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AT NO. 13/12 PURDUE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS NO. 13/12 PURDUE BOILERMAKERS BROADCAST INFO Internet Video: BTN2Go and Fox Sports Go Online Radio: Available online at Huskers.com, on the Huskers App and on TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio App |
Nebraska finishes a two-game roadtrip on Saturday afternoon, when the Huskers travel to West Lafayette, Ind., for a matchup with the No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers.
Tipoff from Mackey Arena is set for 1:15 p.m. (central) and Saturday's game will be televised nationally on BTN with Kevin Kugler and Stephen Bardo on the call. The game is also available on BTN.com, BTN2Go and the Fox Sports Go app.
Fans can follow all of the action across the state of Nebraska on the IMG Husker Sports Network with Kent Pavelka and Ben McLaughlin on the call. The game will also be available on Huskers.com, on the Huskers app, on TuneIn Radio and on the TuneIn Radio app. The radio broadcast begins one hour prior to tipoff.
Nebraska (11-5, 2-1 Big Ten) brings a four-game winning streak to West Lafayette following a 70-55 win at Northwestern on Tuesday night. The Huskers shot 59 percent from the field in the second half and were led by Glynn Watson Jr., who had a game-high 19 points, six rebounds and six assists to pace three Huskers in double figures. Watson has been exceptional during the early part of Big Ten play, averaging 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Big Red.
While Watson keyed the Husker offense, Nebraska put together its best defensive effort of the season against the Wildcats. NU held Northwestern to just 29.2 percent shooting and blocked 14 shots - the most ever by a Husker team in a conference game. In Big Ten play, the Huskers have held their first three opponents (Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern) to just 36 percent shooting to rank second in the Big Ten.
The Husker defense will be tested on Saturday, facing a Purdue (14-2, 3-0 Big Ten) offense that is averaging 86.9 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the field. The Boilermakers have won 10 straight following an 82-51 win over Rutgers on Wednesday, including six in a row by at least 15 points. The Boilermakers, who are ranked 13th in this week's AP poll, feature a senior-laden lineup with four players averaging at least 13 points per game.
The Huskers will be looking for their first-ever win at Mackey Arena and second-straight win over Purdue, as Nebraska posted an 83-80 win over the Boilermakers during their Big Ten championship season.
OPENING NUMBER
100 - Number of blocked shots for the Huskers this season. Last year, NU had 116 in 31 contests. Duby Okeke is one of three Huskers averaging over one block per game.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
1 - Anton Gill is the only player in the Big Ten averaging double figures (10.4 ppg) who has not started a game this season.
1.32 - Nebraska's assist-to-turnover ratio which is on pace to be NU's best in more than 20 years.
5.0 - Nebraska is one of the most improved 3-point shooting teams among power conference programs. As of Jan. 4, only five power conference teams have improved their 3-point shooting by at least five percent.
10 - Saturday will mark the 10th time NU has faced a team ranked 13th in the AP poll. NU is 2-7 all-time against teams ranked 13th in the AP poll, posting wins in 1991 (vs. Oklahoma) and 2011 (Texas A&M).
SCOUTING PURDUE
Purdue brings a 14-2 record and a 10-game win streak into Saturday's matchup following an 82-51 win over Rutgers on Wednesday. In that game, the Boilermakers shot 55 percent in the first half, including 7-of-12 from the 3-point line, to build a 21-point halftime lead and cruised to a 31-point win. Isaac Hass led five Purdue players in double figures with 14 points and six rebounds. Purdue held Rutgers to 33 percent shooting, including 2-of-13 from 3-point range. Under longtime coach Matt Painter, the Boilermakers are a balanced and veteran unit with four players averaging double figures, led by sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, who averages 17.4 points per game. As a team, Purdue shoots 51 percent from the field, including 41.5 percent from 3-point range. The Boilermakers also hold opponents to 37.4 percent as the frontline duo of 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas and 7-foot-3 Matt Haarms have combined for 67 of the team's 100 blocked shots.
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday’s game between the Huskers and Purdue will be the 19th all-time meeting between the two programs in a series that dates back to 1947. Purdue holds a 13-5 lead in the all-time series, including a 7-3 mark (6-2 in regular season; 1-1 in Big Ten Tournament) since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak to the Boilermakers with an 83-80 win in Lincoln on Jan. 29, 2017. Including Saturday's matchup, Purdue has been ranked in each of the last four meetings.
LAST MEETING vs. PURDUE
Behind a career-high 21-point effort from Jack McVeigh, Nebraska knocked off No. 20 Purdue, 83-80, on Jan. 29, 2017.
McVeigh paced four Huskers in double figures, matching his career high with 21 points, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. McVeigh was one of two Husker reserves with big afternoons, as freshman Jeriah Horne had 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and a career-high seven rebounds in 24 minutes. The duo helped NU total a season-high 39 points from its bench.
The Husker backcourt of Tai Webster and Glynn Watson Jr. rounded out the quartet in double figures, as Webster had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Watson totaled 12 points.
The Huskers got contributions up and down the lineup as the Huskers overcame a nine-point deficit in the first 10 minutes and later rallied from five points down in the final 2:24 to snap a five-game losing streak. Michael Jacobson's putback with 41 seconds left gave the Huskers the lead for good.
LAST TIME OUT
Glynn Watson Jr. had 19 points to lead three Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska rallied for a 70-55 win over Northwestern Tuesday evening.
Watson, in returning to his hometown, led the NU attack with 19 points and added six assists and six boards, as Nebraska (11-5, 2-1 Big Ten) shot 59 percent in the second half and overcame a seven-point second-half deficit.
James Palmer Jr. added 18 points and five rebounds while Isaac Copeland added 13 points and eight rebounds, as Nebraska overcame a rough offensive half with a strong defensive performance. Nebraska held the Wildcats to 29.2 percent shooting – the lowest by a Husker conference foe in nearly three years – and blocked 14 shots. The 14 blocked shots were the most Nebraska ever blocked in a conference game.
Nebraska took the lead for good early in the second half, using a 16-4 run to erase a seven point deficit and build a 41-36 lead. Northwestern pulled to within 43-42 but Anton Gill’s four-point play started an 11-3 spurt, as the Huskers took a nine-point lead they would not relinquish.
ABOUT NEBRASKA
*-NU comes into Saturday's game with an 11-5 record with all five losses coming to teams in the top 65 of the RPI.
*-The Huskers' 11-5 start is the team's best record after 16 games since the 2010-11 season when NU had a 13-3 mark after 16-games.
*-The Huskers are averaging 75.5 points per game entering Saturday's contest, the highest scoring mark through 16 games since the 1995-96 team averaged 88.3 points per game in that stretch. The Huskers are 11-1 when scoring at least 70 points, including six games of at least 80 points.
*-Nebraska's biggest strength has been a balanced attack with four players averaging double figures, led by James Palmer Jr., who averages a team-high 15.3 points per game. He is on track to enjoy one of the top first-year seasons in school history. Eight Huskers have reached double figures, while four players have enjoyed 20-point outings in 2017-18. The last time NU had four-or-more players average double figures was during the 1993-94 campaign.
*-Nebraska and Purdue have both started the same lineup for every game this season. Last year, Nebraska started six different lineups.
*-Nebraska relies on a pair of transfers in James Palmer Jr. (Miami) and Isaac Copeland (Georgetown), as the pair combines for more than 27 points per game. Palmer has reached double figures 15 times in 16 contests, including a season-high 25 points against UTSA on Dec. 20. Copeland leads the Huskers in rebounding at 6.8 per game and is among the team leaders in scoring (12.1, third) and blocked shots (20, second). Copeland posted his first double-double of the season at Creighton on Dec. 9 with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
*-Junior Glynn Watson Jr. is in his third season guiding the Husker offense and is among NU's leaders in both scoring (12.4 ppg, second), assists (3.3, first) and steals (1.8, first). The 6-foot guard will make his team-high 62nd career start on Saturday and has a 2.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio this season.
*-Nebraska has been getting strong performances from its bench throughout the season, averaging 24.0 points per game, including 32.3 points per game over the last four games. Senior guard Anton Gill tops all Big Ten reserves at 10.4 points per game while sophomore Isaiah Roby averages 6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
*-Anton Gill ranks fourth among all power conference players who have not started a game in 2017-18 with 10.4 points per game. Gill is averaging 13.5 points per game on 49 percent shooting during the Huskers' four-game win streak.
*-One of the main emphasis for Tim Miles and his staff in the offseason was improving the Huskers' 3-point efforts on both ends of the court. Last year, NU was in 300th or worse in both 3-point shooting and 3-point defense. This season, the Huskers are currently in the top six in both 3-point percentage and 3-point defense.
NU has six players with at least 10 3-pointers, and that does not include Jack McVeigh, who was second on the team in 3-pointers last year. In 2016-17, NU had just four players hit 10-or-more 3-pointers in 31 games.
*-Purdue's Aaron Wheeler was a teammmate of Thomas Allen at Brewster Academy last season, as the school went 33-0 and won a National Prep Championship.
BUILDING BLOCKS
One of the biggest differences between previous seasons and 2017-18 is the Huskers' interior size and it made a defensive impact for the Huskers.
*- Nebraska ranks 12th nationally and third in the Big Ten in blocked shots per game with 6.1 per outing entering Saturday's game at Purdue. Last year, the Huskers averaged just 3.7 blocks per game. NU's school record for blocks is 6.1 per game set by the 1996-97 team, as that team blocked a school-record 202 shots that season.
*- Nebraska has blocked five or more shots in 12 of the first 16 games, including five games with at least nine blocks.
*- The Huskers' 14 blocked shots at Northwestern on Jan. 2 broke the school record for most in a conference game (12, vs. Colorado, 2005).
*- Nebraska has three players - Isaiah Roby (1.8 bpg), Isaac Copeland (1.3 bpg) and Duby Okeke (1.2 bpg) - currently averaging at least one block per game. Over the past four seasons, only one Husker has averaged a block per game.
*- Isaiah Roby's six blocks against Eastern Illinois was the most by a Husker since the 2005-06 season. In fact, no Husker had totaled five or more blocked shots since the 2011-12 campaign.
HUSKERS LOOK FOR BALANCE
Tim Miles believes that the 2017-18 Huskers are the deepest roster he has enjoyed in his six-year tenure. With nine players averaging at least 9.0 minutes per outing, Miles has relied on the Huskers' depth. While Nebraska has had at least one player in the top five in scoring in the Big Ten the last four seasons, the 2017-18 squad does not have a scorer in the top-10 in the Big Ten, but does have four players averaging double figures and two others averaging at least 6.5 points per game.
*- Under Miles, NU has had three double figure scorers twice in the five seasons (2012-13 and 2015-16).
*- Nebraska is 11-2 this season when three or more players reach double figures.
*- Eight Huskers have already reached double figures in scoring this season, including 20-point efforts from Isaac Copeland, James Palmer Jr., Glynn Watson Jr. and Anton Gill.
*- The last time Nebraska had more than three players average double figures was in 1993-94, when future NBA pros Eric Piatkowski and Erick Strickland highlighted five double-figure scorers for the Big Red.
SHARING THE BALL
For Tim Miles, a main offensive focus over the summer and during the preseason has been better ball movement to create better offensive opportunities. Nebraska, whose 75.4 points per game is the highest scoring average through 16 games in over 20 years, has shared the ball better than any previous Tim Miles team.
*- Nebraska's assists per game is on pace to be the Huskers' highest total in 11 seasons, as NU is up nearly four assists per game compared to last season.
*- NU ranks in the top six in the Big Ten in both assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3-to-1, sixth) and turnover margin (+2.2, sixth).
*- Nebraska has averaged assists on 58.1 percent of its baskets, which is the highest rate of Tim Miles 13-year tenure as a Division I coach. The last time a Miles-coached team assisted on 50 percent of its baskets came during the 2011-12 season at Colorado State (50.1). That team won 20 games and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
*- Nebraska has dished out 20 or more assists four times this season, including 24 assists against Delaware State in Dec. 22. During the previous five years, it has occurred only once in 161 games.
*- Glynn Watson Jr. (3.4 apg), Evan Taylor (3.0 apg) and James Palmer (2.6 apg) all average at least 2.5 assists per game.
WATSON LEADS HUSKER ATTACK
Glynn Watson Jr. may be one of the most underrated guards in the Big Ten Conference. Last year, the 6-foot junior averaged 13.0 points, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 2016-17.
This season, Watson has continued to improve, as he comes into the Purdue game averaging 12.4 points, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
*- Watson is currently third in the Big Ten in steals per game and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1).
*- With 895 points entering Saturday's game, Watson sits in 39th place on NU's career scoring list. He could make a signifcant move on Saturday, as he is 17 points away from tying Jason Dourisseau for 36th place.
*- Watson keyed Nebraska's win at Northwestern on Jan. 2 with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, while guiding a Husker attack that shot 59 percent after halftime against the Wildcats.
*- He was masterful in Nebraska's 78-68 win over No. 14 Minnesota on Dec. 5, totaling a season-high 29 points and a career-best nine rebounds. He hit 9-of-17 shots from the field, went a career-best 9-of-10 from the foul line and added three steals.
*- Watson keyed the win over Long Beach State with a then-season best 26 points and a career-high six steals, as he helped force LBSU into 21 turnovers.
*- He has four career games with five or more steals, including a career-best six against Long Beach State on Nov. 26. Watson's six steals that game were the most by a Husker since 2012.
*- Watson already has a trio of 20-point efforts this season, including a season-high 29 against Minnesota on Dec. 5. He also had 26 points against Long Beach State and 21 points against Eastern Illinois in the season opener. He now has 10 career 20-point games.
*- He is on pace to be NU's 29th 1,000-point scorer later this season and would become NU's fourth 1,000-point scorer in Tim Miles' six seasons at Nebraska. He would also be the third Husker from Winchester St. Joseph High School to reach 1,000 points at Nebraska, joining Carl Hayes (1900-92) and Clifford Scales (1988-91). All three played for legendary coach Gene Pingatore, who is in his 49th season at the school.
*- Watson has always been great in the clutch, as he shot 40 percent from 3-point range, 85 percent from the foul line and had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last four minutes and OT last season. In his career, Watson is a career 86 percent shooter in the last four minutes, including 18-of-20 this season.
*- Watson’s 13.0 points per game entering the season was the second-highest returning average by a Husker guard in the last decade, trailing only All-Big Ten performer Terran Petteway’s 18.1 ppg entering the 2014-15 season.
*- Watson's older brother is Demetri McCamey, an first-team All-Big Ten performer for the Fighting Illini in 2010.
BORCHARDT PUT ON SCHOLARSHIP
During the Huskers' postgame meeting after the win over Delaware State on Dec. 22, "Santa" Miles gave junior Tanner Borchardt a Christmas gift he would remember for a long time. Miles announced to the team that Borchardt would be on scholarship for the spring semester. Borchardt, who rejoined the team last February, quickly proved his worth against Stetson, setting career highs in points (eight), rebounds (10) and blocked shots (two) in 14 second-half minutes. He also played a pivotal role in the win over Northwestern with four second-half points, two rebounds and two more blocked shots.
COPELAND BREAKS OUT
For Isaac Copeland, his breakout game against North Dakota on Nov. 19 was nearly a year in the making. Copeland, who transferred to Nebraska from Georgetown in January, had gotten off to a slow start offensively, averaging 7.0 points on 32 percent shooting in NU's first three games.
Against North Dakota, Copeland eclipsed that total in the first half, hitting eight of his first nine shots to score 19 first-half points as part of his 30-point effort. The performance marked Copeland's second career 30-point effort, as he scored a career-high 32 points against Marquette during the 2015-16 campaign.
The performance jump started Copeland's junior year, and he is averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, setting career highs in all three categories. His 6.8 rebounds per game rank 13th in the Big Ten in rebounding.
*- Copeland is averaging 13.3 points per game on 47 percent shooting and he has been in double figures 10 times since the North Dakota game.
*- He has reached double figures in six of the last seven games dating back to the win over Minnesota. Copeland also has grabbed eight or more boards in five of the last six contests.
*- Copeland totaled 13 points on just nine shots, eight boards and three blocked shots against Northwestern.
*- Copeland had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds in the one-point loss to No. 13 Kansas.
*- He posted his second career double-double in the loss at Creighton on Dec. 9, as he led NU with 20 points and 11 rebounds while adding two blocks and two steals.
*- He paced NU in both points (15) and rebounds (eight) in the win over Boston College and totaled 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks against No. 14 Minnesota.
*- Nebraska is 8-2 this season when Copeland reaches double figures.
GILL RETURNS BETTER THAN EVER
After a junior season where he battled a pair of knee injuries, including a ruptured right patella tendon on Christmas night, senior Anton Gill is healthy and showing the ability which made him a top-50 recruit coming out of high school. Gill has been one of the Big Ten's best sixth men, averaging 10.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
*- He leads the Big Ten in scoring as a reserve and is the only player in the Big Ten averaging double figures without starting a game.
*- Gill ranks fifth in 3-point percentage (.485) and sixth in 3-pointers per game (2.4), while his 33 3-pointers this year eclipses his total for his first three collegiate seasons (25).
*- Gill, who graduated in December with a degree in communications, has played some of his best basketball during NU's four-game win streak, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 52 percent from 3-point range.
*- He has reached double figures six times this season, including a career-high 21 points in the win over UTSA on Dec. 20. In that game, he hit four 3-pointers and scored six straight points as part of a late 9-0 run after UTSA tied the score at 86.
*- He scored a then-career-high 17 points against Marist on Nov. 24, hitting 5-of-7 3-pointers against the Red Foxes and added 13 points in the win over Long Beach on Nov. 26, marking the first consecutive double-figure performances of his college career.
*- His first double figure effort came against North Dakota on Nov. 19, when he set then-personal bests in points (16), field goals (six), 3-pointers (four) and assists (three) in 24 minutes.
*- All 12 of Gill's career double-figure performances have come off the bench, as he had four during his tenure at Louisville and two last year.
COPELAND, PALMER TRANSFER INTO HUSKER STARTERS
A pair of transfers have added experience and scoring punch to Nebraska's lineup. Isaac Copeland and James Palmer Jr. look to continue the success of transfers who have enjoyed success under Miles. Copeland and Palmer look to join Andy Ogide (CSU, 2009), Terran Petteway (NU, 2014) and Andrew White III (NU, 2016), as players who earned all-conference recognition in their first season under Miles.
Copeland started 49 games in two-plus seasons at Georgetown, helping the Hoyas to the 2015 NCAA Tournament. In his last full season in 2015-16, Copeland started 33 games, averaging 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. A former top-20 recruit, Copeland was a preseason All-Big East selection last year before he was sidelined with his back injury. This season, Copeland leads NU in rebounding at 6.8 per game while ranking among team leaders in scoring (12.1, third) and blocked shots (1.3, second).
Palmer Jr. has become one of the Big Ten's top newcomers, averaging a team-high 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is also second on the team in steals and third in assists.
*-Palmer has reached double figures a team-high 15 times, including a career-high 25 points in the Huskers' win over UTSA and 22 points at UCF. In his two seasons at Miami, Palmer reached double figures six times in 72 contests.
*- In the win over UTSA, he scored 25 points, including 13-of-17 from the foul line, and grabbed seven rebounds.
*- He played a major role in NU's comeback win over Northwestern, scoring 15 of his 18 points in the second half and adding five rebounds and four assists in the 15-point win.
*- He established a career-high with eight rebounds while leading NU with 14 points in the loss to Kansas. Palmer's basket with 41.3 seconds left gave NU a 72-70 lead.
*- Palmer battled foul trouble in the loss against Creighton, but finished with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, in just 21 minutes.
*- He played a key role in the win over Boston College, scoring a team-high 15 points and adding a career-high five steals.
*- Palmer keyed the win over North Texas with a then-career-high 18 points, including 11 points in NU's game-opening 25-2 run.
*- A former top-100 recruit, Palmer played at the University of Miami for two seasons, averaging 3.4 points on the Hurricanes' Sweet 16 team in 2015-16.
TAYLOR SUPPLIES STEADINESS
Senior Evan Taylor has quietly put together a solid senior year. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 8.3 points per game while usually guarding the opponent's top scoring threat. Taylor has raised his number in nearly every category and has reached double figures six times in 16 games after having six double-figure games in his first season at NU. The biggest improvement in Taylor's game has been his shooting, as he is at nearly 46 percent from the field, including 13-of-25 from 3-point range. Last year, he had just six 3-pointers in 31 contests.
STRONGER ROBY EMERGES AS STAT STUFFER
After serving as a role player as a freshman, Isaiah Roby spent the summer bulking up to prepare for the rigors of the season. Now, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound sophomore has the strength to match his skillset and it is paying off in 2017-18
*- He enters the Purdue game averaging 6.7 points on 54 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and a team-high 1.8 blocks per game. He is fifth in the Big Ten in blocks at 1.8 per game, which is the highest total by a Husker under Tim Miles.
*- He has reached double figures five times after hitting double figures once in 30 contests as a freshman.
*- Roby totaled 10 points and six boards in 22 minutes against UTSA and totaled nine boards, four assists and three blocks in the win over Delaware State.
*- He played a career-high 30 minutes against No. 13 Kansas, finishing with eight points, six rebounds, four blocks and three assists.
*- Roby had 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in just 13 minutes at Creighton on Dec. 9.
*- He opened the year with the best performance of his career, an 11-point, 13-rebounds, six-block performance against Eastern Illinois, setting personal bests in all three categories. His six blocks were the most by a Husker since 2011.