Huskers Look for Win No. 20 at Wichita State

Game 32: at Wichita State (NIT)
Game Date: March 16, 2011
Tipoff Time:  6:03 p.m.
Venue: Charles Koch Arena
Capacity: 10,512

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Game: 32
2010-11 Record: 19-12
Head coach: Doc Sadler
    Record at Nebraska: 89-70 (5th year)
    Record at Division I: 137-87 (7th year)
    Career Record: 257-127 (13th year)

Wichita State Shockers
Game: 33
2010-11 Record: 24-8
Head coach: Gregg Marshall
    Record at Wichita State: 77-55 (4th year)
                Career Record: 271-138 (13th year)

Broadcast Information
Television: ESPN2
      Play-by-Play: Mike Patrick
      Color: Dan Dakich
Internet Video: ESPN3.com
Radio: IMG Husker Sports Radio Network 
      Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka
      Color: Andy Markowski
Internet Radio/Stats: Huskers.com

Huskers Look for Win No. 20 at Wichita State
For the third time in five seasons, the Nebraska basketball team is involved in postseason play, as the Huskers will travel to Wichita State for the first round of the 2011 National Invitational Tournament this Wednesday, March 16.

The Huskers (19-12) are the fifth seed in the Blacksburg Regional and will take on the fourth-seeded Shockers at Charles Koch Arena with a tip-off time set for shortly after 6 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2 and also available on ESPN3.com with Mike Patrick and Dan Dakich on the call.

Fans can also listen to the action on the 32-station IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Andy Markowski on the call, including KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln and KRVN 880 in Lexington and also on Huskers.com.

The Huskers (19-12) are bidding for their 13th 20-win season in program history and second in Doc Sadler's five seasons at Nebraska if they can get a win over the Shockers on Wednesday. Prior to Sadler's arrival, Nebraska had not had a 20-win season since the 1998-99 campaign. Sadler would also join Danny Nee and Joe Cipriano as the only three coaches in program history with multiple 20-win seasons, and Nebraska would advance to face the winner of the Virginia Tech/Bethune-Cookman match up in the second round of the NIT.

The NIT will provide the Huskers, who have only two seniors in their 10-man rotation, valuable experience heading into the 2011-12 campaign. Juniors Toney McCray and Brandon Richardson are the only Huskers who have been involved in postseason action at Nebraska, as both players were on Nebraska's 2008-09 NIT squad.

If the Huskers are to make an extended postseason run, the key will be guard play, and Nebraska has one of the Big 12's best in senior Lance Jeter. The Beaver Falls, Pa., native leads the Huskers in scoring (11.6 ppg) while ranking among the Big 12 leaders in both assists (4.6, fourth), steals (1.7, fifth) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1, second) to earn third-team All-Big 12 honors.  Jeter had a game-high 17 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Big 12 Tournament opener last Wednesday and that has continued a string of strong efforts down the stretch. In his last five games, Jeter is averaging 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

To advance to the second round of the NIT, the Huskers will have to slow down a deep Shocker squad which has only one player in double figures, but seven players averaging more than six points a game. WSU, which is 12-4 at home this season, is also solid defensively, allowing just 61.9 points per game this season.  The Shockers were upset by Indiana State in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Tournament in St. Louis and have not played since March 5.

Quick Look at Wichita State
The Shockers come into the NIT with a 24-8 record and a second-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference  during the season. Fourth-year Coach Gregg Marshall returned four starters from a team that won 25 games last season. Wichita State is making its second straight trip to the NIT, as the Shockers were defeated by Nevada in the first round at Wichita State last March.  The Shockers are tournament tested, as they played in the Maui Invitational earlier this year, including a win over Virginia. WSU took on San Diego State, and LSU prior to the start of Missouri Valley play. Wichita State went winless in five games against the top 50 in the RPI while playing nine games against the top 100 in the RPI (3-6 record).

Wichita State is a deep team with 10 players averaging at least 13 minutes per game while no player averages more than 25 minutes per game. Senior forward J.T. Dudley was a first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, averaging a team-high 11.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while junior guard David Kyles nearly averages double figures at 9.9 points per game while shooting a team-high 68 3-pointers. In all, the Shockers have eight players averaging more than five points per game.

Wichita State is a solid offensive team, averaging 72.2 points per game on 46 percent shooting, while shooting 74 percent from the floor. The Shockers' biggest strength is on the glass, where they out-rebound teams by an average of 8.2 rebounds per game.

Nebraska-Wichita State Series
Nebraska and Wichita State meet for just the 12th time on Wednesday, as the Huskers hold a 6-5 lead. The two teams have not played since Dec. 11, 1993, when Nebraska posted a 94-72 win over the Shockers at the Devaney Center.

In that game, Eric Piatkowski had a team-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting to pace five Huskers in double figures. Jamie Arnold's 26-point, 14-rebound effort led Wichita State.

• Nebraska and Wichita State have only one common opponent this season - Creighton. The Huskers defeated the Bluejays, 59-54 in Lincoln on Dec. 5, while the Shockers took a 68-54 win in Omaha on Jan. 12 and pulled out a 67-65 win in Wichita on Feb. 23.
• Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall has faced Nebraska twice during his time at Winthrop, losing to the Huskers in both 2000 (65-44) and 2001 (73-65). Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler has never faced off against a Marshall-coached team.

Nebraska's Postseason History
Nebraska is making its 23rd postseason appearance in school history, including its 17th appearance in the National Invitational Tournament. Nebraska's first postseason appearance came at the end of the 1966-67 season where the Huskers advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

• Nebraska is 23-15 (.605) all-time in NIT tournament action, including a title in 1996 and a third-place finish in 1987. The Huskers' 23 NIT wins ranks 10th all-time.
• Nebraska has been in the NIT twice in the last four seasons under Doc Sadler, reaching the second round in 2008 and falling in the first round at New Mexico in 2009.
• The Huskers are 2-0 against Missouri Valley Conference schools in the postseason, picking up wins over Creighton in NIT match-ups in 1984 and 2004.
• This is the fifth postseason trip for Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler in his seven seasons as a head coach at the Division I level. In addition to his three NIT appearances at Nebraska, he also guided UTEP to an NCAA Tournament appearance and an NIT berth in his two seasons at the school.

A Win in the NIT Opener vs. Wichita State Would...

• Improve the Huskers' all-time NIT record to 24-15 all-time, a win total that ranks in the top 10 all-time in NIT wins.
• Help Nebraska reach the 20-win mark for the 13th time in school history and second time in Doc Sadler's five seasons at Nebraska. Sadler would become the third NU head coach with at least two 20-win seasons at Nebraska, joining Danny Nee (seven times) and Joe Cipriano (twice). Nee is the only coach in the program's 115-year history to record a pair of 20-win seasons in his first five years at Nebraska.
• Match the Huskers' highest win total of the Big 12 era, as Nebraska also won 20 games in 1997-98, 1998-99 and 2007-08.
• Give Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler his 90th win at Nebraska, moving past Barry Collier for sole possession of fourth place on Nebraska's career wins list. Sadler would also have four 20-win seasons in his seven years of coaching at the Division I level (2 at UTEP; 2 at Nebraska).

Last Time Out
Ninth-seeded Oklahoma State thwarted eighth-seeded Nebraska's second-half comeback in a 53-52 victory in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the Sprint Center. Trailing by one with 10.4 seconds left, Lance Jeter lost the ball in the lane before attempting a go-ahead shot, allowing the Cowboys to advance to the second round of the tournament. Jeter finished with a game-high 17 points to pace three Huskers in double figures.

Keiton Page, the Big 12's leading free throw shooter with a .902 percentage (120-133), rimmed his first attempt off the right side with 16 seconds remaining. Brandon Ubel, who helped Jeter lead Nebraska's second-half surge, grabbed his sixth rebound to give the Huskers one final possession.

In addition to Jeter's 17 points, Ubel and McCray each added 11. The Huskers, who shot only 22 percent in the first half, recovered to hit 34.5 percent (19-55).

Oklahoma State took control early on with dead-eye shooting from long range. The Cowboys, who were last in the league in 3-point percentage entering the tournament, hit their first five 3-pointers to build a 14-point lead, at 25-11 with 9:29 remaining in the half.  Nebraska then clamped down defensively, holding OSU to just two field goals in the final nine minutes of the half to give the Huskers a chance.

Jeter and sophomore Brandon Ubel sparked the Huskers coming out of the locker room, as Nebraska went on a 13-4 run to open the second half, tying the score at 34 after a Ubel layup with 14:15 remaining.  Ubel, who scored 10 of his 11 points in the second half, scored seven straight Husker points, as his 3-pointer with 11:21 remaining gave Nebraska its first lead of the day at 39-38.  Nebraska eventually pushed its lead to 48-44 after a Caleb Walker put-back with 5:59 left, but the Cowboys would have one more run as Page hit consecutive 3-pointers to put OSU up 50-48 with 3:58 left.

Noting the Oklahoma State game

• Nebraska falls to 4-10 all-time in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament and 4-3 against Oklahoma State in conference tournament history.
• Nebraska held Oklahoma State to 53 points, the 17th time Nebraska has held an opponent under 60 points this season. NU is now 15-2 when holding opponents under 60 points.
• Nebraska enters the postseason averaging 60.0 per game, lowest per game average since 1981-82, when Nebraska allowed just 55.3 points per game.
• Nebraska has been involved in five one-point games this season, going 2-3 in those contests, and seven of the Huskers' 12 losses have been by four points or less.
• Nebraska scored 52 points, its second-lowest point total of the season, and lowest against a Big 12 opponent.
• Lance Jeter had four assists, upping his total to 142. That ranks third on NU's senior class list. Jeter averaged 4.6 assists per game this season, which is the third-best total by a Husker in the Big 12 era. Over his last five games, Jeter averaged 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
• With his four field goals against Oklahoma State, Jorge Brian Diaz moves into sixth place on Nebraska's sophomore field goal list, passing Eric Piatkowski (144) and Andre Smith (146).
• Nebraska's 22 first-half points were the Huskers' lowest total since scoring 17 points at Kansas State, and matched Nebraska's second-lowest first half total of the season.
• Brandon Ubel tied his high in Big 12 play this season with 11 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench. He is averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over NU's last three games.

Huskers Enjoying Strong Bounce back Season
After a disappointing 2009-10 campaign, the Huskers have bounced back this season, entering this week's NIT with a 19-12 record. The Huskers finished tied for seventh in the Big 12 , which was rated as the third-toughest league in the country according to the RPI, and just one game out of fifth in the final league standings.  The Huskers easily topped last year's win total of 15 and are seeking their 13th 20-win season in program history.

• Nebraska went 4-6 against teams that made the NCAA Tournament, including wins over Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri and USC and played 18 games against teams that reached postseason play (9-9 record).
• Nebraska's 19-12 mark matches the program's best record after 31 games in the last 12 years. Only the 1997-98 Huskers, which were 20-11 after 31 games, have had a better mark at this point of the season in the Big 12 era.
• Nebraska has three wins over ranked teams, only the third time in the last 15 seasons the Huskers have knocked off three ranked teams in a season (also 1998-99 and 2007-08).
• Nebraska picked up its first win over a team ranked in the top three in 17 seasons when the Huskers stunned No. 3 Texas, 70-67 on Feb. 19.
• Nebraska matched a school record with 17 home wins, going 17-2 at the Devaney Center this season.
• Of the Huskers' 11 losses this season, six are teams currently in the top 35 in the NCAA's latest RPI rankings (2 vs. Kansas and K-State, 1 each vs. Vanderbilt and Missouri).
• The Huskers swept the two Oklahoma schools for the first time since 2005-06 and only the second time in the Big 12 era.
• Nebraska ran off 11 straight wins earlier this year, the longest win streak in 18 years.
• Nebraska's performance was recognized on Jan. 10, when the Huskers received four points in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. It was the 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 played 12 games decided by five points or less. That is a dramatic change from last year, where Nebraska played just 10 games decided by 10 points or less.

• Half of the Huskers' Big 12 games were decided by five points or less.
• Nebraska has been within five points with 2:30 left in regulation 13 times this season, including eight times in conference play.
• In eight of NU's 12 losses (Vanderbilt, Davidson, Kansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State), Nebraska was within five points with 2:30 remaining. In addition, Nebraska used a late run at Missouri, cutting a nine-point deficit with 2:30 left to four points with 31 seconds left.
• Nebraska has had five one-point games this season, going 2-3 in those contests. In Doc Sadler's first four seasons, Nebraska had played a game decided by one point only once.

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 (.386) and points per game (60) entering the NIT.  The Huskers lead the Big 12 in scoring defense and are second to Texas in field goal percentage defense.

Nebraska's defense is on pace to be one of the best in school history, as the Huskers' 60.0 points per game allowed is the lowest since the 1981-82 campaign (55.3 ppg). In fact, only five Husker teams have allowed less than 60 points per game, and just one since 1952.

• The Huskers have held 17 opponents under 60 points and only five opponents have scored more than 70 points this season. That fact is made more impressive when you consider that Nebraska has played seven games against teams which rank in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense (Kansas-2x, Missouri-2x, Colorado-2x and South Dakota).
• Nebraska is holding opponents to 38.6 percent shooting, which is the lowest by a Husker team since the 1960-61 campaign (36.7).
• Nebraska has allowed only three teams to eclipse its season scoring average in the first 31 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 was stingy at home, allowing just 56.2 points per game in 19 home contests.
• The Huskers held four straight foes to under 50 points - the first time that has happened at NU since 1949.
• Nebraska opponents have been held to 25 percent shooting three times this season, including 21.1 percent by Eastern Washington on Dec. 18.
• In Nebraska's 12 losses, the Huskers have allowed an average of 69.5 points per game, while allowing just 54.0 points per game in its 16 wins.
• 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).