Huskers & Cowboys Battle in Sioux Falls

Game 11: vs. Oklahoma State Date: Sunday, Dec. 16 Time: 6:07 p.m. Location: Sioux Falls, S.D. Arena: Sanford Pentagon No. -/25 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 2018-19 Record: 8-2, 1-1 Big Ten Head coach: Tim Miles   Record at Nebraska: 105-99 (7th year)   Career Record: 388-319 (24th year) OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS 2018-19 Record: 4-5, 0-0 Big 12 Head coach: Mike Boynton   Record at Oklahoma State: 25-20 (2nd year)   Career Record: Same BROADCAST INFO Television: BTN   Play-by-play: Cory Provus   Analysis: Jon Crispin Internet Video: BTN2Go and Fox Sports Go Radio: Husker Sports Network, including 590 AM (Omaha), 1400 AM (Lincoln) and 880 AM (Lexington)   Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka   Analysis: Jake Muhleisen Online Radio: Available online at Huskers.com, on the Huskers App and on TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio App. Satellite Radio:  Sirius: 84 XM: 84 Internet: 84

The No. 25 (coaches) Nebraska men’s basketball team returns to action after final exams on Sunday when the Huskers travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a non-conference matchup with Oklahoma State. 

Tipoff at Heritage Court at the Sanford Pentagon is slated for 6:07 p.m. and the 3,200-seat facility has been sold out since September for this matchup. Sunday's game will be televised nationally on BTN with Cory Provus and Jon Crispin on the call. Sunday's game will also be available on BTN.com and the BTN2Go and Fox Sports Go apps with cable authentication.

Fans can follow all of the action across the state of Nebraska on the IMG Husker Sports Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen on the call. The game will also be available on Huskers.com, on the Huskers app, on TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app and on SiriusXM radio. The pregame show begins one hour prior to tipoff on many of the Husker Sports Network affiliates.

The Huskers are 8-2 on the season following a 94-75 victory over Creighton on Dec. 8. Nebraska used a blistering shooting performance, hitting 53 percent from the field and 14-of-27 from 3-point range, posting a 19-point win and snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Bluejays in the process. James Palmer Jr. had 30 points, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range, to pace five Huskers in double figures. 

While Palmer is among the Big Ten leaders in scoring at 18.7 points per game, it has been the play of Thomas Allen and Isaiah Roby which has helped diversify the Husker attack in recent games. Allen has averaged 10.0 points per game on 60 percent shooting over the last four contests, including an 18-point effort against Creighton. Roby comes off one of his best weeks of the year, averaging 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in two contests. 

The Huskers will meet an old conference foe on Sunday, as Nebraska and Oklahoma State were members of the Big Eight (1958-1996) and Big 12 (1996-2011) prior to the Huskers joining the Big Ten.

The Cowboys are 4-5 on the season after a 63-53 loss to nationally ranked Houston on Dec. 8. Oklahoma State has played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, facing Villanova, LSU, Houston, Memphis and Minnesota before taking on the Huskers.

OPENING NUMBER
1942 - Nebraska's trip to Sioux Falls for Sunday's game will be the first game the Huskers have played in the state since Dec. 7, 1942.

NUMBERS TO KNOW 1 - Wins that Tim Miles needs to match Moe Iba for third on NU's career wins list with 106. Moe, who coached at NU from 1980-86, played collegiately at Oklahoma State from 1958-62, and was the son of Hall of Fame Coach Henry Iba.

.376 - Nebraska is 17th nationally in field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 37.6 percent from the field. 

3 - Nebraska is one of three teams nationally with a pair of wins over Big East teams, joining Michigan and St. Louis. As a conference, the Big Ten has a .792 winning percentage in non-conference play through Thursday's games (88-23 record).

7 - Number of 20-point games for Husker players this season. James Palmer Jr. has four while Isaac Copeland (two) and Glynn Watson Jr. (one) also have accomplished the feat. 

13 - The Huskers have had 13 runs of at least 10-0 in 2018-19, including a 22-0 run against Southeastern Louisiana and a 19-0 run against Western Illinois. The Huskers have allowed three double-figure runs this season.

2010-11 - Nebraska bids for a 9-2 start for the first time since the 2010-11 season on Sunday vs. Oklahoma St.

SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE Oklahoma State is battle tested, as the Cowboys are 4-5 against one of the nation's toughest schedules. OSU has taken on Villanova, LSU, Memphis, Minnesota and Houston before Sunday's matchup with the Huskers. Except for the game with Houston, all of the games have been away from Stillwater.  Under second-year coach Mike Boynton, Oklahoma State won 21 games in his first season, including a sweep of Kansas, before reaching the NIT.  Boynton had previously served as an assistant under current Illinois coach Brad Underwood at both OSU and Stephen F. Austin. 

The 2018-19 Cowboys are a balanced squad with four players averaging double figures, led by Cameron McGriff, who paces the team in scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg).  As a team, Oklahoma State can stretch a defense, ranking 10th in 3-point percentage (.416) and lead the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game (9.1 per game). Thomas Dziagwa is among the national leaders in 3-point percentage (.534) and averages 11.9 points per game while Lindy Waters III is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 ppg and is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc. Oklahoma State also adds Indiana transfer Curtis Jones, who becomes eligible for Sunday's game. Jones, a former top-50 recruit, played for Indiana during the 2016-17 season and the first part of 2017-18 campaign before transferring to Oklahoma State. He saw limited duty against the Huskers in Nebraska's win in Bloomington in 2016-17. 

SERIES HISTORY Nebraska and Oklahoma State will meet for the 118th time on Sunday evening. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 63-54, but the teams have not met since the first round of the 2011 Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City. OSU and NU began playing each other in 1927 before Oklahoma State joined the Big Seven conference in 1958.  Sunday's meeting is the first between the Huskers and Cowboys at a neutral site outside of Kansas City and Oklahoma City. 

LAST TIME OUT All five starters scored in double figures as No. 24/25 Nebraska used a balanced and efficient offensive attack to cruise to a 94-75 victory over Creighton Saturday evening in front of 15,950 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska scored 47 points in each half while putting up the third-highest point total in its 52 all-time meetings with Creighton. The Huskers, who led by as many as 22, were up 13 at the half and Creighton never got closer than nine in the second half. Nebraska, which improved to 8-2 with the win, earned its 17th consecutive home win, as the Huskers have won each of their six home games this season by at least 15 points. James Palmer Jr. paced the Husker offense with 30 points, his second career 30-point effort. Palmer hit 9-of-12 shots from the field, including a career-high six 3-pointers, and he was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Thomas Allen added a career-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Isaiah Roby chipped in 15 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Glynn Watson Jr. added 13 points and a game-high five assists, while Isaac Copeland Jr. scored 11 points.

Nebraska shot 53.3 percent from the field, hitting 32 of its 60 shots for its third-most efficient performance of the season. That included knocking down 14-of-27 3-pointers for a season-high 51.9 percent from behind the arc. NU also outrebounded Creighton, 35-31, and held the Bluejays to 43 percent shooting.

WORTH NOTING

• Sunday's game will be a homecoming for Nebraska Head Coach Tim Miles. Not only is his hometown of Doland, S.D. just over 150 miles from the Pentagon, but his parents, Tip and Alyce, currently live in Sioux Falls.
• Sunday's game with Oklahoma State is the third of four straight non-conference opponents who went to postseason play last year. NU downed Clemson (NCAA) and Creighton (NCAA) and will close the stretch against Cal State Fullerton (NCAA) on Saturday, Dec. 22.
• Nebraska looks for its first win over a Big 12 team since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12, as the Huskers lost against Baylor (2014 NCAAs), Kansas (2016 and 2017) and Texas Tech (2018).
• Glynn Watson Jr. comes into the Oklahoma State game in 19th place on NU's career scoring list with 1,185 points. He is just 21 points shy of passing Jack Moore (1,204) for 19th place. He is also four steals away from 150 in that category and four 3-pointers from 10th place on NU's all-time list.

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE For Nebraska, the biggest thing over the last two seasons - a stretch where the Huskers are 30-13 - has been improvements on the defensive end.  Last season, NU went from 13th to sixth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense and from 14th to second in 3-point percentage defense. NU ranked in the top-75 nationally in both field goal defense (74th) and 3-point percentage defense (32nd) last season.  That has continued in the early stages of the 2018-19 season. 

• After 10 games, Nebraska ranks in the top-35 nationally in scoring defense (59.6 ppg, 14th), field goal defense (.376, 17th) and 3-point defense (.284, 33rd). The Huskers also lead the Big Ten in blocked shots (5.4 bpg) and is second in steals (8.4 spg).
• Only one opponent - Minnesota - has shot over 50 percent against Nebraska in the last 35 games dating back to last season. In 2018-19, NU has held nine of its 10 opponents under 50 percent shooting. 
• NU limited five of its 10 opponents to under 0.85 points per possession. Mississippi Valley State and Southeastern Louisiana were held to 0.47 points per possession, the lowest number in Tim Miles' seven years at NU. On the season, the Huskers are 37th in Kenpom's adjusted defense through Wednesday's games. 
• Nebraska held its first two opponents this season under 40 points, the first time the Huskers held consecutive foes under 40 points since 1949.
• Under Miles, the Huskers are 47-5 (.904) when holding opponents under 60 points. 

	2016-17 Season		2017-18 Season		2018-19
Category	Overall (Conf. Rk.)	B1G (Rk.)	Overall (Conf. Rk.)	B1G (Rk.)	Overall (Conf. Rk.)
PPG Allowed	73.0 (12)	76.4 (12)	68.6 (10)	66.5 (5)	59.6 (3)
FG Pct. Def.	.447 (13)	.459 (13)	.423 (6)	.411 (2)	.376 (4)
3-Pt. Pct. Def.	.399 (14)	.425 (14)	.322 (2)	.279 (1)	.284 (3)

 

Season Scoring Averages
Year	PPG	KenPom
2016-17	69.9	157th
2017-18	72.3	75th
2018-19	79.8	20th

HUSKER OFFENSE GETS INTO HIGH GEAR

Nebraska comes into the Oklahoma State game averaging 79.8 points per game after averaging 72.3 points per game last year.  NU has scored at least 70 points in eight of 10 contests, including four games of at least 80 points. 

• Nebraska opened the season with four straight games scoring at least 80 points, marking the first time NU has accomplished that since the 1996 NIT.
• The Huskers scored 106 points in the opener against Mississippi Valley State. It was the Huskers' highest total since scoring 107 against North Carolina A&T on Dec. 19, 2005.
• Nebraska scored 94 points in the win over Creighton, its third-highest total in 52 meetings in the series.
• NU has already had seven players score in double figures, including six against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 11 and three players -  James Palmer Jr., Isaac Copeland Jr. and Glynn Watson Jr. - with 20-point performances.
• Nebraska is 20th nationally in offensive efficiency according to KenPom through Wednesday's games. 
• The quick start is not surprising based on what the Huskers brought back from last year's team that went 22-11, as Nebraska brought back its top four scorers for the first time in 15 years, including three players who averaged double figures. 
• Nebraska returned three double-figure scorers (James Palmer Jr., 17.2, Isaac Copeland Jr., 12.9 and Glynn Watson Jr. 10.5) for the first time since the 1992-93 season (Eric Piatkowski, 14.3; Derrick Chandler, 12.3; Jamar Johnson, 11.2). 
• Nebraska returned 73 percent of its scoring and 72 percent of its assists from last season. It marked the third time in the last 15 seasons that Nebraska returns at least 70 percent of its scoring from the previous season.
• Nebraska's 3,432 returning points ranked 13th nationally entering the 2018-19 season. Among Big Ten programs, only Iowa, which has 4,246 returning points, had more.

NEW NUMBER, SAME GAME
While senior guard James Palmer Jr. switched from No. 24 to No. 0 in the offseason, the All-American candidate continues to produce at a high level. The 6-foot-6 guard is averaging 18.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

• He is first or second on the Huskers in scoring (first) and assists (second), while he is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring.
• Palmer comes off one of the best performances of his career, scoring 30 points against Creighton. The effort included a career-high six 3-pointers. 
• With the 30-point game against the Bluejays, he became just the 16th player in school history to record multiple 30-point games. 
• Palmer opened Big Ten play against Illinois with a game-high 23 points, including 12-of-14 at the foul line and a team-high four assists.
• He turned in a strong performance in the Huskers' win at Clemson, scoring 14 of his 20 points in the second half and also snaring a career-high nine rebounds. 
• Finished with a season-high 29 points against Seton Hall, the second-highest scoring night in his career, as he scored 18 of his points in the second half. 
• Palmer has shown the ability to get to the free throw line often, as he ranks in the top-25 nationally in both free throws (58, 18th) and attempts (71, 24th).
• Palmer has reached double figures in 40 of 43 career games at Nebraska, as he saw his streak of 17 straight games in double figures snapped against Missouri State on Nov. 19. 

Last season, Palmer averaged 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in leading the Huskers to a 22-11 record and an NIT berth.  Palmer reached double figures in 31 of 33 games in his first season at Nebraska, including eight 20-point efforts. Palmer’s junior year was highlighted by a career-high 34-point effort at Ohio State. Palmer joins Purdue's Carsen Edwards as returning first-team All-Big Ten selections by the conference coaches. 

• Palmer averaged 18.8 points per game in Big Ten play last year, which is the highest average in conference play since Aleks Maric averaged 18.9 ppg in 2006-07. It is also the most by a returning Big Ten player since Tim Frazier in 2012-13.
• He is one of only five returning power conference players who averaged 17.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.0 apg last season. 

WATSON KEYS HUSKER ATTACK Senior Glynn Watson Jr. is in his fourth year as Nebraska's starting guard and is putting together his best season as a Husker. He comes into the Oklahoma State game averaging 14.4 points per game on 50 percent shooting, including 47 percent from 3-point range. He is also averaging career bests in assists (3.8 apg), rebounds (4.2 rpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.2-to-1).

• Watson has been in double figures in nine of 10 contests and has had multiple 3-pointers nine times. 
• He guided the Husker attack in the win over Creighton with 13 points, five assists and a season-high three steals, while holding Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander to just 2-of-10 shooting.
• Watson led NU with 20 points and a career-high nine boards against Western Illinois.
• He showed his playmaking ability by dishing out eight assists and totaling 14 points in the win over Seton Hall. 
• Watson has a career 2.15-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and has more steals (149) than turnovers (143) in his career. 
• His older brother Demetri McCamey was an All-Big Ten guard at Illinois during the 2009-10 season.
• Watson is one of three alumni of St. Joseph to reach 1,000 points at Nebraska, joining Carl Hayes (1,136, 1990-92) and Clifford Scales (1,136, 1988-91). All three played for legendary high school coach Gene Pingatore, who is in his 50th year as coach at St. Joseph and has won over 1,000 games at the school. 

ISAAC MAKES IT TOUGH FOR OPPONENTS TO COPE Isaac Copeland Jr. is back to make the most of his senior year. The 6-foot-9 forward joined the program in January of 2017, but then was unable to practice because of a herniated disc that eventually required surgery.  Despite not being able to practice until school started, Copeland finished second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and blocked shots (1.0 bpg), setting personal bests in all three areas and earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. 

Copeland has improved his numbers across the board in 2018-19, as he averages 14.9 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field. 

• Copeland has reached double figures nine times in 10 games, including a pair of 20-point efforts.
• He topped NU in points (17) and rebounds (seven) at Minnesota, including hitting 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
• The senior carried NU to a win at Clemson with 16 points, six boards and three assists while his biggest play was a blocked shot which led to James Palmer's dunk after Clemson closed to within five. 
• He earned a spot on the Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team, averaging 21.5 points per game on 61 percent shooting, 7.5 blocks and 3.0 assists per game. He was in double figures in both contests, including a season-high 23 points against Missouri State and 20 points and eight boards against Texas Tech. 
• Copeland collected his fifth career double-double in Nebraska's win over Seton Hall with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He had one during his redshirt year at Georgetown (2016-17) and three in 2017-18. 
• He has 11 career 20-point games (7 at Nebraska, 4 at Georgetown), including a pair of 30-point games. Copeland had 30 points on 12-of-14 shooting against North Dakota last year and a career-high 32-point night against Marquette during his sophomore year at Georgetown. 
• A top-20 recruit coming out of high school, his 2014 Brewster Academy team also featured Donovan Mitchell (Utah), Devonte' Graham (Charlotte) and Jonah Bolden (Philadephia).
• Copeland earned his undergraduate degree in sociology last May and is working on his Master's Degree. He comes from a basketball family, as his father (Ike) played collegiately at East Carolina. As a senior, he helped East Carolina make the NCAA Tournament. 

COPELAND NAMED TO SENIOR CLASS AWARD LIST Isaac Copeland Jr. was named as one of 30 candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award.  An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.   Copeland has been instrumental in the Huskers’ success over the last two seasons, starting every game since arriving on campus and earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. In the classroom, he received his degree from Nebraska in May of 2018 and is currently working on a master’s degree.

ROBY FILLS STAT SHEET Isaiah Roby compliments the Husker attack with a unique skill set. The 6-foot-8 junior comes into the Oklahoma State game averaging 9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.  He leads the Huskers in blocked shots and is second in steals and rebounding. Roby is the only Big Ten player in the top-10 in blocks and steals while he is one of only three power conference players to average 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. 

• Among Big Ten players since 1992, only two other players (Purdue's Brad Miller and Minnesota's Damian Johnson) averaged 1.5 steals and blocks per game. 
• Roby put together his most complete game in the win over Creighton, setting season highs in points (15), rebounds (eight) and assists (four) along with a pair of blocks against the Bluejays. 
• Roby played well in the loss at Minnesota, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
• His dunk against Seton Hall on Nov. 14 marked the fourth time he's had a top-10 play on SportsCenter at NU, including highlight dunks vs. Rutgers (2018) and at Indiana (2016). 
• Nebraska is 19-6 since moving Roby into the starting lineup midway through Big Ten play last season. Roby has all four of his career double-doubles in that stretch.
• Roby is one of only two returning power conference players to total 50 blocks and 50 assists last season, joining Missouri’s Jontay Porter, who will miss the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL. Roby is also one of four Huskers to have 50 blocks and 50 assists in a season, joining Aleks Maric, Venson Hamilton and Rich King.