Huskers Look to Make Move in Big Ten Standings

For many teams, there is a fine line between winning and losing. For Nebraska, last season that line stood 20 feet, 9 inches from the basket.

For sixth-year coach Tim Miles, the biggest focus for the offseason is shoring up the Huskers 3-point efforts. Last season, NU ranked 300th or worse in 3-pointers made, 3-point shooting and 3-point shooting defense last season. The Huskers’ 3-point woes and a pair of significant injuries limited the Huskers to a 12-19 campaign last year.

“If you look at the crux of Husker basketball, we have given up too many 3s and we have not made enough 3s,” Miles said. “If we can even those numbers up, every other stat nationally competes with what looks like an NCAA Tournament team. We know we are doing a lot of things right, but that has been an area of focus in the offseason.”

Miles believes his 2017-18 roster to make significant strides in both areas. Offensively, incoming top-150 recruits Thomas Allen and Nana Akenten have the potential to be solid perimeter shooters, while transfer James Palmer Jr. has shown the ability to stretch a defense during his two seasons at Miami.

Defensively, the addition of transfers Isaac Copeland and Duby Okeke will give the Huskers additional length, while Okeke gives Nebraska a potential shot-blocking force it has not had for several seasons. Sophomores Isaiah Roby and Jordy Tshimanga gained valuable experience last season because of injuries and both players could make significant jumps this winter.

Miles is bullish on the 2017-18 Huskers, a group which may be his most talented and deepest in his Husker tenure. The Huskers have four players who made at least nine starts returning, led by All-Big Ten candidate and two-year starter Glynn Watson Jr., who averaged 13.0 points per game. Add to that a trio of eligible transfers (Copeland, Okeke and Palmer) who combined for nearly 250 games at the Division I level and all three have all played in the NCAA Tournament during their careers.

Nebraska’s fortunes brightened in September with two items which affected the 2017-18 roster. First, Isaac Copeland received a waiver from the NCAA allowing him to be eligible at the start of the season instead of at the end of the fall semester. Second, senior guard Anton Gill, who was one of NU’s top perimeter defenders before suffering a knee injury on Christmas night, was fully cleared for the start of practice at the end of September.

“If this team could stay healthy, we could really be dangerous,” Miles said. “We didn’t have the depth last year when we lost a couple of players to injuries, but we are healthier and deeper this year, but staying healthy is critical for us if we want to reach our goal of playing in the NCAA Tournament.”

Backcourt
Last season, the Husker backcourt was the offensive engine, as Tai Webster and Watson Jr. combined for 30 points per game as one of the Big Ten’s most explosive backcourts. With the graduation of Webster, an All-Big Ten performer, Watson headlines a reshaped backcourt which should be significantly deeper than last season. Senior Evan Taylor is back after starting 21 games a year ago, while Gill looks to make a full recovery from a knee injury that ended his 2016-17 campaign last December. Allen comes in with impressive credentials after leading Brewster Academy to a 33-0 record and a national title last season. Walk-ons Malcolm Laws, Johnny Trueblood and Justin Costello will add depth to the position and play a valuable role on the Husker scout team.

Watson is one of the unquestioned leaders for the Huskers entering the 2017-18 campaign. The junior is a two-year starter in the backcourt and could potentially be one of the top guards in the Big Ten this upcoming season.

Watson made a jump after his freshman year, raising his scoring average to 13.0 points per game while also chipping in 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The 6-foot guard ranked among the Big Ten leaders in steals (third), free throw percentage (.810, seventh) and scoring (18th) during his sophomore campaign while also shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.

“He’s a guy who can really score with the ball in his hands and can find others,” Miles said. “He uses the screen and roll really well, yet can get separation and create his own shot. He’s the guy you love to have the ball in his hands at the end of a clock because he’s a clutch player.”

Watson delivered game-winning heroics against both Dayton and Ohio State, hitting a pair of free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining against the Flyers and hitting a 3-point play with 11.8 seconds left to cap a frantic rally against the Buckeyes. Those were two of his 21 double-figure efforts as a sophomore, including seven 20-point outbursts. Watson’s best performance of the year came against Iowa, when he scored a career-high 34 points, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range, in a double OT win over Iowa. Miles believes that Watson will be an improved facilitator running the Husker attack and has the potential to be an All-Big Ten performer.

“I think he is going to get better,” Miles said. “I think his numbers will jump up again and you are going to see him put up the marks of what can be an all-conference player this season.”

Taylor is the other returning starter for the Huskers in the backcourt this season. The 6-foot-5 guard moved into the starting lineup late in non-conference play, and garnered more playing time following Gill’s season-ending injury. While he averaged just 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, Taylor was third on the team in both assists and steals, while also having the challenge of taking on the opposition’s top backcourt threat. Taylor finished with six double-figure efforts, all coming against Big Ten foes, and saved his best performance of the season for the Big Ten Tournament, when he had a season-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, against Penn State. Miles believes that Taylor’s best basketball is ahead of him, and he is poised for a solid senior campaign.

“Evan started at the wing for us last year, but he can play either at the point or on the wing,” Miles said. “He is a tremendous athlete, strong slasher to the hoop, moves well without the ball and can really guard. He does a lot of little things for the team, and I think he is going to be much improved over his first year in our program.”

Gill enters his senior season looking to make a major contribution after his 2016-17 season ended after just 12 games. One of the Huskers’ top perimeter defenders, Gill spent the last nine months rehabbing from a ruptured patella tendon and was recently cleared to practice. Before the injury, he was a valuable contributor off the bench, putting up double figure efforts on two occasions, highlighted by a 10-point effort in 23 minutes off the bench against Dayton. A former top-50 recruit who has played on a pair of NCAA Tournament teams, Gill’s work ethic and leadership could prove to be valuable in 2017-18.

“Anton was settling in and playing well when he got hurt last year and played some of his best basketball against our best competition,” Miles said. “You can tell the impact of a player when he gets hurt and the guys know it is serious. They were so broken up because they cared about him, and there is no doubt that was an injury that affected us (last year). Anton has worked hard to get back into a position where he can help this team, and if there is anyone who deserves success, it is Anton Gill.”

Allen may be the most heralded of NU’s newcomers, as the 6-foot-1 guard was one of the top shooters in the class of 2017 and could fill a position of need for the Husker backcourt. A top-100 recruit, Allen led Brewster Academy to a 33-0 record and the program’s fifth national title last spring. Allen was the NEPSAC Class AAA Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 18 points per game on 55 percent shooting, including 48 percent from 3-point range. He connected on 115 3-pointers as a senior, including one game with a school-record 11-pointers as part of a 50-point effort.

“Thomas is not a shot taker, but a shot maker,” Miles said. “He is a terrific scorer, has a great pace about him and a very calm demeanor. He’s built like a point guard, but plays like a 2-guard and just does enough in between to be able to play either position. I think he has the ability to contribute right away.”

One of four seniors on the 2017-18 squad, Laws has been providing help in the Husker backcourt for the last two seasons after transferring from Florida Atlantic. Laws, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound guard, appeared in five games last season, totaling two points, one rebound and a steal in 11 minutes of action. Laws enjoyed his best game of the season at Michigan State, when he had a steal and a basket in two minutes of work. The walk-on has played in 11 games for NU in his two-year Husker career.

Trueblood returns to the program after a one-year absence. Two years ago, he appeared in 10 games after walking on to the program and tallied eight points and four assists in just 28 minutes of action. A former all-state performer who averaged 23.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as a senior, he teamed with Costello in leading Elkhorn South to a Class B state title in 2015.

Costello walked on to the Husker program after leading Elkhorn South to the 2017 state tournament. As a senior, he garnered first-team Class B all-state honors, averaging 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game. A three-time all-state pick, he will add depth in the Husker backcourt in his first year in the program.

Wings
One of the deepest spots on the team may be on the wing, where Jack McVeigh and Roby both saw extensive action in 2017-18, but will be pushed for playing time by a quartet of newcomers. Palmer and Copeland both bring extensive Division I experience to the program, while Akenten and freshman Thorir Thorbjarnarson could push for immediate playing time.

McVeigh started the first portion of the year before finding his niche as one of the Big Ten’s top scoring sixth men. The 6-foot-8 junior played in 30 games and averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season. McVeigh, who was second on the team with 47 3-pointers, totaled eight double-figure efforts, including season-high 21-point outbursts against Louisiana Tech and Purdue. In Big Ten action, McVeigh averaged 8.1 points per game and shot 37 percent from beyond the arc, as he was among the Big Ten’s top bench scorers. Over the summer, McVeigh played in the World University Games, averaging 9.4 points per game on 59 percent shooting, including 42 percent from 3-point range. McVeigh provides the Huskers with a forward capable of stretching defenses.

“Jack is a smart player who communicates well and can make 3-pointers,” Miles said. “He has shown the ability to get hot at times, and has made some critical shots for us over the last two years. Jack had a good summer and then played well in the World University Games, and that international experience should strengthen his preparation for the upcoming year.”

Roby is one Husker who looks forward to being healthy after injuries hampered him as a freshman. While he played in 30 games and averaged 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, the 6-foot-8 forward was forced to play catch up after missing three months of training because of a pelvic injury. He showed glimpses of his potential during Big Ten play, including a pair of eight-rebound efforts against Ohio State and Wisconsin before scoring a season-high 10 points in the regular-season finale against Michigan. Roby made significant gains, adding 15 pounds in the offseason and the additional strength will help him adjust to Big Ten play.

“The pelvic injury put him behind early and it took a while for him to find the consistency,” Miles said. “You could see it at times during conference play and was really starting to play well before his ankle injury against Penn State.

“Isaiah is a level-above athlete in terms of his size, wingspan and skill set. As he continues to add strength and work on his outside shot, he has a chance to be a real force for us,” Miles said.

Palmer is eligible after transferring from the University of Miami. A former top-100 recruit, the 6-foot-6 wing played in 72 games for the Hurricanes during his two seasons at the school, helping the school to a pair of postseason appearances. As a sophomore in 2015-16, he played in 34 games, averaging 3.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game for a team that reached the NCAA Sweet 16. He was in double figures twice that season, including a 14-point effort against Mississippi State.

“James used his redshirt year to improve his shot and become more consistent,” Miles said. “The thing that I love about him is when things get testy and physical and feisty out there, James is at his best. He is highly competitive and not afraid of making plays at critical moments.” Copeland may be the most highly-touted newcomer in Miles’ six seasons at Nebraska, as he spent two-plus seasons at Georgetown before arriving in January of 2017. As a sophomore, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, as he was third in scoring and second in both rebounds and assists. He totaled 20 double-digit efforts in 2015-16, including a 33-point effort against Marquette and had 21 points and six boards against Duke.

“Isaac had back surgery when he got here and wasn’t able to practice until late July, so there has been a bit of an acclimation period,” Miles said. “He is a very strong and skilled player and I can understand why he was a preseason All-Big East selection. He gives us a lot of versatility and can play on or off the ball. He works well in screen and roll game, and I think he will be one of our top scorers this season.”

Akenten is an intriguing prospect who could help the Huskers’ shooting and athleticism on the wing. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing was a top-150 recruit from Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School, helping the school to a pair of third-place finishes at the state tournament. As a senior, he was a first-team all-state performer, averaging 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Akenten shot 46 percent from 3-point range as a senior and could find his way into the Huskers’ rotation as a freshman.

“Nana is really an exciting prospect for us,” Miles said. “He has really worked hard on improving his skill level to play at this level. The thing that impresses me most is that his shot is so consistent. Whether it is from the 3-point line, a pull-up jumper or the foul line, it looks identical, and that is a credit to him and his coaches for having the discipline to work on getting the shot in the right place every time.”

A late addition to the roster, Thorbjarnarson signed with NU in August, two weeks before school began. He has played for Iceland’s Senior and U-20 National teams in the last year and has played for one of the top professional clubs in the country. At the 2016 FIBA U-18 European Championships, Thorbjarnarson was the third-leading scorer in the tournament, averaging 19.6 points per game, including a 39-point effort and three other 30-point games. Last year, he was named the top young player in the league, as he helped KR Reykjavik in the Icelandic League championship in 2017. Miles believes that experience will help in his development at the college level.

“Thorir is a crafty left-hander with a high basketball IQ and terrific skill level,” Miles said. “His opportunities to play with older players in the pro leagues and in international competition will help him a great deal as he adjusts to this level.”

Frontcourt
With the departure of two of the Huskers’ top interior players from a year ago, Tshimanga and Okeke will be counted on for a majority of the work on the interior. Tshimanga made nine starts - all in Big Ten play - while Okeke has played a team-high 94 games at the Division I level and helped Winthrop to an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Junior Tanner Borchardt will provide depth, while Isaiah Roby or Copeland could also play inside depending on the matchup.

Tshimanga was the only Husker freshman to play in every game last year, as he averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 center played some of his best basketball down the stretch, averaging 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game over his final 11 contests, including nine starts. Three of his four double-figure efforts came against NCAA Tournament teams, including a season-high 15 points against Michigan State. Tshimanga has worked hard on reshaping his body during the offseason and entered the fall in the best shape of his basketball career.

“Jordy’s numbers got better in Big Ten play because of the opportunities he earned and the confidence he gained during the season.” Miles said. “I think he will continue that development because he’s had to go against Duby (Okeke) every day in practice and that has forced him to work on expanding his game.”

Okeke, who comes to Nebraska after beginning his career at Winthrop, provides the Huskers with a legitimate interior defensive presence. The 6-foor-8 forward split time at center for Winthrop last season, averaging 3.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game despite averaging just 14 minutes per contest. Okeke’s 47 blocked shots last season would have been the highest total at Nebraska since the 2007-08 season.

“Duby is an uber athlete whose skill set can translate from Winthrop to here,” Miles said. “He has the ability to change plays at the rim and is an offensive rebounder who works his butt off. He is eager to learn and has worked hard to improve since arriving on campus in June.”

Borchardt gives the Huskers additional size and physicality on the interior. A walk-on, Borchardt returned to the team in February and has enjoyed the benefits of a full offseason in the program. The 6-foot-8 junior, who was recruited by several Division I schools in football, played in eight games as a freshman, and has impressed the coaches and his teammates with his work ethic in practice.

Schedule
The Huskers’ schedule is unique this season, as the conference slate is compressed by one week to allow the Big Ten to take its conference tournament to Madison Square Garden for the first time.

Once again, Miles has scheduled a challenging non-conference slate to prepare NU for the rigors of Big Ten play. Last year’s regular-season schedule was the sixth-toughest nationally according to the NCAA and was toughest in the Big Ten, and Miles believes this year’s slate will get NU ready for Big Ten play.

“Our non-conference schedule is very strong again this season,” Miles said. “We designed our schedule with the idea that we to be in a position to earn an at-large berth for the NCAA Tournament.”

The season opens up with home games against Eastern Illinois and North Texas before NU travels to New York City for the first time in 2017-18 to face St. John’s in the Gavitt Games. Following a game with NCAA qualifier North Dakota, the Huskers trek to Orlando for three games at the AdvoCare Invitational.

The Huskers will open tournament play against a UCF team which returns three starters from a team that won 24 games and reached the semifinals of the NIT. The following day, NU could potentially face a West Virginia team which won 28 games and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season. The eight-team field also highlighted by Missouri, Oregon State and St. John’s. The month of November closes as the Huskers welcome Boston College to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The biggest change in the schedule comes during the first week of December as each Big Ten team will play a pair of conference contests. NU opens Big Ten action at preseason favorite Michigan State on Dec. 3 before hosting NCAA qualifier Minnesota on Dec. 5.

The second portion of NU’s non-conference slate resumes with a pair of matchups against NCAA qualifiers. On Dec. 9, the Huskers will travel to Omaha to take on Creighton in the annual matchup between the two teams. On Dec. 16, the Huskers welcome Kansas to Pinnacle Bank Arena, as the Jayhawks, coming off an Elite Eight finish, become the first Big 12 team to face the Huskers since NU joined the Big Ten in 2011.

The month of January begins a stretch where the Huskers will play three straight NCAA qualifiers, traveling to Northwestern (Jan. 2) and Big Ten regular-season champion Purdue (Jan. 6) before coming home to face Sweet 16 qualifier Wisconsin (Jan. 9).

The remainder of the home schedule features matchups with Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan (Jan. 18) along with NCAA qualifiers Iowa (Jan. 27) and Maryland (Feb. 13). NU will play four of its final five games at PBA, including a Senior Day matchup with Penn State on Feb. 25.