Huskers Look for Sixth Straight win Saturday Afternoon

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Game: 10
2010-11 Record: 7-2, 0-0 Big 12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
Record at Nebraska: 77-60 (5th year)
Record at Division I: 125-78 (7th year)
Career Record: 246-117 (13th year)

TCU Horned Frogs
Game: 11
2010-11 Record: 7-3, 0-0 MWC
Head coach: Jim Christian
Record at TCU: 34-39 (3rd year)
Career Record: 172-97 (9th year)

Broadcast Information
Radio: IMG Husker Sports Network
(Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka; Color: Matt Davison)
Internet Video: ESPN3.com
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: Ch. 126

Huskers Look for Sixth Straight win Saturday Afternoon
It is the last test for the Nebraska basketball team until finals week, as the Huskers put their five-game win streak on the line against TCU Saturday afternoon at the Devaney Center.

Tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased for as little as $5 at Huskers.com or at the Devaney Sports Center beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Saturday's game is also a family 4-pack day, where fans can get four tickets, four slices of Valentino's pizza and four Pepsi products for $40 dollars. To take advantage of the offer, contact the NU Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED in advance. Saturday's game is the first of four Valentino's 4-pack games (also vs. Eastern Washington on Dec. 18 and North Dakota on Jan. 2) and can only be purchased by calling the NU Ticket Office.

Start time for the match-up between the Huskers and Horned Frogs is set for 1:07 p.m. and the game will be carried across Nebraska on Fox Sports Midwest  as well as nationally on ESPN Full Court and ESPN3.com.  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 680; and Dish Network channel 447.

The game will also be carried across the state on the 32-station IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison on the call, including KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 in Lexington. Free audio will also be available on Huskers.com.

The Huskers (7-2) played one of their best first halves of the season, jumping out to a 40-17 lead at the break and cruising to an 78-57 win over Alcorn State Wednesday night. Lance Jeter led four Huskers in double figures with 16 points, six assists and a career-high seven steals. Jorge Brian Diaz (15) and Brandon Ubel (14) also set or tied season highs, as the Huskers enjoyed a commanding 44-16 advantage in points in the paint.

Jeter has been a catalyst for the Husker offense during their five-game win streak, averaging 10.6 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. More impressively, he has a 22-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio in NU's last four contests, helping Nebraska shoot 48 percent from the floor and average 68.2 points per game in that stretch.

The Huskers will be tested by a TCU team which has a 7-3 record and comes off an 81-77 win at Texas Tech on Wednesday night. The Horned Frogs have won four of their last five games, including wins over Houston, USC and Texas Tech, and feature one of the top players in the Mountain West Conference in junior Ronnie Moss. The 6-foot-2  guard averages a team-best 15.0 points and 3.9 assists per game and is one of three TCU players averaging double figures.

Saturday's game against TCU is also Red Cross Day, as Husker student-athletes and local volunteers will be collecting donations during halftime for the American Red Cross.

Scouting TCU
TCU has been an early surprise in the Mountain West Conference with a 7-3 record following an 81-77 win at Texas Tech Wednesday night. The Horned Frogs, coached by third-year Coach Jim Christian, got a game-high 22 points from Sammy Yeagar off the bench and used a 22-4 spurt to erase an eight-point second-half deficit and pick up their first road win of the season at Texas Tech. J.R. Cadot had 11 points and 10 rebounds, as the Frogs enjoyed a 48-34 advantage on the boards and held Texas Tech to 40 percent shooting. TCU comes into Saturday's contest winning four of their last five games, including wins over USC (81-69) and Houston (79-63) with the only setback being a 64-50 loss to Northern Iowa on Dec. 4.

Junior guard Ronnie Moss was a second-team All-MWC performer in 2010 and comes into Saturday's game averaging 15.0 points and 3.9 assists per game.  Point guard Hank Thorns has been an impact newcomer for TCU, averaging 9.0 points and 6.3 assists per game, as the the Horned Frogs are averaging 73.2 points and shooting 46 percent from the floor as a team. Like Nebraska, TCU is beginning the process of switching leagues, as the Horned Frogs will join the Big East for the 2012-13 season.

Nebraska-TCU Series
Nebraska leads the all-time series with TCU, 5-2, and has won five of the last six meetings dating back to 1970. This is the third straight year the teams have met, with NU winning in 2008 in Fort Worth (62-50) and last year in Lincoln (90-77). The teams have met six times in the regular season with Nebraska winning five of those matchups. The Huskers are 35-24 against the current members of the Mountain West Conference.

Last Year vs. TCU
In the highest scoring game in the Doc Sadler era at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers outraced TCU to the finish line, earning a 90-77 victory at the Devaney Center in a game that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes. The Huskers shot the ball extremely well, hitting 60 percent in the second half and 54.0 percent for the game while reaching the 90-point plateau for the first time since 2006. Jorge Brian Diaz came off the bench to hit 9-of-10 shots for a team-high 22 points, leading five Huskers in double figures. Diaz was the first NU freshman with a 20-point game since Sek Henry in 2006. Henry set Diaz up all day long, as he finished with 11 points and 11 assists for the first Husker double-double since Aleks Maric in 2008. Henry missed a triple-double by three rebounds as he added seven boards with three steals and two blocked shots. Brandon Richardson made his first career start and finished with then-career highs in points (15) and rebounds (4). With the game tied at 67-67 with five minutes to play, the Huskers put the accelerator down, as they scored 23 points in the stretch run, including hitting 13-of-15 at the charity stripe in final 3:24.

Last Time Out: Huskers Shoot Past Alcorn State
Four Huskers scored in double figures, including a team-high 16 points from Lance Jeter, as Nebraska picked up its fifth straight win, a 78-57 victory over Alcorn State Wednesday night at the Devaney Center.  Jeter hit 5-of-9 from the floor and had season bests in both steals (seven) and assists (six), as his seven steals were one shy of Nebraska's school record. He scored seven of his points in a 7-0 second-half spurt that gave Nebraska some breathing room after Alcorn State cut a 27-point lead to 63-48 with 5:20 remaining.

In addition to Jeter, sophomores Jorge Brian Diaz (15) and Brandon Ubel (14) combined for 29 points in season-best efforts, while junior Andre Almeida added 10 points off the bench, as Nebraska (7-2) topped the 70-point mark for the fourth time this year. A hot-shooting Husker team picked up where it left off against Creighton, hitting 55 percent (17-of-31) of its shots en route to a 40-17 halftime lead. The Huskers worked the ball inside to sprint out to a 10-2 lead through the first 3 ½ minutes, as Diaz scored 10 of Nebraska's first 22 points. The Braves trailed 22-14 before the Huskers ended the half on a 20-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer from senior Drake Beranek as Nebraska's 40 first-half points were a season high.

Ubel, who tied his career-high with 14 points, gave the Huskers a spark out of the locker room by scoring all 10 of his second-half points in the first 6 ½ minutes. That lifted the Huskers to a 56-28 lead before Alcorn State guard Marquiz Baker caught fire to score 17 of his game-high 32 points in the final 13 minutes. Baker led the Braves (0-7) to pull within 63-48, before Jeter single-handedly stopped the run as he scored seven points in a 43-second span, capped by a steal and layup to put NU up 70-48 with 4:27 left.  

Ten Huskers found their way into the scoring column, as NU hit 48 percent (29-of-60) from the floor and held Alcorn State to just 30 percent shooting.

Quick Notes from the Alcorn State Game
Nebraska has now won 19 straight home non-conference games and is now 43-1 in home non-conference games under Doc Sadler...the win was Doc Sadler's 125th as a Division I coach, spanning seven seasons...Nebraska's 40 first-half points were a season high and the most since scoring 41 at Iowa State on Feb. 24, 2010....Lance Jeter's seven steals were a career high, topping his previous high of four set on two other occasions, most recently against Davidson on Nov. 19. It was also one off the school record of eight, which has been done four times, most recently by Cookie Belcher against Oklahoma State on Feb. 7, 2001..Jeter also tied his season high with six assists and has 22 assists and two turnovers in his last four games...The 17 points Alcorn State scored in the first half were the second-lowest total by a Husker opponent this season (UAPB-15)...Caleb Walker snared a career-high 12 rebounds, marking the second straight game he had at least 10 rebounds...It marked the first time since the 2007-08 season that a Husker grabbed 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games....Brandon Ubel matched a career high with 14 points, as he also had 14 points against Texas Tech on Feb.  25, 2010...Jorge Brian Diaz set a season high with 15 points, hitting 6-of-9 shots from the floor in the win. Diaz's previous season best was 14 against USC...The Huskers had 10 players in the scoring column for the second straight game.

Opening December on the Right Foot
With three wins to open the month, including triumphs against postseason qualifiers Creighton and Jackson State, the Huskers opened December with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2003 and the fourth time in the Big 12 era (also 2001 and 1996). If NU can down TCU on Saturday, it would be the first time NU won its first four games in December since the 1996-97 season. Sadler-coached team at Nebraska are 22-9 in the month of December.

Huskers Prove to Be Second-Half Team
One trait which has been shown during the first quarter of the season is the Huskers' ability to improve as the game goes on. When looking at the Huskers' stats, Nebraska has shot significantly better from the floor in the final 20 minutes than in the first halves of contests. Against USC, Nebraska overcame a 13-point halftime deficit while against Jackson State on Dec. 1, NU broke open a seven-point game in the final 20 minutes.  In Sunday's win over Creighton, the Huskers trailed 29-21 at halftime, but regrouped in the second half, outscoring Creighton, 38-25.

Huskers Take 5 Against Jackson State
Nebraska had five players in double figures in Wednesday's win over Jackson State, marking only the third time in Doc Sadler's five seasons that the Huskers had placed five players in double figures, and the first time since Nov. 21, 2009, against TCU. NU nearly had a sixth player reach double figures, as sophomore Jorge Brian Diaz finished with eight points in just 19 minutes of action.

Comeback Kids
Nebraska has shown resiliency this season, overcoming two double figure deficits this season. It is the first time in the Big 12 era that Nebraska has overcome a pair of double-digit deficits in the same season.

Against USC on Nov. 27, NU overcame a 20-point first half deficit on two occasions (the last being at 37-17 with 2:05 left in the first half) to win 68-58. Last Sunday against Creighton, NU trailed by 11 points in the first half, only to roar back to a 59-54 win.

• The 20-point deficit against USC equaled the largest deficit the Huskers have overcome in a game in the Big 12 era (1996-97 to present) and is believed to equal the largest deficit NU has overcome in a win. The Huskers also overcame a 20-point deficit in an 87-77 overtime win against Kansas State on Jan. 15, 1997.
• Nebraska now has 14 double-digit comebacks in the Big 12 era, including five under Coach Doc Sadler. Four of the top five comebacks by NU in the Big 12 era have come under Sadler.

Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series Update
The Big 12 has a 6-4 lead on the Pac-10 in the fourth-annual Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. The Big 12 can clinch the series win for the second straight year with wins by either Texas A&M (vs. Washington on Saturday) or by Oklahoma State (vs. Stanford on Dec. 21). The Huskers won their game in the series, defeating USC, 60-58 in the series opener on Nov. 28. Nebraka's 3-1 mark in the four years of the series equals the best mark of any Big 12 school.

Home for the Holidays
When Nebraska returned to Lincoln from San Juan on Nov. 21, the Huskers began the longest homestand in program history. Nebraska is currently in the middle of a 10-game stretch at the Devaney Center, as the Huskers will not hit the road for 51 days when the Huskers leave for Missouri in the Big 12 road opener. Prior to this season, NU's longest homestand was seven games, done three other times, most recently in 2007-08. 

Holding Court
Nebraska has been strong on its home court over the years, and will try to continue an impressive run at home under Coach Doc Sadler in 2010-11. In the history of the Bob Devaney Sports Center, Nebraska has posted a 416-131 record for a .761 winning percentage. In the past five seasons under Sadler, Nebraska has dominated to the tune of a 60-17 record (.779 winning percentage) against all teams. Facing non-conference opponents, the Huskers have been nearly unbeatable at home under Sadler. During his tenure, the team have a 43-1 record at the Devaney Center, with the lone loss coming in the 2008-09 season. The Huskers have won 19 straight home non-conference games heading into Saturday's game with TCU.

The Sum is Greater than the Parts
When talking about the 2010-11 Huskers, Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler mentioned that this is the deepest team he has had in his five seasons. The Huskers have relied on the depth during the first month of the season, as 10 players have averaged 10 minutes per game. The Huskers don't have a player in the top 20 in the league in either scoring or rebounding, but have been balanced offensively.

NU has had eight different players lead the team in scoring through the first nine games, as only Jorge Brian Diaz (2) and Lance Jeter (2) has topped the Huskers more than once. Against Jackson State on Dec. 1, the Huskers placed five players in double figures, marking the third time that has happened in Doc Sadler's five seasons.

Huskers Rely on Bench Support
If it seems like Nebraska's bench has been more productive in recent years, it has been the case in 2010-11. The  Huskers are averaging 28.9 points per game from their bench in the first nine games while shooting 45 percent from the floor. NU has doubled the opposition in bench scoring in six of the nine contests this season, including 50 bench points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Both of NU's individual 20-point efforts have come off the bench (Almeida vs. South Dakota; Standhardinger vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and NU's leading scorer has come off the bench four times of Nebraska's first nine contests.  The highest points per game average from NU's bench this decade is 27.9 points per game, set during the 2003-04 season. Here is a look at the bench production during Sadler's five years at Nebraska.

Controlling the Boards
Nebraska's size on the interior has helped the Huskers control the backboards during the early portion of the season. The Huskers have out-rebounded seven of its their nine opponents and have a +6.3 rebound margin. The Huskers grabbed a season-high 49 rebounds in Wednesday's win over Alcorn State - the second-highest total in Doc Sadler's five seasons at Nebraska and the most in a non-overtime game since grabbing 51 rebounds on Feb. 22, 2005, against Colorado (a span of 141 games).

The Huskers opened the season by out-rebounding seven straight opponents dating back to last season before USC had a 40-32 edge on the glass on Nov. 28, one shy of the Huskers' longest stretch this decade.

No 3-Pointers is a Rarity
Nebraska had at least one 3-pointer in 340 straight games before going 0-for-10 from long range against Vanderbilt on Nov. 18. The last time NU was held without a 3-pointer was against Colorado State on Dec. 12, 1999. It marked only the third time in the Big 12 era that Nebraska has not connected on at least one 3-pointer. The other time came in a win over Baylor on Feb. 14, 2008.

Huskers Look to Reclaim Big 12 Defensive Title
Throughout Doc Sadler's tenure at Nebraska, the Huskers have been one of the Big 12's top defensive teams. In 2009-10, NU was fourth in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing 65.7 points per game. That snapped a two-year streak where the Huskers led the conference in scoring defense. In 2008-09, Nebraska allowed just 60.4 points per game to rank 22nd nationally and lead the Big 12. A year earlier, it gave up just 60.7 ppg and held on to a final No. 18 national ranking in that category. 

Nebraska entered this week ranked third in the Big 12 and 15th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 56.7 points per game. The Huskers have held seven of their last eight opponents to 60 points or less. Nebraska is 54-7 under Sadler when holding opponents to 60 points or less.

Huskers' Hot Shooting Nights
The Huskers have enjoyed two of their best shooting nights in the Doc Sadler era this season. Against 2010 NCAA qualifier Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 15, the Huskers shot 63 percent from the field, marking the first time in 53 games that Nebraska hit over 60 percent from the field. It was the Huskers' best shooting night since hitting 68 percent against Creighton on Nov. 18, 2006. On Dec. 1, against Jackson State, Nebraska once again topped the 60 percent shooting plateau, hitting 30-of-50 shots from the field. NU has now had eight games under Sadler shooting above 60 percent.

Less Work Makes Jeter More Productive
Senior point guard Lance Jeter provides leadership at the point guard position, as he has started all 42 games of his Husker career. The 6-foot-3, 222-pounder was named to the Big 12's All-Newcomer team by the media after averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 assists per game in 2009-10. He was among the league leaders in both assists and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9-to-1) and fell one assist shy of Nebraska's single-season top-10 list. He also played a team-high 1,024 minutes last season, the highest number of minutes by a Husker in three seasons and second-highest total by a Husker this decade.

This season, the Huskers' increased depth has allowed him to play significantly fewer minutes, which has helped his productivity. He leads the team in scoring (10.9 ppg), assists (4.6 apg) and steals (2.0 spg) and third on the team in rebounds (4.1 rpg) while averaging just 27.2 minutes per game. He is shooting at a 48 percent clip after hitting just 41 percent from the floor in his first year at Nebraska. He ranks in the top five in the Big 12 in both assists and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.66-to-1) and has 22 assists and just two turnovers in his last four games.

Jeter had a season-high 18 points, five assists and matched his personal best with four steals against Davidson on Nov. 18. He had 11 points, including a pair of early 3-pointers in NU's game opening run, against UAPB and eight points, including 6-of-6 from the foul line, four assists, two steals and six rebounds in NU's eight-point win over South Dakota on Nov. 12. The senior from Beaver Falls, Pa., may have enjoyed his best game of the year against USC with 13 points, a career-best eight rebounds and five assists without a turnover to lead NU's come-from-behind victory. He helped lead NU's comeback against Creighton with 10 second-half points and five assists, as part of a 12-point, six-assist, six-rebound effort. Jeter had 16 points, six assists and a career-high seven steals in the win over Alcorn State on Dec. 8, as his seven steals was one off the school record.

Homecoming Spurs Diaz's Improvement
For Jorge Brian Diaz, a trip back home last month was the perfect cure for a slow start. The sophomore center had an opportunity to play in front of many of his family and friends at the Honda Puerto Rico Tip Off. Diaz, who tallied just 10 points in NU's first two games,  tied for the team lead in scoring (10.7 ppg) while adding 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and hitting 57 percent of his shots from the floor in three games in San Juan. He totaled 13 points against Davidson, scoring eight straight second-half points to pull the Huskers within a point in the final two minutes, and a game-high 11 points in the win over Hofstra.

Since the Huskers left for San Juan, Diaz is averaging 11.1 points per game, while hitting 61 percent from the field. He scored a game-high 14 points in NU's comeback win over USC, including 10 points in the second half as Nebraska overcame a 13-point halftime deficit. Against Alcorn State, Diaz had a season-high 15 points, hitting 6-of-9 shots from the floor.

As a redshirt freshman, Diaz put together one of the best rookie seasons in program history in 2009-10. The 6-foot-11 center from Caguas, Puerto Rico, appeared in all 33 contests, averaging 8.8 points on a team-high 52.2 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game. He not only set a school freshman mark with 41 blocked shots, but also finished on NU's freshman top-10 list in field goals made (133, fourth), rebounds (133, seventh), points (291, eighth) and points per game (8.82, 10th).

Here is how Diaz's 2009-10 numbers compared to the freshman seasons of the post players who reached the 1,000-point plateau as Huskers.

Husker Newcomers Making an Impact
Three of the Huskers' newcomers have propelled Nebraska to a 7-2 record entering Saturday's game with TCU. Junior college transfers Andre Almeida and Caleb Walker and senior Drake Beranek have all found significant roles in their first year at Nebraska.

Walker, a first-team NJCAA All-American, has emerged as one of NU's top performers on the wing. He is averaging 6.4 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds while playing in all nine games. He has moved into the starting lineup in Nebraska's last four contests and is averaging 7.8 points on 55 percent shooting and 8.0 rebounds per game in that stretch. Walker matched his season high with 13 points and added five rebounds and five assists against Jackson State before pulling down a career-high 10 rebounds in NU's win over Creighton on Dec. 5. He became the first Husker in three seasons to grab 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games, finishing with 12 rebounds in NU's win over Alcorn State on Dec. 8.

Almeida, a two-time All-American in junior college, has given the Huskers quality minutes off the bench, averaging 5.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game.  Almeida leads NU in field goal percentage, hitting 22-of-34 shots for a 65 percent clip. Against South Dakota on Nov. 12, he came off the bench and led Nebraska with 20 points and seven rebounds. He hit on 9-of-12 shots, including nine consecutive shots at one point to help Nebraska build a 16-point second-half lead. Almeida became the second Husker newcomer in the last 40 years to score at least 20 points in a season opener, joining freshman Joe McCray, who had 23 points in his Husker debut in 2004. His effort was also the most points any NU newcomer had scored in his debut in Doc Sadler's five seasons at Nebraska, topping the previous best of 17 by Toney McCray in 2008. He reached double figues for the second time this year against Alcorn State on Dec. 8, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

Beranek, who originally walked on to NU after playing three years at Nebraska-Kearney, has given the Huskers a solid scorer off the bench. He is averaging 4.9 ppg while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range. He had his best performance of the year against Jackson State on Dec. 1, totaling 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including two 3-pointers.

Saturday vs. TCU is Red Cross Day
The American Red Cross is teaming with the Nebraska Athletic Department for its annual collection during the the men's and women's basketball doubleheader. Student-athletes from a number of Husker programs, along with local volunteers will be collecting at halftime of the NU-TCU game, set for 1 p.m. and the NU-Northern Colorado women's game, slated for 7 p.m.

In addition, the American Red Cross will honor two local heroes at the TCU game.

At a Husker Men's basketball game in November, Mike Gates, a Red Cross First Aid Team volunteer arrived for his shift to find Beth Nelsen, a local nurse, giving CPR to Husker fan Gary Ryken, who had collapsed from cardiac arrest. Gates grabbed an automated external defibrillator (AED) and with the help of Nelsen and other good samaritans, used the AED to deliver two shocks to the unconscious Ryken. Lincoln Fire and Rescue transported Ryken to a local hospital, but paramedics at the scene credit Gates and Nelsen with saving Ryken's life with their quick response.

During Saturday's Husker game, Ryken, who has since recovered, will help honor Gates and Nelsen during a special halftime presentation. Husker fans will also see volunteers passing hundreds of white buckets through the crowd to raise money for the local Red Cross. The annual Red Cross Appreciation Day bucket pass raises money for lifesaving Red Cross services, including disaster relief, emergency communications for military, and CPR/AED and First Aid Training.