Huskers Look to Return to Postseason Play in 2010-11

For Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler, there is comfort in familiarity. The Huskers suffered through growing pains last winter with just four returning scholarship lettermen and a host of newcomers playing significant roles. Now as Sadler begins the 2010-11 season, he hopes the experience learned from last year will propel the Huskers into postseason play.

The 2009-10 season was a challenging one for a young team in the Big 12 Conference, which was exactly the situation the Nebraska basketball team faced.

Battling a league that sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament - the highest total in the league's 14-year history - and was rated first in the country in RPI, the Huskers struggled at times with a youthful roster that featured 10 players in their first season at the Division I level.

The Huskers ended the year with a 15-18 record and 12th-place finish in the Big 12, marking the first time Sadler had suffered a losing season in his 11 years as a collegiate head coach.

While the league was setting records with seven first-round picks in June's NBA Draft, the Huskers were setting their own marks, as five freshmen earned at least one start during the season, including games where NU put three rookies in the lineup.  Season-ending injuries to Christopher Niemann and Toney McCray reduced the depth and forced Sadler to give the youngsters more playing time than he hoped.

"We went through a lot of growing pains last year," Sadler said. "We had a lot of guys gain experience they would not have likely received in other years.

"For us to expect freshmen to compete against first-round draft picks was difficult, but it is going to help us in the long run. They are not going to be playing against guys better than the ones they faced last year and now we are a year older."

Nearly 40 percent of Nebraska's total points were scored by freshmen in 2009-10, as Jorge Brian Diaz (8.8 ppg) and Christian Standhardinger (8.1 ppg) ranked third and fourth on the team in scoring. In all, four of Nebraska's eight top scorers by the end of last season were either true or redshirt freshmen.

For Sadler, who guided the Huskers to postseason appearances in the previous two campaigns and has taken his teams to the postseason in four of his six years as a Division I head coach, the experience of last season is already beginning to reap early rewards.

"I think last year's finish was an eye-opener and gave our players a sense of urgency heading into the season that they may not have had otherwise," Sadler said. "They made great strides in the weight room and in conditioning, and now they understand the work ethic that it takes to be successful in a league like the Big 12."

LEARNING TO FINISH
One of the areas where the Huskers' youth was exposed was late in games. Nebraska was in many of its Big 12 contests, as the Huskers were within two possessions of the lead in the final eight minutes in eight losses to conference teams, including the Big 12 Tournament. Sadler said that creating the mindset to succeed late in games has been an emphasis of the Huskers' offseason training. Throughout every drill, the rallying cry has been to finish strong, which could be the difference in a return to postseason play.

"I don't think we played that badly, but we didn't finish games," Sadler said. "There may be all types of reasons for that, whether it was youth or mental mistakes, but the bottom line is we didn't get it done. That is something we have worked on since last year, whether it is in conditioning or drills, and we are trying to turn that into a positive."

ADDITIONAL DEPTH AND EXPERIENCE
While Sadler was able to see the strides his team made since the end of last season, the biggest change for the Huskers is an intangible one.

"We tried to prepare our team for how difficult the league was, but until they go through it for the first time, they really don't understand because its something they have never experienced," Sadler said. "Now they are used to the different arenas, the travel and the preparation, and our team has that understanding. Experience is something all of us improve with, whether it is players or coaches, and it will definitely be a benefit."

Nebraska's 2010-11 squad has an intriguing blend of youth and experience.  While the Huskers bring back 10 lettermen, including four players who started at least 15 games last season, it is still a young team with half of the 20 players being freshmen and sophomores.
For Sadler, the increased numbers give him something he has rarely enjoyed in his five seasons at NU - depth.

"There is no question that we are deeper in numbers and experience," Sadler said. "Players are going to have to earn minutes this year and anytime you have competition for playing time, that is a positive."

JETER PROVIDES SENIOR LEADERSHIP
One of the keys to the Huskers' success in 2010-11 will be the play of Lance Jeter. The 6-foot-3 point guard is the Huskers' only scholarship senior with Division I experience and comes off a junior year where he started every game. He averaged 7.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game in his first year at Nebraska to earn a spot on the Big 12 All-Newcomer team. He ranked in the top 10 in the league in both assists and assist-to-turnover ratio  (1.9-to-1). He became more of an offensive threat down the stretch, averaging 10 points, 4.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game over the Huskers' final eight contests, highlighted by a season-high 21-point effort at Iowa State.

"Most of the time, you are only as good as your seniors and although we are not strong in numbers, I like the leadership we have," Sadler said. "Lance is a guy who will do whatever you ask him to do, and he will do it the best he can. He is someone who understands what he has to do to help his teammates."

Jeter is joined in the senior class by Drake Beranek and walk-on Matt Karn. Beranek spent three seasons at Nebraska-Kearney where he totaled nearly 1,500 points. The Ravenna, Neb., native impressed the Husker coaches during his transfer season enough to earn a scholarship for his senior year. Two years ago at UNK, he was 11th nationally in scoring at 21.9 points per game, including 43 percent from 3-point range. He has a high basketball IQ and will fill a role in the backcourt or on the wing.

Karn gives the Huskers a potential shooter off the bench. The 6-foot-3 guard received a medical exemption after missing three years because of injuries. He played in nine contests last year, hitting 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

DEPTH IN THE FRONTCOURT
After being undersized for the last two years, the Huskers have beefed up the front court. NU returns three of its top interior players in Diaz, Standhardinger and sophomore Brandon Ubel and adds the services of Niemann and Andre Almeida.

"The strength of this team will be our inside players," Sadler said. "Jorge and Brandon have a whole year of experience under their belts while Christian has been through a 16-game conference schedule. We can allow Andre and Christopher to find and develop their roles. Overall, we have not had this much depth on the inside since I've been here."

Diaz gives the Huskers a solid post presence, averaging 8.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-high 1.2 blocked shots per game during his freshman season. He made 26 starts - the most ever by a Husker freshman post player - and shot a team-high 52.2 percent from the floor. He showed the ability to score inside with 14 double-digit efforts, including a 22-point effort against TCU and 20 point at No. 1 Kansas.

While Diaz is more of a force inside, Ubel has the shooting touch to be a tough matchup at any of the frontcourt spots. He made 16 starts in 2009-10, averaging 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.  An excellent shooter for his size, Ubel shot just 41 percent from the field, but was 11-of-21 from 3-point range. Ubel, who has added 20 pounds over the last year, had his best performance at Texas Tech, scoring 14-points in a double-overtime win.

Standhardinger got a late start to the year after sitting out non-conference play, but became one of NU's top offensive threats down the stretch. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 8.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as a rookie. He showed a knack for getting to the foul line, leading the Huskers in free throws in Big 12 play where he connected on 78.3 percent. He had six games in double figures in league play, setting personal bests with 25 points and eight rebounds at Iowa State.

While technically not a newcomer, Niemann looks to make his Husker debut after two seasons of sitting out. He missed all of last season following a pair of ACL surgeries, and if healthy, the 6-foot-11, 275-pounder gives the Huskers a physical presence in the post.

Almeida comes to Nebraska after an impressive career at Arizona Western College, earning All-America honors in both his seasons at the school. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per contest, ranking seventh nationally in shooting percentage at 67.3 percent (140-of-208) and fifth in blocked shots. At 6-foot-11, 310 pounds, he has the size to be a force in the paint. He also possesses solid passing ability to find open teammates for baskets. He has impressed the coaches with his work ethic, losing 25 pounds to improve his conditioning and be ready to be an impact newcomer.

AN EXPERIENCED BACKCOURT
While Jeter is the Huskers' returning starter at point guard, he is one of a trio of experienced players who could run the point for Nebraska. Juniors Brandon Richardson and Kamyron Brown, who played two seasons at Oregon before coming to Nebraska, gives Sadler flexibility with a trio of strong ball-handlers.

"I think we have a lot of competition in the backcourt, and that is a healthy thing to have" Sadler said. "Both Brandon and Kamyron have the ability to start, and their level of play pushes each other to keep improving."

Richardson is the veteran of the Husker squad, as the junior from Los Angeles has been in the backcourt rotation for the past two years. He enjoyed a solid sophomore campaign, making 15 starts and averaging 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Richardson, who could see time at either backcourt spot, reached double figures in points 13 times, ranked among team leaders in points (276, 2nd), steals (35, 2nd), field-goal percentage (45.6, 2nd) 3-pointers (27, 3rd) and assists (56, 4th), while shooting a team-high 82.5 percent (85-of-103) from the charity stripe.

Brown was a part-time starter at Oregon for two years, leading the Ducks in assists both seasons in the program, including 94 assists as a freshman in 2007-08. He averaged 4.4 points, 2.7 assists, 1.6 rebounds and nearly a steal per game in his two years at the school. As a sophomore, he had a season-high 15 points against Saint Mary's, one of three performances in double figures that season. Coming out of high school, he was rated the No. 18 point guard in the country after leading Mater Dei High School to a 33-3 record and a No. 25 national ranking.

WINGS ARE KEY TO HUSKERS' SUCCESS
The biggest losses for the Huskers entering the season come on the wings, as Nebraska looks to replace seniors Ryan Anderson and Sek Henry. The pair combined for 64 starts last season, while Anderson paced the Huskers with 11.3 points per game.
Nebraska has some experience at the position with junior Toney McCray and sophomores Eshaunte Jones and Ray Gallegos. In addition, junior college transfer Caleb Walker enrolled in the summer and performed well on the Huskers' summer trip to the Bahamas.

"In this league, how our wings do will be the key to our success," Sadler said. "Toney took a year off with the injury, and we need him to come back and be healthy. Eshaunte and Ray gained a lot of experience last year and should be better. Caleb gives us a lot of athleticism and toughness at the spot. We have to have those guys step up, and the success we have is going to depend on those two positions."

McCray looks to be 100 percent following Tommy John surgery ended his 2009-10 season after just three games. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game before the injury and gave the Huskers length and athleticism on the perimeter. A two-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week two years ago, he reached double figures five times, including a career-high 18-point performance at Baylor in the regular-season finale. That performance helped the Huskers finish .500 for the first time in the league in a decade.

Jones, who overcame foot surgery and a sports hernia as a freshman, gives the Huskers a threat from long range. He averaged 6.0 points per game, finishing second on the team in 3-pointers made (40) and 3-point shooting percentage (43.5 percent). The 6-foot-4 guard showed the ability to play his best against strong competition, as five of his six double-figure efforts came against postseason teams. Jones had a career-high 21 points coming off the bench against BYU in the finals of the Las Vegas Classic, hitting 5-of-7 from 3-point range.

Gallegos showed flashes of his ability as a freshman, averaging 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while appearing in 30 contests. A solid ball-handler, he also is one of the quickest players on the roster and has the athleticism to create his own shot. Gallegos reached double figures twice as a freshman, including a season-high 13 points against Texas-Pan American that featured a trio of 3-pointers.

Walker enters the Husker program with solid credentials, earning first-team NJCAA All-America honors at Butler County CC in 2010. As a sophomore, he averaged 16.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, hitting 53 percent from the field in helping the school to a 29-7 record and its first NJCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. The 6-foot-4 guard was the Region VI Tournament MVP after posting a season-high 26 points and nine boards in the title game. Walker was able to accompany the Huskers on their summer trip and made an immediate impact, averaging 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, ranking third on the team in both points and rebounds.

Sophomore walk-on Mike Fox is the other player who could see time at the spot, as he made eight appearances as a redshirt freshman. Fox averaged 0.9 points and 0.5 rebounds per game, including season highs of four points and two rebounds against Texas-Pan American.

2010-11 SCHEDULE
The Huskers will be tested by a schedule that features a minimum of 16 games against teams that reached postseason play last season.

"Overall, it is one of the most challenging schedules we have faced in my five years here, especially with the tournament in San Juan," Sadler said. "We need to play well, but what we learned last year is that success in preseason does not equal success in the league.

The non-conference slate is highlighted by the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, where NU opens against SEC power Vanderbilt and could potentially see West Virginia, Minnesota or North Carolina among others in the eight-team field. Other non-conference tests include a match-up with USC in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Challenge and home games against TCU, Creighton, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State. Nebraska opens the 2010-11 season against CIT qualifier South Dakota, which went 22-10 last season.

"Our guys are anxious to get on the court and have a bad taste in their mouth about last season," Sadler said. "They have worked hard to get better everyday and if we can maintain that focus on improvement, things are going to work out."