Huskers Take on Oklahoma Wednesday

Game 25: at Oklahoma
Game Date: Feb. 16, 2011
Tipoff Time:  8:05 p.m.
Venue: Lloyd Noble Center
Capacity: 12,000

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Game: 25
2010-11 Record: 16-8, 4-6 Big 12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
 Record at Nebraska: 86-66 (5th year)
 Record at Division I: 134-84 (7th year)
 Career Record: 254-123 (13th year)

OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Game: 25
2010-11 Record: 12-12, 4-6 Big 12
Head coach: Jeff Capel
 Record at Oklahoma: 94-63 (5th year)
 Career Record: 173-104 (9th year)

Huskers Take on Oklahoma Wednesday
The Nebraska basketball team hopes its first road win of the season comes sooner than later, as the Huskers travel to Oklahoma Wednesday night for the Big 12 matchup with the Sooners.

Wednesday's 8:05 p.m. game will be nationally televised on ESPNU with  Dan McLaughlin (play by play) and Kara Lawson (analyst) on the call. The telecast can be seen locally on channel 235 in Lincoln; channel 220 in Omaha; DirecTV channel 608; and Dish Network channel 141.

Wednesday's game at Oklahoma will also be available 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 and on Huskers.com.

The Huskers (16-8, 4-6 Big 12) enter the week in the middle of a jumbled conference race. While Texas and Kansas have run away from the rest of the conference, only two games currently separate third from 10th in the Big 12 standings and a win in Norman would bolster the Huskers' postseason hopes. Nebraska is currently tied for eighth place with a 4-6 record following a 65-54 win over Oklahoma State last Saturday.

While Lance Jeter led Nebraska with 16 points against Oklahoma State, the Huskers' balance was evident against the Cowboys. Seven Huskers had at least seven points, as Nebraska wore down the Cowboys down the stretch. NU held OSU to just 30 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes and led by as many as 15 points in snapping a three-game losing streak.

More importantly, Nebraska controlled the boards against Oklahoma State, enjoying a 38-28 advantage on the glass. NU had been out-rebounded in each of the previous five games, a key factor in going 1-4 in that stretch, including a one-point loss at Texas Tech and a four-point setback at Baylor. Caleb Walker grabbed seven rebounds, while Jorge Brian Diaz and Andre Almeida combined for 11 caroms, as NU had out-rebounded 15 of its first 18 opponents on the season.

Nebraska's depth will be important against an Oklahoma team that is looking to snap a three-game losing streak of its own. The Sooners are coming off an 81-64 loss at Missouri Saturday afternoon.  Cameron Clark's 16 points led three Sooners in double figures, as Missouri converted 18 Sooner turnovers into 24 points and shot 48 percent.

While Nebraska has used its depth and has only one player averaging over 25 minutes per game, Oklahoma relies on a shorter rotation, as all five starters average over 33.0 minutes per game in Big 12 play, including Clark's 36.9 minutes per contest.

QUICK LOOK AT OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma has been a pleasant surprise in Big 12 play, as the Sooners are 12-12 overall and 4-6 in the Big 12. OU, which was picked 11th in the preseason poll, will look to snap a three-game losing streak following an 84-61 loss at Missouri on Saturday. The Sooners have been streaky in Big 12 play, sandwiching a four-game win streak around a pair of three-game losing streaks. OU has been tough at home, winning 11 of 13 at home, with the losses coming against Texas and Texas A&M.  As a team, the Sooners hit 45.7 percent from the floor, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range, but have been strong at the free throw line, hitting 72.7 percent to rank fourth in the Big 12.

Oklahoma, which features four freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup, feature three players who average in double figures. Andrew Fitzgerald leads the Sooners in both scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg) while senior Cade Davis averages 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Steven Pledger is the third OU player in double figures at 12.2 ppg, including a 38-point effort at Iowa State on Jan. 29. Oklahoma's starters get the bulk of the minutes, as all five starters average at least 33 minutes per game in league play.

NEBRASKA-OKLAHOMA SERIES
Nebraska and Oklahoma square off for the 187th time Wednesday night in Norman. The Sooners lead the all-time series, 104-82, including a 10-6 mark in Big 12 play.

The series dates back to the 1920-21 campaign and Nebraska has won four of the last six matchups, NU's best winning 5-of-6 matchups from 1980 to 1983.  Prior to that stretch, Oklahoma had won seven straight contests from 2000 until 2005.

• The home team has won each of the last six regular-season matchups, as Nebraska enjoyed a 63-46 win over the Sooners last January in Lincoln. Nebraska's last win in Norman came with a 96-81 win over the 25th-ranked Sooners on Jan. 20, 1999.
• Wednesday's matchup is only the third time in the Big 12 era where Nebraska has faced off against an unranked Oklahoma team in Norman. OU's previous AP rankings at game time are as follows: 1997 (unranked); 1999 (25th); 2001 (24th); 2003 (fifth); 2005 (21st); 2007 (unranked) and 2009 (sixth).
• Nebraska is 2-2 against Oklahoma under coach Doc Sadler with the wins coming in 2008 and 2010.
• Oklahoma has won 60 of 80 meetings in Norman, including 23 of 27 wins in the Lloyd Noble Center.

LAST TIME OUT
Lance Jeter reached double figures for the eighth consecutive game, as he scored 16 points to lead Nebraska to a 65-54 win over Oklahoma State Saturday evening.

Jeter's 16-point effort tied his second-best scoring output of the conference season. The point guard had been averaging nearly six assists per game in Big 12 action before tonight, but relied on his scoring against OSU as Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak. Jeter hit 7-of-8 from the foul line, as the Huskers hit 15 of 18 from the charity stripe and out-rebounded Oklahoma State, 38-28.

While Jeter led Nebraska's balanced offense which saw nine players crack the scoring column, the  Husker defense buckled down to hold OSU to 36 percent shooting, including 31 percent in the second half, as NU held its 14th opponent of the season under 60 points.

Nebraska took control of the contest in the final minutes of the first half, using a 10-2 run and holding OSU to one field goal over a seven-minute span to build a six-point halftime lead. The Cowboys pulled to within 37-32 early in the second half, but a 6-0 run capped by Caleb Walker's 3-pointer pushed the Husker lead to 43-32. Nebraska eventually pushed the lead to 15 at 60-45 and was in control the rest of the contest.

NOTING THE OKLAHOMA STATE GAME

• Nebraska snapped a four-game losing streak to Oklahoma State that dated back to the 2006-07 campaign.
• The Huskers held OSU to just 54 points, marking the 14th opponent Nebraska has held under 60 points this season. NU is now 13-1 this season when holding opponents under 40 points.
• Lance Jeter reached double figures for the eighth consecutive game with 16 points, including season bests in both free throws made (seven) and attempted (eight).
• Nebraska out-rebounded Oklahoma State, 38-28, marking the first time in six games NU had out-rebounded an opponent this season. The +10 advantage was the seventh time this year NU had at least 10 more rebounds than an opponent.
• Nebraska went 15-of-18 from the foul line, the seventh time this season NU has shot 80 percent or better from the line. As a team, Nebraska is shooting 79 percent over the last nine contests dating back to Jan. 12.
• With the win, Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler recorded his 86th win at Nebraska, tying Harry C. Good (1947-54) for fifth place on NU's career wins chart.
• The Huskers improved to 15-1 at home, marking only the sixth time since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened (1976) that Nebraska has won 15 or more home games.
• Nebraska's bench out-scored Oklahoma State's 22-11, the 13th time this season NU has doubled an opponent's bench scoring.

A WIN AGAINST OKLAHOMA WOULD...

• Be the Huskers' first win in Norman since 1999 and second-ever road win in Norman in the Big 12 era. It would also snap a five-game losing streak in Norman.
• Be Nebraska's fifth win in the last seven meetings against Oklahoma, the longest sustained run against the Sooners since winning 5-of-7 matchups from 1980 to 1983.
• Improve Nebraska's record to 17-8, giving the Huskers at least 17 wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons. NU had won 17 or more games twice between 1999-2000 and 2005-06.
• Give Doc Sadler 87 wins in the first five seasons, matching Moe Iba and Danny Nee for the most wins by a Husker basketball coach in his first five seasons at Nebraska.
• End a 13-game road losing streak in Big 12 play dating back to the start of the 2009-10 season, as well as be the first road win since Nov. 29, 2009 (at USC).

HUSKERS ENJOYING STRONG SEASON
Nebraska comes into the Oklahoma contest with a 16-8 record, already topping last season's victory total. Of the Huskers' eight losses this season, five are teams in the top 35 in the NCAA's latest RPI rankings (2 vs. Kansas, 1 each vs. Vanderbilt, K-State and Missouri). Of those five losses, only the Kansas loss was at home.

• The record equals the Huskers' best 24-game record in the Big 12 era, accomplished three other times (2007-08, 2005-06, 1998-99).
• The last time Nebraska had a better mark after 24 games was in 1994-95 when Nebraska was 16-7 and on its way to a berth in the NIT.
• Nebraska's quick start was recognized on Jan. 10, when the Huskers received four points in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. It was first time since Jan. 16, 2006, that Nebraska had received any points in the coaches poll. NU received votes in both the AP and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll on Jan. 30, the first time that has happened in Doc Sadler's five seasons.

DOWN TO THE WIRE
One of the keys to Nebraska's success this season has been the ability to get into close contests.

• Nebraska has been within five points with 2:30 left nine times this season, including five times in conference play. NU has a 4-5 mark in those games this season.
• In five of NU's eight losses (Vanderbilt, Davidson, Kansas, Texas Tech and Baylor), Nebraska was within five points with 2:30 remaining. In addition, at Missouri, Nebraska used a late run and cut a nine-point deficit to four points with 31 seconds left.
• The 2010-11 season marks the first time in six years that Nebraska has been involved in multiple one-point games (63-62 win over Iowa State on Jan. 8; 72-71 loss at Texas Tech on Jan. 22).

A DEFENSE THAT WOULD MAKE THE BLACKSHIRTS PROUD
As is typical with Doc Sadler-coached teams, the Huskers' forte is on the defensive end. Nebraska is in the top 15 nationally in both opponent field goal percentage (.378) and points per game (58.9) entering this week's action. The Huskers lead the Big 12 in scoring defense and are second to Texas in field goal percentage defense.

The Huskers have held 14 opponents under 60 points and only four opponents have scored more than 70 points through the first 24 games.  That fact is made more impressive when you consider that Nebraska has played four games currently among the nation's top 15 in scoring offense (Kansas-2x, Missouri, Colorado).

Nebraska has done a good job of controlling tempo for most of the season until a recent three-game losing streak (KSU, KU, BU) where NU allowed an average of 76.3 points per game. The Huskers bounced back and held Oklahoma State to just 54 points in Saturday's win. In Nebraska's eight losses, its has allowed an average of 71.2 points per game, while allowing just 52.7 points per game in its 16 wins.

• Nebraska has allowed only two teams (Kansas and Baylor) to eclipse its season scoring average in the first 24 contests.
• Nebraska has held seven teams (Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Vanderbilt, Hofstra, Eastern Washington, Grambling State, Kansas and Texas A&M) to season lows in points.
• Nebraska held 10 straight opponents to under 60 points earlier this season, the longest stretch by a Nebraska team since a 21-game stretch covering the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons.
• Nebraska's defense has been stingy at home, allowing just 55.1 points per game in 16 home contests.
• The Huskers held four straight foes to under 50 points - the first time since February of 1949 that has happened at Nebraska.
• Nebraska opponents have been held to 25 percent shooting three times this season, including 21.1 percent by Eastern Washington on Dec. 18.
• The biggest beneficiary to the Huskers defense has been the fans at the Devaney Center. In 12 of 16 home games, fans have earned products from Runza Restaurants, whether it is a Runza or burger (50 or less), chili or soup (51-55) or an order of fries or onion rings (56-60).
• Nebraska's defensive excellence has been established under Sadler, as the Huskers led the conference in defense twice in his first four years at NU (2007-08, 2008-09).

MORE THAN JUST DEFENSE

• Nebraska's .470 field goal percentage is on pace to be the Huskers' best shooting since the 2000-01 squad that shot .487 and ranked 11th nationally in field goal percentage. That is Nebraska's best field goal percentage in the Big 12 era. The Huskers are currently fourth in the Big 12 and 35th in the country in field goal percentage.
• While Nebraska typically relies on its defense and is 11th in the league in scoring offense, the Huskers' current scoring average of 67.9 points per game is on pace to be the highest in Doc Sadler's five seasons (current high is 67.1 in 2007-08) and the most since averaging 70.7 points per game in 2003-04.
• The Huskers have also been solid at the free throw line, as their .724 percentage from the charity stripe is on pace to be the team's highest free throw percentage since the 2002-03 season (.725). Over the last nine games, Nebraska is hitting at a 79 percent clip as a team, including 44 of 54 (.815) over the last three contests.

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 that depth, as 10 players have averaged at least 13 minutes per game and no player is averaging at least 30 minutes per game. While the Huskers do not have a player in the top 20 in the league in either scoring or rebounding, they feature nine players averaging between 4.3 and 11.1 points per game.

• NU has had 10 different players lead the team in scoring at least once, as the only regular who has not accomplished the feat is senior Drake Beranek.
• A total of 11 players have scored in double figures at least once with Lance Jeter (16) and Jorge Brian Diaz (12) leading the way. NU has three current players who have scored 20 or more points in a game this season (Andre Almeida vs. South Dakota; Brandon Richardson at Texas Tech and Toney McCray at Baylor).

JETER KEYS HUSKER OFFENSE
While the Huskers' offenive strength is their balance,  the leader of Nebraska's attack is senior point guard Lance Jeter, who has started every game over the last two years since arriving from Polk (Fla.) Community College.

Jeter, who began his collegiate career as a wide receiver at the University of Cincinnati, has made his mark in two years at Nebraska and now ranks 16th on Nebraska's career assist list with 243 career assists.  He is one of only three players on the top-20 career assist list who will play two seasons or fewer at Nebraska, and he trails Eric Johnson (247, 1988-89) by just four assists entering Wednesday's game against Oklahoma.
Last season, 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, and he may be one of the league's most improved players this season.
Jeter leads Nebraska in scoring (11.1 ppg), assists (4.5) and steals (1.9), and is shooting at a 48 percent clip after hitting just 41 percent from the floor last season. He is second in the league with a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and is third in the Big 12 in steals and fourth in assists.
He has improved his play in Big 12 action, averaging 12.6 points,  5.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game, ranking among league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5-to-1. second) and assists (second), steals (fourth) and scoring (20th).

More importantly than his numbers, his leadership has been influential in helping the Huskers when they needed him the most.

• In Nebraska's four games against ranked opponents this season, he is averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 assists per game while posting a 3.57-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.
• Against No. 2 Kansas, Jeter turned in one of his finest efforts, totaling a season-high 10 assists and 10 points for his first double-double of the season. His 10 assists were the most by any player against KU in five seasons.
• Jeter led NU with 16 points, including 7-of-8 from the foul line, in Saturday's win over Oklahoma State.
• In the win over No. 13 Texas A&M, he scored eight of his 10 points in the second half, including six points and three rebounds in a 10-1 second half run that gave Nebraska the lead for good. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. He also helped Nebraska commit only one second-half turnover (offensive foul on a ball screen) and shoot 50 percent after halftime against the Aggies.
• He nearly led Nebraska on a comeback against Texas Tech, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the second half, as Nebraska erased an eight-point deficit before falling by one in the final seconds to the Red Raiders.
• Jeter keyed the win over Colorado on Jan. 18, dishing out a season high nine assists while adding 10 points and six rebounds in helping NU snap the Buffaloes seven-game win streak. His nine assists against CU was the most-ever against the Buffaloes in Big 12 action.
• He nearly helped the Huskers to an upset at No. 3 Kansas in Lawrence with 13 points and six assists.
• Against Iowa State, he totaled 10 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals. His steal and drive in the final six seconds put him on the free throw line, where he sank the go-ahead free throw with 0.4 seconds left in NU's one-point win.
• Against USC, he may have enjoyed his best game as a Husker in leading Nebraska from a 20-point first-half deficit. He totaled 13 points, a career-high eight rebounds and had five assists without a turnover.
• He nearly broke the school record for steals against Alcorn State, recording a career-high seven steals and added 16 points and six assists in the win. His seven thefts were one shy of Nebraska's single-game mark.
• Jeter holds the rare distinction of being one of only two athletes in Beaver Falls (Pa.) High School history to have his jersey retired, joining NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath.

DOUBLE-DIGIT ASSISTS
With his 10 assists against Kansas on Feb. 2, Lance Jeter became the first Husker player in the Big 12 era to have a pair of contests with at least 10 assists. Jeter had a career-high 12 assists at Kansas State in 2009-10.

THE QUEST FOR THEFTS
Lance Jeter enters Wednesday's game at Oklahoma averaging 1.9 steals per game to rank fourth in the Big 12. He has 45 steals on the year after totaling just 29 in his first season at Nebraska and has multiple steals in eight of the Huskers' last 13 contests. 
Earlier this season, Jeter had a personal best seven against Alcorn State, which was one shy of the school record. He is threatening to become the first Husker since Cookie Belcher (2.7, 2000-01) to average 2.0 steals per game, something only two Huskers have done in the Big 12 era.

RICHARDSON FINDING HIS TOUCH
Junior guard Brandon Richardson has become one of the Huskers' most reliable scorers in recent weeks. The Los Angeles, Calif., native is averaging 9.3 points per game over the last six contests, hitting 49 percent from the floor in that span. Prior to that stretch, Richardson was averaging just 5.3 points per game and was in double figures just twice in Nebraska's first 17 games.

He has been aggressive in getting to the free throw line, getting to the free throw line 25 times in the last seven games, after attempting 20 free throws in Nebraska's first 17 contests. Richardson has made the most of his opportunities at the line, going a perfect 25-of-25 from the charity stripe and now leads the league in free throw percentage in conference action at 96.7 percent. He still has a ways to go to match the school mark for consecutive free throws, which is 39 by Jack Moore in 1981-82. Moore also holds the school record for highest free throw percentage in conference play at 93.8 percent in 1981-82.

Richardson, who missed the Huskers' Big 12 opener because of a knee strain and was limited earlier in the year because of a sprained ankle suffered in NU's exhibition opener, enjoyed his breakout perfomance at Texas Tech on Jan. 22. In that game, he hit 5-of-6 shots from the floor and all eight free throws, including three foul shots with 11 seconds left to put NU up by a point. He has reached double figures three times in NU's last six games, including a 16-point effort against No. 2 Kansas on Feb. 5. Against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Richardson dished out five assists and added four points and four rebounds.

DIAZ LOOKS TO BECOME CONSISTENT INSIDE FORCE
Sophomore Jorge Brian Diaz has quietly put together a solid sophomore campaign for the Huskers. The 6-foot-11 center is second on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg) and  rebounding (4.4 rpg) while hitting 55 percent from the floor. He is 10th in the Big 12 in blocked shots with 1.0 blocks per game.  Diaz is quickly closing in on Nebraska's blocked shot career list. He has 66 blocks in his career and six blocks shy of 10th place on the list entering Wednesday's game with Oklahoma.

He started Big 12 play slowly from the floor, making nine of his first 32 shots, but has been more aggressive on the offensive end over the last seven games, averaging 9.9 points on 55 percent shooting. He turned the corner in NU's win over Colorado, hitting 7-of-8 shots from the floor to snap the Buffaloes' seven-game win streak.

• He has been in double figures 12 times this season after reaching double figures in just 14 of 33 games as a freshman.
• Diaz enjoyed his best game of the season in NU's win over No. 13 Texas A&M, scoring a season-high 16 points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking a pair of shots in NU's 58-47 win. The performance was more notable, as he played after the death of his aunt the day before the game and flew back to Puerto Rico immediately following the game.
• -He has shot over 50 percent from the floor in 17 of the Huskers' 24 games this season, including a streak of 11 consecutive games earlier in the year.
• -Diaz had led NU in scoring average until late January, and still has a chance to become only the third Husker sophomore to top Nebraska in scoring in the last 20 years, joining former NBA standouts Tyronn Lue (1996-97) and Eric Piatkowski (1991-92).
• -He was instrumental during the Huskers' 11 game win streak earlier this season, averaging 11.5 points per game while shooting 61 percent in that stretch.
• -He helped NU nearly end then-No. 3 Kansas' homecourt win streak with eight rebounds and eight points in a 63-60 loss.
• -His best effort of the season came against TCU, when he recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and career highs in both rebounds (12) and blocks (three).

Diaz's season turned around at the Honda Puerto Rico Tip Off, where he played in front of family and friends. He was an honorable-mention all-tournament selection, as he  tied for the team lead in scoring (10.7 ppg) while adding 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and hitting 57 percent from the floor. 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.
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).

MCCRAY ADDS DEPTH INSIDE
After losing nearly his entire sophomore season following Tommy John surgery on his left (non-shooting) elbow, Toney McCray has become a valuable part of Nebraska's offensive attack. He has played in all 24 games, averaging 7.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, ranking third on the team in scoring and rebounds.

The Missouri City, Texas, product has moved into the forward in mid-December, where his length and athleticism has helped provide matchup problems. He moved into the starting lineup in the final week heading into conference play and is averaging 10.3 points per game on 47 percent shooting over his last 12 contests. Prior to that, he averaged just 5.4 points in Nebraska's first 12 games.

McCray's emergence began against TCU on Dec. 11, when he came off the bench to record his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. McCray had 12 of his 15 points in the second half against the Horned Frogs, including six points in a 13-0 run to break open a one-point game. He set a career high in rebounds, grabbing 11 caroms in a rout of Eastern Washington on Dec. 18.

In Big 12 action, he is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while hitting 49 percent from the field. He has also connected on a team-best 42 percent of his 3-point attempts during conference play.

McCray put together his best offensive performance of his career in Nebraska's last road game, scoring a career-high 23 points and grabbing seven rebounds at Baylor on Feb. 9. He hit 8-of-14 shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, as his performance nearly allowed the Huskers to earn the win.
McCray, who reached double figures once in Big 12 play as a redshirt freshman, had 17 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, at No. 15 Missouri on Jan. 12, and enjoyed a then-career high 18 points and eight rebounds in a win over Colorado on Jan. 18. McCray's block of Alec Burks in the second half of the CU game was the No. 5 play on SportsCenter that evening. He came off the bench against No. 2 Kansas on Feb. 5, totaling 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.

WALKER ENJOYS SOLID JUNIOR SEASON
One of the unsung players on the Husker roster is junior college transfer Caleb Walker, who has been a starter on the wing for most of the season. The Hutchinson, Kan., native is averaging 6.3 points and a team-high 4.7 rebounds while usually facing the opponent's top perimeter threat. Walker has been consistent in Big 12 play,  averaging 7.1 points and 4.7 rebounds, as he joins Lance Jeter as the only Husker to start all 10 conference games.
Walker was a two-sport athlete at Butler CC as a freshman in 2008-09, helping the school to an NJCAA national title on the gridiron before focusing solely on basketball as a sophomore.

• He has reached double figures in points seven times, highlighted by a 13-point, eight rebound effort against Iowa State. In that game, he hit 5-of-9 from the field and added a pair of 3-pointers and two blocked shots.
• Walker comes off one of his best efforts of the season, totaling eight points and a game-high seven rebounds, while holding Jean-Paul Olukemi to just 2-of-9 shooting.
• Walker finished with 10 points and five rebounds in a loss against No. 2 Kansas on Nov. 5
• Walker had 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in Nebraska's loss to No. 15 Missouri on Jan. 12.
• Against Jackson State, he hit 6-of-7 shots and added five rebounds and five assists, while he had 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in NU's win against USC.
• He grabbed 10 rebounds against Creighton before pulling a season high 12 rebounds against Alcorn State, becoming the first Husker in three seasons to grab 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games.
• Walker reached double figures in rebounding for the third time this year when he pulled down 10 rebounds in the loss to No. 3 Kansas.
• He turned in a solid performance against Texas A&M, totaling nine points, five rebounds, three steals and three assists, while limiting Khris Middleton to just 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting.