Huskers Battle No. 6 Buckeyes on Saturday

Nebraska Cornhuskers
2011-12 Record: 10-8 (2-5 Big Ten)
Head coach: Doc Sadler
                Record at Nebraska: 99-79 (6th year)
                Record at Division I: 147-97 (8th year)
                Career Record: 268-136 (14th year)

Ohio State Buckeyes
2011-12 Record: 16-3 (4-2 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Thad Matta
                Record at Ohio State: 206-60 (8th year)
                Career Record: 308-91 (12th year)

Huskers on TV/Radio/Internet
Television: Big Ten Network        
(Ch. 610 on DirecTV; Chs. 439, 9500 on DISH; Chs. 24 and 333-SH, 1333-HD on Time Warner Cable; Chs. 80 SD, 1080-HD on Cox Cable)
                Play-by-play: Eric Collins
                Color: Jim Jackson

Radio: IMG Husker Sports Radio Network
(including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln;  KFAB 1110  AM in Omaha; KRVN 880 AM in Lexington)
                Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka
                Color: Matt Davison
Satellite Radio: Sirius 91, XM 91
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com

Huskers Battle No. 6 Buckeyes on Saturday
The Nebraska men's basketball team gets another chance at one of college basketball's traditional powers Saturday night, as the Huskers welcome Ohio State to the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tipoff for the sixth-ranked Buckeyes first appearance in Lincoln since 1987 is slated for 7 p.m.

Tickets are available for Wednesday's game between the Huskers and Hoosiers for as little as $20 by visiting Huskers.com or calling 800-8-BIGRED. Fans that purchase tickets to Saturday's game with the Buckeyes can use those tickets for free general admission seating for the women's game between the No. 20 Huskers and Minnesota on Sunday at the Devaney Center.

Saturday's game between the Huskers and Buckeyes will be televised nationally on the Big Ten Network with Eric Collins and Jim Jackson on the call. The game will also be available on BTN.com and the BTN2Go App on select mobile devices.

The Nebraska-Ohio State game will also be carried across Nebraska on the 30-station IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison calling all of the action. The game can also be heard on the Internet at Huskers.com and season audio packages are also available for purchase on the Huskers' App for your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Nebraska (10-8, 2-5 Big Ten) comes off its best performance of the season, rallying from a 13-point second-half deficit to stun No. 11 Indiana, 70-69, on Wednesday evening. Bo Spencer's 23 points led four Huskers in double figures, while Jorge Brian Diaz hit two free throws with 11 seconds left for the winning margin.

The Huskers are finishing a grueling stretch to open their inaugural Big Ten campaign, as five of NU's first eight games were against ranked teams while two of the other matchups were against teams that have been ranked this month.

The stretch concludes with a Buckeye squad which has been off since an 80-63 win over then No. 7 Indiana on Sunday. The Buckeyes (16-3, 4-2 Big Ten) feature one of the nation's premier players in forward Jared Sullinger, as the first-team All-American averages 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game to pace three OSU players who average in double figures.

Husker Tip Off

4           
Following a win over No. 11 Indiana Wednesday night, the Huskers take on their second ranked team this week when they take on No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday. The Huskers are looking to knock off ranked teams in consecutive games for the first time since the 2007-08 season and for only the fourth time in school history. Doc Sadler is one of only two Nebraska coaches - along with Danny Nee - to accomplish the feat.

Consecutive Wins over Ranked Teams             

Dates	Game 1	Game 2
2/19-22/1992	No. 3 KU (81-79)	No. 23 ISU (80-70)
2/7-12/1993	No. 3 KU (68-64)	No. 23 KSU (80-59)
3/12-13/1994	No. 3 MU (98-91)	No. 23 Okla. St. (77-68)
2/20-23/2008	No. 24 KSU (71-64)	No. 22 TAMU (65-59)

Last Time Out
Jorge Brian Diaz hit two free throws with 11.0 seconds left to cap Nebraska's comeback, as the Husker stunned No. 11 Indiana, 70-69, at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska trailed 69-68 with 22 seconds remaining when Jordan Hulls missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and Brandon Richardson got the rebound to give the Huskers a final possession. NU gave the ball to Bo Spencer, who drove the lane and found Diaz under the hoop and drew contact.

Diaz, who was 4-of-5 from the line and finished with 10 points and four rebounds, then calmly sank both free throws to give Nebraska (10-8, 2-5 Big Ten) its first lead since the 14 minute mark of the first half. Indiana (15-4, 3-4 Big Ten) had a final possession, but Hulls missed inside on a scoop shot before his long 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, giving the Huskers a much-needed win over a ranked foe.

Bo Spencer led four Huskers in double figures with a game-high 23 points, while Toney McCray (11 points) and Dylan Talley (10 points and nine rebounds) helped lead Nebraska from an 11-point deficit in the final 6:38 in posting their first win over a ranked foe this season.

Trailing 63-52, McCray's 3-pointer ignited an 8-0 Husker spurt, as Nebraska pulled to within 63-60 with 4:28 remaining. Hulls, who finished with 12 points, hit a 3-pointer to end the run but Talley, who finished with eight of his 10 points down the stretch, answered with a 3-pointer to pull the Huskers within 65-63.

The game would be a one-possession contest the rest of the way, as Indiana pushed ahead at 69-66 after a pair of Hulls free throws, but Talley's jumper with 19 seconds left made it a one-point game. 

Cody Zeller led Indiana with 18 points and seven rebounds, as the Hoosiers shot 51 percent, but committed 15 turnovers which led to 16 Nebraska points.

Indiana shot the lights out in the first half, hitting 62 percent from the floor, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range in taking a 41-34 lead into the break. 

Nebraska built a 12-8 lead on baskets from Diaz and Spencer, but Christian Watford and Will Sheehey combined for all 10 points in a 10-1 surge, building an 18-13 lead after a Sheehey 3-pointer.

The Huskers, led by Spencer's 15 points in the first half, battled and was within 27-26 after a Brandon Ubel basket. Zeller then took over, as his 3-point play keyed a 5-0 run to extend the Hoosiers' lead to 32-26.  Nebraska eventually pulled to within 37-33, but could not get closer in the half, as the Hoosiers took a seven-point lead into the break.

Nebraska came out ice cold in the second half, missing their first six shots from the floor as Indiana built a 13-point lead at 49-36 after a Zeller dunk. The Huskers fought back, as Spencer had five quick points in a 6-0 run to pull Nebraska within striking distance at 51-44 with 12:53 left.

Scouting Ohio State
Under Thad Matta, Ohio State comes into Saturday's game with a 16-3 mark and a No. 6 ranking. Matta, who served as an assistant to former Nebraska Coach Barry Collier at Butler, is in his eighth season at OSU and has guided the Buckeyes to five NCAA appearances, including an NCAA runner-up finish in 2007 and back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 showings in 2010 and 2011. The Buckeyes, who were the preseason favorite in the league, are 4-2 in the Big Ten following an 80-63 win over No. 7 Indiana on Sunday. OSU has already played Indiana twice, but still has a pair of meetings with Michigan State and Michigan on the docket as well as hosting Illinois in Columbus.

Offensively, the Buckeyes are second in the Big Ten in both scoring offense (77.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (.497) as Ohio State features three of the Big Ten's top 10 scorers in All-American Jared Sullinger (16.3 ppg), William Buford (15.2 ppg) and Deshaun Thomas (15.1 ppg). Sullinger, the media's choice as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and one of the front runners for national player of the year, is shooting 60 percent on the season and is second in the Big Ten in rebounding at 9.3 caroms per game. Buford, a four-year starter, is shooting 36 percent from 3-point range, while also averaging 4.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore point guard Aaron Craft guides the attack as he is second in the Big Ten in assists (5.3 apg) and first in steals (2.5 spg) while also chipping in 8.1 points per game.

The Buckeyes are holding opponents to 40 percent shooting, including 32 percent from 3-point range, and are second to Michigan State in rebounding, grabbing 8.2 more rebounds per game than their opponents.

Nebraska-Ohio State Series
Ohio State leads the all-time series, 5-2 in a series that dates back to 1936, but had not met prior to this season since the 1989 NIT. The Buckeyes hold a four-game winning streak that began in 1987 with a 72-63 win over the Huskers at the Devaney Center. OSU then won a pair of meetings - both in Columbus - during the 1988-89 season, including a win in the NIT before taking a 71-40 decision in Columbus on Jan. 3. The two teams have split the two all-time meetings in Lincoln.

In the first meeting this season, Jared Sullinger's 19 points and 12 rebounds paced three Buckeyes in double figures, as Deshaun Thomas and William Buford added 15 and 13 points, respectively. Toney McCray led Nebraska with 13 points, as three Huskers finished in double figures. Brandon Richardson had 11 points and a career-high seven steals, while Bo Spencer finished with 10 points in a losing effort.

Healthier Players, Healthier Offense
The Huskers were short-handed to begin conference play, as Nebraska was without two of its top three scorers (Jorge Brian Diaz and Dylan Talley) because of injuries. Both players missed the Huskers' final two non-conference games and NU contests against No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 16 Michigan State and No. 6 Ohio State before returning to the lineup on Jan. 7. Since both players returned to the lineup, the Huskers are 2-2 while both losses were one-possession games on the road in the final 30 seconds.

The Huskers shot 50 percent in each of their first two games back before being held in check at Wisconsin on Sunday. When NU shot 50 percent against Illinois and Penn State, it marked the first time the Huskers have shot 50 percent in consecutive conference games since a four-game stretch in 2008 (Feb. 20-March 1). Talley has averaged 9.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the last four contests, while Diaz is chipping in 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The pair has given the Huskers a solid seven-player rotation and also boosted NU's bench production. as NU has averaged 16.5 points per game from its bench after averaging just 6.6 points from their bench in the previous five contests.

Games	PPG	FG Pct.	RPG	Reb, Diff.
First 3 Big Ten Games	45.0	.325	24.3	-13.0
W/Diaz & Talley	59.8	.429	28.8	-3.7

Huskers Against Ranked Teams
The Huskers will be looking to improve to 2-3 against ranked teams this season, as they take on the No. 6 Buckeyes on Saturday. Nebraska is now 59-218 all-time against ranked teams, including a 20-115 mark against teams ranked in the top 10 and a 12-65 mark against top-five squads.

The Huskers are 9-23 against ranked teams in Doc Sadler's six seasons at Nebraska and have won at least one game against a ranked team in five of his six campaigns. The win over No. 3 Texas last season was Sadler's first victory over a top-10 team.

Earlier this season, Nebraska opened Big Ten play with three straight ranked opponents (No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 16 Michigan State and No. 6 Ohio State), the first time the Huskers have faced three straight ranked foes since a school-record five-game stretch during the 2009-10 season (Feb. 2-17) and the first time Nebraska has ever opened conference play against three straight ranked opponents.

Comeback Kids
Nebraska has showed the knack for a comeback in 2011-12, rallying for a pair of double-digit deficits. On Dec. 10 at TCU, Nebraska rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit in posting a 69-57 victory. On Wednesday, the Huskers were down by 13 early in the second half to No. 11 Indiana and trailed by 11 with six minutes remaining before coming back with an 18-6 spurt to pull out the 71-70 win.

• Nebraska now has seven double-figure comebacks under Doc Sadler, including a 20-point comeback against USC in 2010-11 - the largest comeback in school history.
• Wednesday's win over Indiana was the first double-digit comeback against a ranked team since overcoming an 11-point deficit to fourth-ranked Oklahoma State on Feb. 22, 2005.

A Rare Loss Holding Opponents Under 50 Points
Last Sunday's 50-45 loss at Wisconsin marked only the second time since 1985 that Nebraska held a team to 50 points or less and lost. The only other time in that stretch was a 50-48 loss to Creighton on Dec. 11, 2004. The Huskers had won their last 37 games when holding an opponent to 50 points or less, including 32-0 under Doc Sadler. Prior to the Wisconsin game, NU had not lost a conference game when allowing 50 points or less since 1984.

Taking Advantage at the Stripe
One area where the Huskers have been proficient is at the free throw line, where Nebraska's 75.4 percent rate leads the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally in the latest NCAA rankings released Monday.

It is on track to be one of the best seasons in school history, as only two Husker teams have shot over 75 percent since 1948, led by the 1967-68 team which was third nationally when they hit a school-record 76.5 percent from the line.  Prior to this season, NU's best season under Doc Sadler was 71.3 percent during the 2006-07 campaign.

Here are some quick facts on Nebraska's prowess from the line.

• Nebraska has shot 70 percent or better from the line in 14 of 18 contests and 80 percent or better seven times. The Huskers have shot under 70 percent in consecutive games once this season.
• Nebraska has ranked in the top-10 nationally in free throw percentage two times in school history (1993-94 and 1967-68).
• Four Huskers are shooting over 80 percent from the line this season, Bo Spencer (86.1 percent), Dylan Talley (82.8 percent), Brandon Richardson (82.2 percent) and Brandon Ubel (80.0). Spencer is on pace to be Nebraska's best free throw shooter since Cary Cochran led the nation at 92.2 percent in 2001-02.
• The Huskers have been at their best in the clutch, hitting 78 percent (68-of-87) from the line in the last five minutes of games this season.

One thing Sadler has stressed is getting to the free throw line more often, as Nebraska has averaged 19.6 attempts in its 10 wins, but just 12.1 attempts in its eight losses, including twice against Wisconsin.

Spencer Makes the Point for the Huskers
While Nebraska returned four starters from a team that won 19 games last season, the loss of point guard Lance Jeter was a significant one. An All-Big 12 performer, Jeter led the Huskers in both scoring and assists in 2010-11.

Luckily for the Huskers, they already had a veteran point guard on the roster, as senior Bo Spencer sat out last season after transferring from LSU. He has been a solid performer during the first half of the season, averaging 15.2 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a team-high 86.1 percent from the foul line.

Spencer has been an iron man for the Huskers, averaging 33.7 minutes per game which is the highest total by a Husker since Charles Richardson in 2006-07 (36.3 minutes per game) and his 15.2 ppg is on pace to be the highest scoring average by a Husker guard in seven years.

Spencer has reached double figures a team-high 15 times, including five 20-point performances, which is the most by a Husker since the 2008-09 season. His most recent 20-point effort was a 23-point outburst in the win over No. 11 Indiana on Wednesday evening.

He got off to a slow start in Big Ten play, averaging 10.0 points per game while shooting 26 percent in NU's first three games, but is averaging 17.0 ppg, including 36 percent from 3-point range, over the Huskers' last four contests.

Spencer had 19 points, including 10-of-12 shooting from the foul line, and five assists in the win over Penn State on Jan. 11.  Against Wisconsin on Jan. 15, Spencer had 13 points and did not commit a turnover in 34 minutes, the second time this season and the fourth time in his career he has played at least 30 minutes and not committed a turnover.

He enjoyed his best offensive game of the year at Creighton on Dec. 4, pouring in 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting and adding five rebounds in the highest scoring effort by a Husker since 2007-08.

Spencer led Nebraska to a road win at TCU on Dec. 10, hitting 7-of-12 shots, including four 3-pointers, in NU's 69-57 victory. That performance was highlighted by a 65-footer that beat the halftime buzzer. At USC on Nov. 14, he had 22 points, including the tying basket in overtime and the go-ahead bucket in double overtime, and also tied a personal best with seven rebounds. Against Rhode Island on Nov. 20, he had 23 points while shooting 8-of-13 from the floor, four assists and three steals. Against South Dakota State on Nov. 26, Spencer had a then-career-high eight assists along with 18 points and six rebounds as he out-played Nate Wolters.  He enjoyed a strong night against Central Michigan on Dec. 20, when he dished out a career-high nine assists and tied for team-high honors with 15 points.

Before coming to Nebraska, he started two seasons at LSU, averaging 14.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game in 2009-10. Spencer showed the ability to get to the basket, putting up 11 games of at least 20 points, including a season-high 28-point effort against Western Kentucky and back-to-back 25-point contests against Kentucky and Tennessee. 

In his three-year LSU career, he reached double figures in 45 of 93 career contests, including 21 times as a junior. Spencer was the starting point guard on LSU's Southeastern Conference championship squad in 2008-09, as the Tigers reached the second round before falling to eventual champion North Carolina.

Big Ten Leaders - 20-Point Games (Career)

No.	Player, School	Career	2011-12
1	John Shurna, Northwestern	35	8
2.	Brandon Wood, Michigan State*	25	1
3.	Bo Spencer, Nebraska*	19	5
	William Buford, Ohio State	19	6
5.	Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin	18	1

*-includes previous school

McCray Enjoyed Starting Role
Fifth-year senior Toney McCray has overcome a slow start to play some of the best basketball of his career in 2011-12. The 6-foot-6 senior was hampered by surgery on his feet over the summer and a toe injury in October, but has rebounded to enjoy a breakout senior year. He is setting career bests in scoring (10.4 ppg), rebounding (4.7 rpg) and field goal percentage (49.7 pct.), while also shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. He is one of three players in the Big Ten in the top 15 in both field goal and 3-point percentage.

McCray, who averaged just 3.8 points per game in Nebraska's first four games, is averaging 12.5 points since then and has been in double figures in 11 of the last 14 games.

He has really excelled since he moved into the starting lineup after an injury to Jorge Brian Diaz in mid-December, as he leads NU in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and is second in scoring (13.0 ppg) over the last nine games.  He had been in double figures in seven straight games - the longest stretch of his career - before being held to seven points at Wisconsin on Sunday. Prior to this season, his longest stretch of games in double figures was four games (Feb. 26-March 9, 2011).

The stretch began with a 20-point, seven-rebound effort against Alcorn State on Dec. 17, and had 16 points and nine rebounds against No. 11 Wisconsin on Dec. 27. McCray led NU with 13 points and five rebounds at No. 6 Ohio State and totaled 12 points and six rebounds at Illinois on Jan. 7. He had 13 points and five rebounds in the win over Penn State on Jan. 11, and was one of four Huskers in double figures with 11 points, including two 3-pointers in Nebraska's 18-6 surge in the last six minutes, in the win over No. 11 Indiana on Wednesday.

Earlier this season, McCray had three straight games where he tied or set season highs, including 15 points and five rebounds at No. 22 Creighton on Dec. 4. He also had 12 points in Nebraska's games against South Dakota and Wake Forest and 16 points against No. 16 Michigan State on Dec. 31.

McCray may have made his biggest contributions from the foul line in the double overtime win at USC on Nov. 14. A career 61 percent shooter from the line entering his senior year, McCray hit four clutch free throws at USC - two in the final minute of regulation and a pair with 2.8 seconds remaining in overtime - for his only points of the night in NU's 65-61 double overtime win.

Richardson is Huskers' Glue Guy
While senior guard Brandon Richardson doesn't lead the Huskers in any offensive category, his versatility is his greatest asset. The fifth-year senior averages 6.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, while he leads Nebraska and ranks third in the Big Ten in steals (1.9 per game).

Richardson enters this weekend's action in third place among active Big Ten players in career steals, and he is threatening to become the first Husker since Cookie Belcher in 2000-01 to average more than two steals per game. Belcher, who holds three of the top four totals in school history, still ranks fourth in NCAA history with 353.

Richardson had averaged 2.7 steals over Nebraska's last six games before not recording a steal in Sunday's loss to Wisconsin. He bounced back with a solid effort in helping Nebraska upset No. 11 Indiana, finishing with nine points and game highs in assists (five) and steals (three). He comes into Saturday's game with Ohio State needing two steals to move into 10th place on Nebraska's career steals list.

He enjoyed a strong week two weeks ago, averaging 10.5 points per game on 60 percent shooting and 5.0 steals per game in the losses to No. 6 Ohio State and Illinois. Richardson was in double figures in both contests, the first time he has done that since the opening two games of the season. At Ohio State, he totaled 11 points and a career-high seven steals, the league's single-game high in 2011-12.

The 6-foot senior came up big in his return home to Los Angeles on Nov. 14, totaling 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range in the Huskers' overtime win at USC. He matched his career best with four 3-pointers and dished out a pair of assists, including the game-tying basket in double overtime.  Against Rhode Island on Nov. 20, he keyed a Husker defense which held Jamal Wilson to 14 points after averaging 31 points in the Rams first two games and set then-career highs in both assists (eight) and steals (four).

Richardson had his best offensive game of the year in the non-conference finale against Central Michigan on Dec. 20, finishing with a season-high 15 points and three assists. He has been aggressive at getting to the foul line in recent games, taking 16 free throw attempts in the last five games after having 15 in the Huskers' first 10 games.

Throughout his career, Richardson has been clutch from the free throw line, as he ranks third in school history with an 83.3 career percentage from the charity stripe and is one of only four players in program history to shoot over 80 percent for a career.  This year, he is hitting a career-best 89.5 percent from the foul line.

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 made free throws.  Throughout his career, he has been his best in late-game situations, going 77-of-82 from the foul line in the final five minutes of games, a remarkable 94 percent.

Diaz Becoming Consistent Inside Force
Junior center Jorge Brian Diaz has been a steady presence for the Huskers throughout his three-year career, and his presence was felt in his absence over the last month.

The 6-foot-11 center is one of four Huskers averaging at least nine points per game, as he comes into Wednesday's game averaging 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest. Diaz has come off the bench since missing five games with a foot injury and and had 10 points and four rebounds in Wednesday's win over Indiana, including a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to provide the winning margin.

Offensively, he has been in double figures six times and now has 37 career games in double figures. He ranks 51st on Nebraska's career scoring list with 764 points and needs four points to reach the top 50.

Defensively, he would lead the Big Ten in blocked shots, but is one game shy of qualifying for league rankings. He has had three or more blocks in six of his 13 games. He tied his career high with five blocks in the one-point win over Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 7, joining Illinois' Meyers Leonard and Michigan State's Draymond Green as the only Big Ten players with two games with at least five blocked shots this season.

Diaz enjoyed one of the best offensive games of his career against Oregon on Nov. 23, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, six rebounds and three blocks. He had eight of his points in a 22-7 run to help the Huskers erase a 15-point deficit before succumbing in the final minute. It was his third career 20-point effort and first since his freshman year. He nearly recorded a double-double at Creighton on Dec. 4 with 10 points and seven rebounds while also blocking a pair of shots.  He turned in a strong effort at USC on Nov. 14 when he nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in a career-high 43 minutes.  He also played a major role in holding USC's Dewayne Dedmon to four points on 1-of-6 shooting.  Against South Dakota in the season opener, he finished with 11 points and a career-high five blocked shots, which equaled the highest single-game blocked shot total in the last six years.

Throughout his career, Diaz has been a scoring threat, as 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.  He is now 262 points away from becoming the 26th Husker to score 1,000 points.

Talley Provides Instant Offense
When Doc Sadler talked about the addition of Dylan Talley, the thing he constantly mentioned was his ability to score. Talley has lived up to the billing, coming off the bench to average 9.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in just 23.4 minutes of action. Talley returned to action against Illinois Jan. 7, and had a solid performance in the win over Penn State, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds. On Wednesday against No. 11 Indiana, Talley scored eight of his 10 points in the final 5:19, as Nebraska came back from 11 points down and also matched his career high with nine rebounds.

Talley, who is hitting 35 percent from 3-point range, is also proficient at the line where he is hitting at an 83 percent clip.  Talley is averaging 9.9 points per game off the bench, but went scoreless in his only start of the season against Creighton on Dec. 4.

Talley has shown the knack for the heroics, hitting a game-winning basket with 10.4 seconds remaining against Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 7, as part of a 14-point effort. The 6-foot-5 guard reached double figures in three straight games earlier this season, including a season-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers, four rebounds, four assists and three steals against Oregon on Nov. 23. Talley had 12 points and three rebounds against South Dakota State on Nov. 24, and totaled 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and five rebounds in 18 minutes against Rhode Island on Nov. 20.

Talley's adjustment may have been helped by the Division I experience he had when playing at Binghamton (N.Y.) University in 2009-10. That season, he was the America East Rookie of the Year and averaged 11.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Last year, he was an honorable-mention All-American at Blinn (Texas) College, ranking sixth in the NJCAA in scoring at 23.0 points per game while also chipping in 5.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Improving on Defense
One benefit to having Jorge Brian Diaz and Dylan Talley back has been on the defensive end. In the five games the duo missed, opponents shot 50 percent from the field. Since their return against Illinois, opponents are shooting just 38 percent and averaging 55.7 points per game.

Home Sweet Home
Nebraska has been strong on its home court over the years, and have enjoyed an impressive home run under Coach Doc Sadler. In the past six seasons under Sadler, Nebraska has dominated to the tune of a 79-24 record (.767 winning percentage). The Huskers are now 8-4 at the Devaney Center this season following Wednesday's win over No. 11 Indiana.

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, losing three times in 55 games, including a 26-game home win streak snapped on Nov. 23. 

Nebraska Coach Doc Sadler
Doc Sadler is in 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 was the most by any Husker coach in his first five years at Nebraska. He is now in fourth place on Nebraska's career wins list with 99. 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.

Huskers Look to Continue Defensive Excellence
One hallmark of Nebraska basketball under Doc Sadler is a stout defense, and the Huskers were among the nation's best in 2010-11. Nebraska allowed an average of 60.5 points per game to lead the Big 12 for the third time in the last four seasons and rank 18th nationally. It is the fourth time in Sadler's seven years as a Division I head coach that his teams have led a league in scoring defense.

The Huskers were also seventh nationally in field goal percentage in 2010-11, as the .389 field goal percentage defense was the lowest by a Husker team since the 1960-61 campaign.

• -The Huskers held 17 opponents under 60 points and only six opponents have scored more than 70 points in 2010-11. That is made more impressive when you consider that Nebraska has played 11 games against teams which rank in the top 40 nationally in scoring offense during the season.
• -Nebraska allowed only four teams to eclipse its season scoring average in 32 games and held seven teams to season lows in points.
• -Nebraska held 10 straight opponents to under 60 points earlier, the longest stretch by a Nebraska team since a 21-game stretch covering the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons.

The injuries to Diaz, Talley and Almeida, who has not played this season because of a knee injury, have hurt the Huskers' defensive presence. Despite the injuries, Nebraska is allowing 61.7 points per game entering Saturday's game with Ohio State.

• Nebraska became the fourth team to hold Indiana to under 70 points, joining Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan State, as the Huskers allowed 69 points in a one-point win.
• Dating back to the start of the 2010-11 season, Nebraska has held 35 of its past 50 opponents to under 45 percent shooting.
• Nebraska has held four opponents to 50 points or less this season, allowing 46 points to Alcorn State on Dec. 17 and 50 against Wisconsin on Jan. 15.
• Nebraska held South Dakota to 48 points, its second-lowest point total since the Coyotes moved to Division I prior to the 2007-08 season.