebraska on its home court during the Big 12 era.
}} The teams have played tight contests since the formation of the Big 12 Conference as there have been nine (of 14) contests decided by single digits, including five by five points or less. Three games have gone into overtime with the home team winning each contest (2-1 in favor of Nebraska).
}} The Huskers and Cowboys are facing off in the regular-season finale for the second time in four years after Nebraska took an 85-73 win at home in 2007. That game was originally scheduled to be played Jan. 13 but inclement weather prevented OSU from making the trip to Lincoln and the contest was postponed until Monday, March 5.
Scouting the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State comes into the weekend contest looking to send its seniors out in style as the Cowboys play their last home game of the year. OSU has been nearly perfect at home this season where it owns a sparkling 14-1 record with the lone setback against Texas on Feb. 1. Otherwise, the Cowboys have been one of the strongest teams on their home court, downing Texas A&M, Baylor and then-No. 1 Kansas in their last showcase before the home fans.
OSU has been among the highest-scoring teams in the league this year, averaging 74.4 points per game while hitting 44.8 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from 3-point range. One of the youngest teams in the country, Oklahoma State has held its own on the boards, holding a 36.5-34.2 advantage on the year despite having one of the shorter rosters in the league. In conference play, Oklahoma State has seen the rebounding margin grow to +2.9 (35.8-32.9) while still averaging 74.3 points per game and hitting a solid 37.6 percent from 3-point range.
The Cowboys are led by All-America candidate James Anderson, who leads the league in scoring at 22.8 points per game this season. In conference action, Anderson has been even better as he has carried the Cowboys by producing 24.0 points per contest on 47.0 percent shooting.
Anderson has hit 41.2 percent (40-of-97) from 3-point range against Big 12 teams and is one of the most accurate shooters at the free throw line where he has hit 81.3 percent in league action. On the season, Anderson leads the Big 12 Conference and is among the national leaders with 235 attempts at the free throw line (80.9 percent made). He also leads OSU with 38 steals and is second with 69 assists this season, and has averaged a solid 6.0 rebounds per game.
Along with Anderson, senior Obi Muonelo has produced 13.4 points per game on the season while leading OSU with 70 3-pointers. Muonelo has hit 43.2 percent from long range and pulled in 5.2 rebounds per game, and is one of three players in the conference (along with NU's Ryan Anderson and OU's Tony Crocker) this season to join an elite Big 12 fraternity (only nine players total) with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 3-pointers in his career. Muonelo has seen his scoring average raise to 14.8 ppg in league play.
Keiton Paige rounds out the trio of double-figure scorers as he has added 10.5 points per game on the year. He is the third Cowboy with at least 60 3-pointers (62) and he paces the squad with 73 assists on the season. Marshal Moses and Matt Pilgram lead OSU on the boards with 8.7 and 6.8 rebounds per game, respectively, on the year, including more than 14 combined boards in league play.
The Cowboys are coached by Travis Ford (Kentucky, 1994). He owns a 43-21 record in his second season guiding the OSU program and a 233-195 record in 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
Recent Meetings - Nebraska and Oklahoma State
Nebraska and Oklahoma State have had more than their share of close contests in recent years, including last season's overtime thriller won by the Cowboys in Lincoln.
}} Last year in Lincoln, OSU shot better than 50 percent from the field to hand Nebraska a 76-74 overtime loss. Oklahoma State finished at 54.7 percent for the game, including 4-of-7 from the field and 4-of-4 at the line in the final 5:30. OSU then hit 5-of-6 shots in overtime, while Nebraska was 0-of-5 from the floor.
Overall, from the time Nebraska led 59-52, OSU hit nine of its final 13 shots, while the Huskers were just 1-of-9. NU was held without a field goal for the final 2:55 of regulation and all five minutes of overtime. The Huskers, who shot just 39.2 percent for the game, were able to stay close by hitting 21-of-22 free throws at one point before finishing 27-of-31 at the line.
Oklahoma State's James Anderson hit a 3-pointer and three free throws during a 7-1 Cowboy run that trimmed Nebraska's lead to one with 3:21 remaining in regulation. Anderson hit Nebraska's only field goal of the game's final 10 minutes with 2:55 remaining, but an Obi Muonelo 3-pointer 25 seconds later tied the game at 62. Oklahoma State had a chance to win in regulation, but Byron Eaton's contested jumper bounced long in the closing seconds.
}} In the last meeting in Stillwater, Nebraska hit 50 percent from the field, but 19 turnovers were costly as the Huskers saw a three-game winning streak snapped with a 77-63 loss at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowboys pushed out to an early 21-9 lead on James Anderson's three-point play with 9:43 left in the period. Ryan Anderson and Chris Balham sandwiched baskets around an Ade Dagunduro free throw before Steve Harley put in four straight points to pull NU within seven, 25-18, with 4:39 to play before intermission. The Cowboys responded with an Eaton basket and Marcus Dove 3-pointer, but the Huskers ended with a flourish as Dagunduro and Harley scored the final nine points of the period for NU. Harley's 3-pointer with less than four seconds remaining pulled NU within 31-27 at the intermission.
In the second half, Oklahoma State steadily pulled away behind the strong hand of Eaton, who had a pair of early 3-pointers and another basket to push the lead to 16 points, 52-36, at the 9:58. Eaton finished the game leading all scorers in the contest with 20 points while Dove added 17.
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 entered the week 12th nationally - as it is hitting at a 39.7-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 have now drained 199-of-501 attempts from 3-point range this season. The 199 3-pointers are sixth 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, 8th) 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 then-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 42.7 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 48.6 after hitting 18 of his last 28 attempts over five 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 sessions 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 stepped 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 race 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 47 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 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in league play despite struggling with foul trouble that has limited his playing time in some stretches. Of Standhardinger's 45 rebounds this season, 24 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 54 times in Big 12 play, hitting 42 shots (77.8 percent). He leads the team in free throw attempts in Big 12 play despite averaging just 15.3 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 four double-figure scoring games this season, including 13 points in his debut at Texas A&M; 14 points at Colorado; and 10 points at home against Colorado. In the seven games between the Colorado road game and the Iowa State contest, 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 8.8 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 12 double-figure scoring games and has had seven other games with between seven and nine points. He is the leading Husker freshman with 265 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 50.0 percent (64-of-128) from the field. He has hit at least 55 percent from the field in seven league games, but has had more than 10 attempts only five 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. Most recently, he came off the bench on Senior Night and scored 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting against Colorado.
}} 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 15 blocks in 15 league games to rank 11th (1.0 bpg) in league-only games while ranking eighth (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 122 rebounds this season including a team-high 52 offensive boards. He needs just eight rebounds to move to seventh place on the NU freshman chart.
}} 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 30 23.5 120-230-.522 25-50-.500 52-70-122-4.1 28 45 38 16 265 8.8
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 3.9 assists per game are ninth in the Big 12 Conference. In conference play, he is eighth entering the weekend with 3.8 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 State 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.
}} Since posting 12 assists against KSU, Jeter has had just six assists over the last four games combined. He has made up for the lack of assists with 11.8 ppg, including a career high 21 at Iowa State.
}} He also has shown good decision-making as he is fifth in the league this season with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio (117 to 58). 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 13 contests (3.2 apg), he has also posted 56 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 1,093 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)
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 March 3):
• Tony Crocker (Oklahoma, 2007-present): 1,338 points, 536 rebounds, 197 3-pointers
• Ryan Anderson (Nebraska, 2007-present): 1,093 points, 571 rebounds, 181 3-pointers
• Obi Muonelo (Oklahoma State, 2007-present): 1,329 points, 574 rebounds, 235 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 181 3-pointers, 162 steals and 221 assists. 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 571 rebounds are currently tied for No. 16 on the list. He passed three players on the list with his 13-rebound performance on Senior Night against Colorado on March 2.
}} 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 223 assists in his career to rank No. 18 on the Husker all-time list.
}} With at least 40 steals in each of his final three seasons, including a career-high 51 steals this year, Anderson has climbed among the top 10 in Husker history for career steals. His 164 career steals rank fifth all-time at Nebraska.
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 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).
}} In the five games since scoring just 51 points in a 40-point loss at then-No. 14 Texas, the Huskers have averaged 74.2 points per contest on 43.4 percent shooting. NU has hit 71.1 percent from the free throw line in those games while nailing 46.7 percent from 3-point range. The Huskers also led on the glass 35.2-32.6. Unfortunately, opponents have averaged 80.6 points on 46.9 percent shooting, including 48.5 percent from long range and 73.1 percent at the charity stripe in the stretch. Colorado was the most efficient, hitting an opponent season-high 61.9 percent from the field, including an incredible 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from 3-point range.
Board Support
Despite struggling on the glass in league play, Nebraska has won the rebounding advantage 13 times this season, including 11 times at home. The Huskers are 11-2 in those contests. Senior Ryan Anderson and redshirt freshman Jorge Brian Diaz have led the way for the Huskers this season, averaging 5.2 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 16th place all-time as he now has 571 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. He came back on Senior Night to post 10 points and 13 rebounds against Colorado on March 2, marking his seventh career double-figure rebounding game and his fourth 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.
}} The Huskers came back with 40 boards against Colorado, marking the first time this season NU had at least 40 rebounds in consecutive games. The Huskers held a 20-1 advantage (+19 advantage) on the offensive glass, and 40-20 advantage overall, but CU's hot shooting (61.9 percent overall, 70.6 percent from 3-point range) easily negated the Huskers' rebounding edge.
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. 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.
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 38 blocked shots. His 1.3 blocks per game are eighth 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 38 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 eight blocked shots in the last 11 games, including zero in four straight contests until posting two at Iowa State. Of his 15 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 87 blocked shots this season in 30 games, averaging 2.9 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.
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.