Huskers Open Exhibition Slate vs. Doane Monday Night

Huskers on TV/Radio/Internet
Live Video (subscription required): 
   BTN.com (Josh Peterson and Marc Zakrewski)

Radio: IMG Husker Sports Radio Network
   Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka
   Color: Matt Davison

Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: None

Nebraska Cornhuskers
Game: Exhibition Game 1
2011-12 Record: 0-0, 0-0 Big Ten
Head coach: Doc Sadler
    Record at Nebraska: 89-71 (6th year)
    Record at Division I: 137-89 (8th year)
    Career Record: 257-128 (14th year)

Doane Tigers
Game: Exhibition Game 1
2011-12 Record: 3-0, 0-0 GPAC
Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)
Head coach: Ian Brown 
    Record at Doane 116-150
    Career Record: Same

The Nebraska basketball team opens the exhibition season on Monday, Nov. 7, as the Huskers play host to the Doane College Tigers.  Tickets for Monday's contest can be purchased for as little as $5 by visiting Huskers.com or by calling 800-8-BIGRED.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center and will be produced by the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary.  The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and available on the Huskers' app for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Live video streaming of Monday's game will be carried on BTN.com (subscription required), as all non-televised home games in 2011-12 will be carried on BTN.com.

Doc Sadler's Huskers enter the season with high hopes, returning four starters and nine letterwinners from a team that went 19-13 last season and reached postseason play for the third time in four years.

The Huskers are led by center Jorge Brian Diaz, as the 6-foot-11 junior averaged 10.5 points on 54 percent shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 2010-11. Diaz reached double figures in 17 contests and recorded a pair of double-doubles, including an 18-point, 11-rebound effort at Iowa State. A two-year starter, Diaz already ranks 10th on Nebraska's career blocks shots list with 79 and could become Nebraska's 26th 1,000-point scorer with a strong junior season.

Diaz is one of a pair of two-year starters back this season, as fifth-year senior Brandon Richardson returns after averaging 6.1 points and 1.8 assists per game. Richardson started at shooting guard, but also backed up All-Big 12 performer Lance Jeter at the point guard spot in 2010-11.

Nebraska, which started four guards for most of last year, also returns starting wing players Toney McCray (8.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Caleb Walker (6.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), as the pair combined for 49 starts last season. McCray led the Huskers in 3-point shooting (40.7 pct.) and was in double figures in nine of his final 12 games last year, averaging 11.3 ppg in that stretch. Walker, at 6-foot-4, led the Huskers in rebounding and had three games with at least 10 rebounds in his first season at Nebraska.

Junior Brandon Ubel is the other Husker with extensive starting experience, as he averaged 6.1 points per game on 52 percent shooting and 3.7 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-10 forward closed out the year by playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 10.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in his final four games of 2010-11 - all against postseason teams.

While the Huskers welcome back four starters, the biggest hole will be replacing All-Big 12 point guard Lance Jeter, who paced the Huskers in scoring and assists in 2010-11.

One person who will look to fill that void is senior Bo Spencer, who sat out last season after spending three years at LSU.  A two-year starter for the Tigers, he averaged 14.5 points and 2.7 assists per game in 2009-10, including 11 games of at least 20 points. As a sophomore, he helped LSU to an SEC regular-season title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual champion North Carolina.

Scouting Doane College
Doane College enters Monday's game with a 3-0 record after posting wins over Peru State (72-68),  Friends University (68-66) and Sterling College (73-69).

Ian Brown is in his 10th year at Doane after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis and Lincoln Memorial University. He is a 1992 graduate of Doane College.

The Tigers have 11 homegrown Nebraskans on their 14-man roster, including four players from Lincoln. Doane returns two starters and 10 letterwinners from a team that went 13-15 a year ago. The Tigers were eighth in the GPAC with a 7-11 record in 2010-11.

 Sophomore guard Nick Reed paces the Tigers after averaging 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season, while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range. Reed is averaging 20.0 points, including 54 percent shooting from 3-point range, and 6.8 rebounds per game in Doane's first three games.

Senior guard Joshua Riser also comes back after averaging 13.5 points per game last season. The Lincoln native is averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in Doane's three wins.

Parking at the Devaney Center
With the creation of UNL Innovation Campus, fans will be charged $3 per car to park in the public lots this season.   Two cashier stations are set up on the Salt Creek Roadway Expressway to assist fans entering and exiting the parking area on gamedays.

Fans can purchase parking passes in advance by calling UNL Parking & Transit Services at (402) 472-1800, as season and 10-game packets are available. Fans can purchase a 10-game pass, which is good for any sporting event at the Devaney Center, for $27.

Here is a quick primer on the parking areas and how to access them.

• Public Parking Lots: From 27th Street: Enter from the east on North Fair Park Drive, which winds around to the public cashier entrance into the north entrance of the lot. Please exit the same way you entered. From Military Road or Antelope Valley Parkway: Take the Salt Creek Expressway to the public cashier entrance and head north into public parking area. Please exit the same way you entered.
• Lot 51: Enter from Antelope Valley Parkway (formerly 14th Street) onto West Entrance Road. Exit to Antelope Valley Parkway.
• Lots 52 and 54: Enter from the west at the intersection of Military Road and Antelope Valley Parkway. Take a right to curve around the west side of the Devaney Center to Court Street. Please exit the same way you entered.
• Lot 56: Enter from Antelope Valley Parkway heading north. Exit to Antelope Valley Parkway heading north.
• Lot 57-58: Enter from Antelope Valley Parkway to West Entrance Road. Exit to West Entrance Road to Antelope Valley Parkway. Fans can also enter through the two public parking entrances.
• Lot 59: Enter from 10th Street or Antelope Valley Parkway to Military Road. Exit to Antelope Valley Parkway heading north.

Huskers in Exhibitions
Nebraska is 49-6 all-time in exhibition games dating back to the 1966-67 season, including a 8-1 record under Doc Sadler. The Huskers have won their last seven exhibition contests, including victories over Peru State (75-43) and Bellevue University (82-58) last season.

NU is 10-0 in exhibition contests against in-state teams, as Nebraska has annually played at least one exhibition against one of the state's small colleges since 2005. Monday's game is the Huskers' only exhibition, as they faced Iowa State in a closed scrimmage on Oct. 30.

Military Appreciation Night Set for Nov. 11
The Husker men's basketball team has a special promotion for Military Appreciation weekend for Friday's opener vs. South Dakota. All military personnel can receive a complimentary ticket to the Nebraska-South Dakota game when a regular $10 ticket is purchased.  Visit Huskers.com/tickets and click on the promotions banner on the page and enter the promo code MIL. Tickets can be picked up at Will Call Friday evening and must have your military ID when you pick up your ticket.

Ubel Looks to Continue Surge
One Husker who hopes to build on the 2010-11 season is junior Brandon Ubel. The 6-foot-10 forward finished last season by playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 10.0 points on 58 percent shooting and 6.3 rebounds over the Huskers final four games - all against postseason teams. Those numbers were well above his 2010-11 season averages of 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.

He started the stretch with a near double-double against Missouri, scoring 11 points and matching his career high with nine rebounds. In the Big 12 Tournament opener against Oklahoma State, he had 11 points, including seven straight to help NU erase a 14-point deficit, and six rebounds. He started at center against Wichita State and had nine points and six rebounds in the NIT opener.

Diaz Becoming Consistent Inside Force
Junior center Jorge Brian Diaz looks to continue his steady improvement this season. The 6-foot-11 junior is only the third Husker returnee to average in double figures under Sadler, joining Aleks Maric and Ryan Anderson in 2007-08. Diaz reached double figures 17 times last year, with the Huskers posting a 14-3 mark in those games. Diaz is also 373 points away from 1,000 for his career and could become just the 15th Husker to reach the 1,000-point plateau in three seasons.  Diaz is also a defensive force in the paint, as he ranks 10th on Husker career charts with 79 blocked shots.

Hope are high for continued improvement from Diaz, as he enters this season in the best shape of his Husker career. Diaz had been bothered by foot ailments over the last year, and was fitted for special orthotics in hopes of alleviating the discomfort.

Richardson Among Program's Best From the Foul Line
Senior Brandon Richardson has become one of Nebraska's best free throw shooters throughout his Husker career. The Los Angeles, Calif., native ranks third in school history with an 82.7 career percentage from the charity stripe and is one of only four players in program history to shoot over 80 percent for a career.

Last year, he was second in Big 12 action in league play, hitting 87.8 of his free throws, including a stretch of 25 consecutive from the line.  Throughout his career, he has been his best in late-game situations, going 68-of-73 from the foul line in the final five minutes of games, a remarkable 93.2 percentage.

60 Is the Magic Number

Nebraska's success has been predicated on clamping down on the opposition. Last year, the Huskers held 17 of 32 opponents under 60 points, compiling a 15-2 mark in those games. Nebraska has held 70 opponents to 60 points or less in Doc Sadler's five years at Nebraska, compiling a 62-8 record in those games.

Home Sweet Home
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 past five seasons under Sadler, Nebraska has dominated to the tune of a 71-19 record (.789 winning percentage). Last year, Nebraska tied a program record with 17 home wins, going 17-2 in the friendly confines of the Devaney Center.

Facing non-conference opponents, the Huskers have been nearly unbeatable at home under Sadler. During his tenure, the team has earned a 48-1 record at the Devaney Center, with the lone loss coming in the 2008-09 season. The Huskers enter the 2011-12 campaign with a 24-game home winning streak against non-conference foes.

New Conference, Old Foes
Nebraska's addition to the Big Ten Conference provides Husker fans a new set of rivals to get acquainted with this season. While Nebraska has squared off with every Big Ten member in its history, it has been a while since NU has played any of its new conference members. Nebraska's last contest with a Big Ten team was a 58-47 loss to Minnesota on Dec. 8, 2004.

In fact, current Big Ten members have only played at the Devaney Center 17 times since the facility opened in 1976 with the Gophers (seven times) and Michigan State (three times) accounting for more than half of the total. This season, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois all make their first-ever trips to the Devaney Center, leaving Northwestern as the only Big Ten team to never play the Huskers at the Devaney Center.

Noting the 2011-12 Schedule
With a new conference, including 18 Big Ten games, the Huskers will face a challenging road in 2011-12. Here are a couple of nuggets on the upcoming season slate.

• Nebraska will play 13 of its 29 games this season against teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11. In Big Ten action, seven squads qualified for the Big Dance, including No. 1 seed Ohio State, as the conference was second in the RPI. The Huskers will open their first season of Big Ten Conference action with six straight games against NCAA Tournament teams.
• Wake Forest becomes the first ACC member to visit Lincoln when the Demon Deacons come to the Devaney Center on Nov. 30, as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Huskers are 4-5 all-time against the ACC. The only time a current ACC member played in Lincoln was Miami in 1970, prior to the Hurricanes joining the ACC.
• Nebraska's three true road games in non-conference play (at USC, at Creighton, at TCU) equal the Huskers' highest total since making four road trips in the 1997-98 season. Last year, Nebraska did not play a non-conference road game.
• The schedule features four first-time opponents: Rhode Island, Wake Forest, Florida Gulf Coast and Central Michigan. Wake Forest is Nebraska's first ACC opponent since the 2006-07 season.
• Nebraska's schedule features a new conference in the Big Ten with 18 conference games, compared to only 16 games in Big 12 action. The Huskers' single-play opponents for the 2011-12 season are Indiana and Michigan at home and Northwestern and Purdue on the road. The Huskers will face the remaining seven teams (Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State and Minnesota) home and home.
• Every Nebraska game this year will be available on television or the internet, including 22 games broadcast nationally on the ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) or on the Big Ten Network. Nebraska will also have its non-conference road games against TCU (The Mountain), Creighton (KMTV) and USC (Prime Ticket) televised. In addition, all of the remaining games, including the Huskers' exhibition game against Doane College, will air on BTN.com.

Season Ticket and Pick Six Mini Plans on Sale Now
Several ticket options are available for fans who want to see the Huskers' first season of Big Ten basketball this winter at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

For fans who want to see all of the exciting action at the Devaney Center this winter, season tickets are available for as little as $99 for all 18 games, including Big Ten matchups with Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana as well as non-conference games with Oregon and Wake Forest. Season tickets range from $99 in the Hy-Vee Value Seats to $198 In the C-Level Upper Reserved Seats.

New this year is the flexible Pick Six Mini Plan, which gives fans the option of creating their own personalized ticket package. For $50, fans can choose selected games from different groups, as every regular-season home game is featured in one of three groups. All fans who purchase any Pick Six plan will have tickets to one of four premium games (Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois) on the schedule, as well as other Big Ten and non-conference games for less than $8.50 per game.

For more information on season tickets or the flexible Pick Six plan, visit Huskers.com/Tickets or call 800-8-BIG RED during business hours.

Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler
Doc Sadler begins his sixth season on the Husker sideline after leading Nebraska to an NIT appearance in 2010-11. Sadler has guided the Huskers to postseason appearances in three of the last four seasons, and his 89 wins in his first five seasons are the most by any Husker coach in his first five years at Nebraska.

Sadler has guided teams to postseason berths in five of his seven years as a Division I head coach, as both of his UTEP squads reached postseason play before taking over the Nebraska program in August of 2006. Sadler will enter the 2010-11 season in a tie for fourth on NU's career wins list.

New Faces on the Bench
There are two new faces on the Husker staff in 2011-12, as Jeremy Cox joins the program as an assistant coach, while Tim Wilson is the Huskers' new strength coach. Cox has nearly two decades of coaching experience, including stops at Kentucky, Texas A&M, and South Florida. He is reunited with Sadler, as he was an assistant under the Huskers' head coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith in 2002-03. During his coaching tenure, he has had 10 players reach the NBA and had two first-round draft picks (Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Dominique Jones, South Florida) in 2010.

Tim Wilson comes to Nebraska after serving as the strength coach at Oregon for the last three seasons. Prior to that, the Falls City, Neb., native worked for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA for 11 years, helping the franchise make six playoff appearances, including the Eastern Conference Finals. He also worked at Pittsburgh and UNLV as well as the Chicago White Sox.