Final Quick Notes and Stats for 2009-10

The Nebraska basketball team, which finished with a 15-18 overall record and 2-14 mark in league action, softened a disappointing season with a solid finish at the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City in early March. The Huskers earned just the second victory by a No. 12 seed in the history of the Big 12 tourney when NU upended fifth-seeded Missouri, 75-60, in the first round.

The victory over the Tigers was Nebraska's only win over an NCAA Tournament team. It also gave the Huskers two wins in their final five games of the season after a brutal conference schedule that included a school-record five straight games against nationally ranked teams. Among those were three consecutive road contests against teams in the national top 15.

Overall, the Huskers played 18 games against teams that advanced to postseason play, including 12 contests against NCAA Tournament foes. Five opponents reached at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament while another made it to the quarterfinals of the NIT and one reached the CBI final round.

Despite the final record, the Huskers were still competitive with a young squad that included seven freshmen and sophomores among the 11 active scholarship players at the end of the season. Nearly 40 percent of the scoring came from freshmen, who also recorded more than 30 percent of the team's starting assignments.

With only three returning scholarship winners to lead the way, the team relied heavily on seniors Ryan Anderson and Sek Henry and sophomore Brandon Richardson. The trio produced career years to help provide guidance for the youthful group.

Anderson finished his career among the most versatile players in Nebraska and Big 12 history. He surpassed the 1,000-point and 500-rebound barriers as a senior and became only the eighth player in the Big 12 era - and just the third ever at Nebraska - to have at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 3-pointers. He also finished his career among the Huskers' all-time top five for steals, 3-pointers and games started.

Richardson came on strong down the stretch and will be back in 2010-11 as the team's leading returning scorer after posting 8.9 points per game as a sophomore. He scored at least 15 points six times against Big 12 teams this season and will have a chance to take on the role of offensive catalyst for the Huskers in the future.

Also back next season with Richardson will be the Huskers' third-, fourth- and fifth-leading scorers from this season in Jorge Brian Diaz (8.8 ppg), Christian Standhardinger (8.1 ppg) and Lance Jeter (7.5 ppg). Diaz set the NU freshman record for blocked shots this season (41) and ranked among the NU freshman top 10 for field goals, points, scoring average and rebounds. Standhardinger showed impressive flashes scoring and rebounding and expects to see his role continue to grow while Jeter returns after becoming only the fourth Husker in the Big 12 era to average at least 4.0 assists per game.

2009-10 Quick Notes
** Nebraska finished the year with a 15-18 overall record, its first losing season since 2002-03. That season was also the last time NU finished in 12th place in the conference standings. The Huskers were 2-14 this year in league play with wins over Oklahoma and Texas Tech (in two OTs).

** Despite the poor conference record, the Huskers continued to compete hard throughout the season and won two of their last five games of the year. The last win came at the Big 12 Championship, where Nebraska became only the second No. 12 seed to win a game as it defeated NCAA participant Missouri, 75-60. The Huskers nearly pulled off a second straight upset before falling 70-64 to No. 23 Texas A&M.

** Showing their competitiveness, the Huskers either had the lead or were within a basket of the lead in nine of their 15 losses to conference opponents (including the Big 12 Championship). Five of those games were decided by six or fewer points.

** The Huskers ended the year on a solid note, hitting better than 50 percent from the field over two games at the Big 12 Championship, their best effort in more than a decade.

** Overall, the Huskers faced 13 teams (18 games) during 2009-10 that went on to play in the postseason, including seven league teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Five of those squads reached the second round, including Missouri, which the Huskers upended at the Big 12 Championship a week earlier.

** The Husker roster was filled with newcomers in 2009-10 as seven of Nebraska's 11 active scholarship players at the end of the season were freshmen and sophomores. Including walk-ons, more than 64 percent (9-of-14 active players to end the season) of the Huskers who recorded playing time were in their first year in a Nebraska uniform.

** Nebraska freshmen accounted for 848 of the Huskers' 2,194 points on the season, or 38.7 percent. The 2009-10 Husker squad set team records for number of freshmen to start games (5 on the season; 3 in a single game) and for number of freshman to record 20-point games in same season (3). Freshmen accounted for 51 starts on the season, including two in the season opener.

** The young Nebraska roster was also without preseason projected starters Christopher Niemann and Toney McCray, who were sidelined with injuries. McCray averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while playing just three games before undergoing UCL surgery in November, while Niemann sat out the whole season following September ACL surgery.

** Nebraska's comeback from down 14 points against Texas Tech 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. His teams own three of the top four largest comebacks by NU since the formation of the conference.

** The Huskers tied the school record with just three turnovers against then-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.

** Coach Doc Sadlerfinished as NU's second-winningest coach over his first four years, ending with a 70-48 record. Moe Iba holds the record for wins in his first four years at NU with a 71-46 record from 1981-84.

** Nebraska set a school record when it faced five straight ranked teams, including three top-15 contests on the road. Overall, the Huskers faced seven nationally ranked teams during the season, the second time in three years NU has faced at least seven ranked teams. Nebraska did not win a game against a ranked team for the first time since 1999-2000. Three of the contests were decided by six or fewer points.

** Nebraska ranked second in the league - and 15th nationally - as it hit a school-record 39.7 percent from beyond the arc in 2009-10. The average bettered the former mark of 38.9 percent by the 2003-04 squad. The Huskers drained 217-of-547 attempts from 3-point range. The 217 3-pointers are fourth 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 10 in school history for 3-pointers. His 2007 squad is second with 244 treys, while the 2009 (206, 6th) and 2008 (190, 9th) squads also rank among the program's best.

** Guard Ryan Anderson led the Big 12 in 3-point percentage by hitting 42.9 percent from on the season. Anderson also led the league in conference-only games by hitting 48.6 percent from 3-point range, including hitting 18 of his last 28 attempts.

** Anderson crossed the 1,000-point and 500-rebound plateaus as a senior. He became just the third Husker overall and only the eighth player in the Big 12 era with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 150 3-pointers.

** Anderson finished his career in the top five in NU history for 3-pointers (185, 3rd) and steals (166, 5th).

** Guard Sek Henry ended his career third all-time at Nebraska in games played. He saw action in every contest over his four years, finishing with 128 games played including 99 starts (6th all-time). Henry also ranked in the Nebraska career top 15 for assists with 256.

** Guard Brandon Richardson saw improved play during his sophomore campaign, making him a player many will look to as possibly the team's offensive leader in 2010-11. This year, Richardson finished second on the team in scoring (8.9 ppg), including 14 games in double figures. His average improved to 9.3 ppg in conference play as he had six games vs. Big 12 team with at least 15 points.

** Center Jorge Brian Diaz set the Nebraska freshman record for blocked shots with 41, bettering the old mark of 39 previously set by Venson Hamilton and John Turek.

** Diaz also finished in the NU all-time freshman record book for field goals (4th), rebounds (7th), points scored (8th) and scoring average (9th), and was only the eighth freshman in Nebraska history with at least two 20-point games.

** Diaz was not the only freshman to make some noise for the Huskers. Redshirt freshman Eshaunte Jones also finished fifth in the Husker freshman record book for 3-pointers, while Jones and freshman Christian Standhardinger each joined the elite group of Husker freshmen to produce 20-point games. Standhardinger's 25 points at Iowa State were the ninth-most in a single game by an NU freshman and the most ever in a Husker freshman's first career start.

** Point guard Lance Jeter finished the season with 134 assists while ranking in the top 10 in the league for assists per game (4.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94). Jeter was 12th on the Nebraska single-season list and was just the fourth Husker in the Big 12 era to average at least 4.0 assists per game. His total assists were also the second-highest for a Husker in the past decade.