Huskers Head to No. 22 IndianaHuskers Head to No. 22 Indiana
Men's Basketball

Huskers Head to No. 22 Indiana

GAME 17: AT NO. 22/24 INDIANA Date: Mon, Jan. 14 Time: 5:30 p.m. (CT) Location: Bloomington, Ind. Arena: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
2018-19 Record: 12-4, 22-3 Big Ten
Head coach: Tim Miles
Record at Nebraska: 109-101 (7th year)
Career Record: 392-321 (24th year)

NO. 22/24 INDIANA HOOSIERS 2018-19 Record: 12-4, 3-2 Big Ten Head coach: Archie Miller Record at Indiana: 28-19 (2nd year) Career Record: 167-82 (8th year)

BROADCAST INFO Television: FS1    Play-by-play: Joe Davis
   Analysis: Bill Raftery

Internet: Fox Sports Go app 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: 137   XM: 196   Internet: 958

The Huskers begin a busy week on Monday, as they travel to Indiana for a matchup with the No. 22/24 Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. 

Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. (central) and the matchup will be televised nationally on FS1 with Joe Davis and Bill Raftery on the call. Monday's game will also be available on the Fox Sports Go app 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 XM radio. The pregame show begins one hour prior to tipoff on many of the Husker Sports Network affiliates (affiliate list on page 7 of the game notes).

The Huskers (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-64 win over Penn State Thursday evening. Isaiah Roby led three Huskers in double figures with 22 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, while Glynn Watson Jr. added 19 points, three assists and four rebounds. Watson keyed a decisive second-half run after PSU pulled to within one with eight points to help extend the lead to 66-61, while Roby capped his second 20-point effort of the season with four free throws in the final 17 seconds to end PSU's upset bid. Roby also helped limit Lamar Stevens to just 13 points on including 6-of-20 shooting, as the Huskers held PSU to 36 percent shooting. 

Roby has played some of his best basketball over the last month, averaging 15.0 points on 55 percent shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He has reached double figures in six of his last seven games, including the first two 20-point efforts of his career. 

Monday's game will be the first of two straight games against nationally ranked teams for the Huskers, as the Hoosiers are No. 22 in the AP in the latest poll. NU will host No. 6 Michigan State on Thursday at PBA. 

Indiana (12-4, 3-3 Big Ten) looks to bounce back after a 78-75 loss at Maryland on Friday. In that game, Indiana led by as many as 14 in the first half before the Terrapins rallied in the second half. Freshman Romeo Langford had a career-high 28 points for Indiana, including 20 in the second half, while Devonte Green and Juwan Morgan added 15 and 14 respectively. Indiana has been tough at home, going 10-0 in Assembly Hall, including wins over Marquette and Louisville.

OPENING NUMBER
8.4 - Nebraska leads the Big Ten with 8.4 steals per game, as all five starters average at least a steal per game. As a team, Nebraska has not averaged 8.0 steals per game since the 2007-08 season (8.4 spg).

NUMBERS TO KNOW 1.45 - Nebraska's assist-to-turnover ratio, which is on pace to be one of the best marks in school history. Last season, NU had a 1.23-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Both Glynn Watson Jr. and Thomas Allen currently have better than 2.9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratios.

No.

Year

Asst.-to-TO ratio

1.

1984-85

1.81

2.

1985-86

1.64

-

2018-19

1.45

3.

1983-84

1.34

4.

1981-82

1.29

 

3 - Number of Huskers with double-doubles this season (Isaac Copeland Jr. , Isaiah Roby and Glynn Watson Jr.).

14 - Number of 20-point games for Husker players in 2018-19. James Palmer Jr. has eight while Isaac Copeland Jr. (three), Isaiah Roby (two) and Glynn Watson Jr. (one) also enjoyed 20-point games.

 17 - The Huskers have had 17 runs of at least 10-0 in 2018-19, including a 22-0 run against Southeastern Louisiana. The Huskers have allowed three double-figure runs this season.

SCOUTING INDIANA Archie Miller is in his second season at Indiana after guiding the Dayton program for six years, leading the Flyers to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Miller's first Indiana team went 16-15, and the Hoosiers already have 12 wins through the first half of the season entering Monday's game with the Huskers.

As a team, Indiana shots a Big Ten-best 52 percent from the field, including 36 percent from 3-point range, while holding foes to 41 percent shooting. The Hoosiers also hold opponents to under 30 percent from 3-point range and average more than six steals per contest. 

Indiana went 9-2 in non-conference play, including a 23-point win over Marquette and a one-point win over Louisville. The losses came at No. 1 Duke and a one-point setback at Arkansas. In conference play, three of Indiana's five games have been decided by three points or less. 

The Hoosier feature a strong 1-2 punch in freshman Romeo Langford and senior Juwan Morgan. Langford, one of the top recruits in the class of 2018, is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 18.8 points per game and has been in double figures all 16 games. Langford has seven 20-point games, including 28 against both Illinois and Maryland. In Big Ten play, Langford is averaging 22 ppg while shooting close to 90 percent from the line.  Morgan, who was a second-team All-Big Ten pick a year ago, has put together a strong senior year, averaging 16.5 points per game on 63 percent shooting while pacing the Hoosiers in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and steals (1.0 spg). Morgan had a career-high 35 points against Butler and 25 points and eight boards against Michigan.

SERIES HISTORY Nebraska and Indiana meet for the 19th time on Monday night and the 10th since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. Indiana leads the all-time series, 12-6, but the Huskers are 5-4 against the Hoosiers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, including wins in the last two matchups. NU snapped Indiana's 26-game home win streak with an 87-83 win over the No. 16 Hoosiers in Bloomington during the 2016-17 campaign. Indiana has been ranked in four of the nine matchups since NU joined the Big Ten prior to this season. Monday's meeting is the only time the teams will meet, marking the third straight year the teams will play just once.

LAST MEETING VS. INDIANA The Nebraska men’s basketball team overcame a one-point halftime deficit and used a gritty second-half effort to tie a school record for conference victories in a 66-57 win over Indiana on Feb. 22, 2018.

The Huskers shot just 31.4 percent from the field in the first half and were held to 25 first-half points, but responded by shooting 51.9 percent in the second half and outscoring Indiana, 41-31, in the second half.

James Palmer Jr., Isaac Copeland and Isaiah Roby all scored in double figures in the win. Palmer led Nebraska with 15 points, while Copeland scored 13 and Roby chipped in 11 points. Roby narrowly missed his fourth consecutive doubles, grabbing nine rebounds. 

Nebraska forced Indiana into committing a season-high-tying 19 turnovers and converted those turnovers into 26 points. The Huskers also hit the glass hard, out-rebounding the Hoosiers by six and scoring 14 second-chance points.

LAST TIME OUT Behind a career-high 22 points from Isaiah Roby, Nebraska snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-64 win over Penn State Thursday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

Roby had 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting and added season bests in both rebounds (11) and blocked shots (four) to propel the Huskers (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) to its 20th straight home win dating back to last season.  Glynn Watson Jr. added 19 points and three assists, while James Palmer Jr. added 11 markers, as the Huskers shot nearly 50 percent from the floor, but could not subdue the Nittany Lions until the end.

Clinging to a 58-57 lead, Watson scored eight straight points for the Huskers, the last being a 3-pointer with 2:15 left that staked the hosts a 65-61 lead.  Penn State pulled to within 66-62 after a Mike Watkins free throw just under 20 seconds remaining, but Roby salted the game away hitting four straight free throws in the final 17.2 seconds. 

Nebraska’s defense held Penn State to just one field goal in the final 2:51, as the Nittany Lions shot just 36 percent, but used a 46-32 advantage on the glass and a 17-4 advantage in second-chance points to stay in the contest. Josh Reaves led four Nittany Lions in double figures with 20 points, including four 3-pointers, while Lamar Stevens and Myles Dread added 13 apiece. 

WORTH NOTING

  • Monday's game will be the 50th consecutive start for NU seniors James Palmer Jr. and Isaac Copeland Jr. Both have started every game since transferring to Nebraska. 
  • Glynn Watson Jr. (26 points, four assists and five steals) and Isaiah Roby (eight points, six rebounds, three assists) are the only two Huskers who have played at Assembly Hall, as both played significant roles in NU's 87-83 win during the  2016-17 season.
  • The Huskers' 12-4 mark is its best 16-game start since joining the Big Ten and the best since the 2010-11 team opened the year with a 13-3 record.
  • All four of Nebraska's losses are to teams either ranked or receiving votes in this week's national polls. The combined record for those four teams (Texas Tech, Maryland, Iowa and Minnesota) is 56-10 (.848).
  • The Big Ten is well represented in the latest NET released on Jan. 12, as eight teams are ranked in the top 50, including six teams in the top 23 (Michigan-3; Michigan State-7; Nebraska-13; Purdue-18; Wisconsin-22; Indiana-23).
  • As of the Jan. 12 NET, Nebraska has played nine of its 15 Division I games against teams in the top two quadrants. Currently, every Big Ten team in in the top-125 of the NET.
  • The Huskers are averaging 79.2 points per game, which is third in the Big Ten and NU's highest scoring average after 16 games since the 1995-96 season (88.3 ppg). During the previous six seasons under Head Coach Tim Miles, NU's highest average after 16 games was 75.4 ppg set last season.
  • Nebraska's offense ranks in the top-25 nationally in a trio of categories, including turnovers per game (10.3, 11th), turnover margin (+4.5, 17th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44, 20th).
  • NU has committed 10 or fewer turnovers in nine of the last 11 contests dating back to Nov. 24.  On the season, the Huskers' four primary ball handlers (Glynn Watson Jr., Thomas Allen, James Palmer Jr. and Amir Harris) have combined 2.08-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
  • Nebraska is one of seven teams in Division I ranked in the top 25 nationally in field goal defense, 3-point defense and scoring defense through Jan. 11, a list which also includes Virginia, Texas Tech, Houston, San Francisco, Georgia Tech and VCU. 
  • The Huskers finished non-conference action with a 10-1 mark, including wins over Seton Hall, Clemson, Creighton and Oklahoma State. It marked just the fourth time since World War II that the Huskers finished non-conference play with one loss (10-1, 2003-04; 12-1, 1991-92; and 11-1, 1977-78). 
  • Glynn Watson Jr. comes into the Indiana game tied for 16th place on NU's career scoring list with 1,255 points. His first point will pass Chuck Jura (1970-72) while he is 14 points shy of 15th place (1269, Stuart Lantz, 1966-68).  Watson is also two steals shy of sixth place on NU's steals list (Brian Carr, 159) and nine assists shy of 10th place in that category (344, Beau Reid, 1988-91). 
  • James Palmer Jr. has eight 20-point games this season, matching his career total in 105 games entering this year. 
  • Husker assistant coach Michael Lewis played collegiately at Indiana for four seasons (1997-2000) and ranks second in school history in assists with 545.
  • Six of Nebraska's 29 career 1,000 point scorers are from the state of Indiana (Carl McPipe-Hammond; Tom Baack-Ft. Wayne; Jack Moore-Muncie; Brian Carr-Muncie; Brian Banks-Hammond and Herschell Turner-Indianapolis). 

PALMER NAMED TO A PAIR OF MIDSEASON LISTS Nebraska guard James Palmer Jr. made the cut for a pair of midseason awards this week. The senior was named to both the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 and the Lute Olson Award midseason watch list on Wednesday. 

  • Palmer is third in the Big Ten in both scoring (19.5 ppg) and steals (1.6 spg) while also ranked among Big Ten leaders in free throw percentage (.800, 11th) and 3-pointer per game (2.1, 12th). He has a team-high eight 20-point games, including seven against power conference foes.
  • Palmer is believed to be the first Husker on the Wooden Award midseason watch list. 
  • For the Olson Award, he is the first Husker to make a midseason list since Terran Petteway in 2015. 

HUSKER OFFENSE GETS INTO HIGH GEAR Nebraska comes into the Indiana game averaging 79.2 points per game after averaging 72.3 points per game last year.  NU has scored at least 70 points in 14 of 16 contests, including seven games of at least 80 points.

  • Nebraska is ninth nationally in offensive efficiency according to KenPom through Jan. 12. In the KenPom era, only the 2003-04 team (25th) ranked in the top-50 nationally in offensive efficiency.
  • Nebraska's 79.2 points per game would rank seventh in school history and is on pace to be the Huskers' highest single-season average since 1995-96 (80.2 ppg). Nebraska has averaged 80+ points six times in school history, all coming in a seven-year span under Danny Nee.
  • The Huskers are third in all games and second in conference play (75.8 ppg) in scoring offense and have scored 70 or more in each of their first five Big Ten games. 
  • 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 opened the season with four straight games scoring at least 80 points, marking the first time NU has accomplished that since the 1996 NIT.
  • Nebraska scored 94 points in the win over Creighton, its third-highest total in 52 meetings in the series.
  • Seven players has put up double-figure efforts, including six against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 11, while four players -  James Palmer Jr., Isaac Copeland Jr., Glynn Watson Jr. and Isaiah Roby - have recorded 20-point performances.

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. 

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE For Nebraska, the biggest thing over the last two seasons - a stretch where the Huskers are 34-15 - 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 during the 2018-19 season as we hit the halfway point of the season.

  • Nebraska ranks in the top-25 nationally in scoring defense (61.4 ppg, 17th), field goal defense (.384, 18th) and 3-point defense (.286, 21st). The Huskers also lead the Big Ten in steals (8.4 spg) and are third in blocked shots (4.9 bpg).
  • Only one opponent has shot over 50 percent against Nebraska in the last 41 games dating back to last season. In 2018-19, NU has held 15 of its 16 opponents under 50 percent shooting, as only Minnesota has shot over 50 percent in that stretch.
  • NU limited nine of its 16 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 55th in Kenpom's adjusted defense through Jan. 11.
  • The Huskers have held six opponents to their lowest offensive total of the season.
  • Under Miles, the Huskers are 49-5 (.907) when holding opponents under 60 points. 

Continued Defensive Improvement

 

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)

61.4 (2)

FG Pct. Def.

.447 (13)

.459 (13)

.423 (6)

.411 (2)

.384 (2)

3-Pt. Pct. Def.

.399 (14)

.425 (14)

.322 (2)

.279 (1)

.286 (2)

 

  NEW NUMBER, SAME GAME FOR PALMER 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 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

  • He is among the Big Ten leaders in scoring (third), steals (fourth), free throw percentage (.800, 11th) and 3-pointers per game (2.1, 12th), while he is also second on NU in assists.
  • Palmer is challenging to be the first Husker to average 20.0 ppg since Tyronn Lue averaged 21.2 ppg in 1997-98. Only six Husker players have ever averaged 20.0 in a season.
  • Palmer has shown the ability to get to the free throw line, as he ranks in the top-10 nationally in both free throws (100, ninth) and attempts (125, 11th), while shooting a career best 80.0 percent from the foul line. Entering this year, Palmer was a career 72 percent shooter. 
  • He is the only power conference player, and one of just nine players nationally to hit 100 free throws this season and shoot 80 percent from the foul line as of Jan. 11.
  • His Husker career scoring average of 18.0 points per game is eighth among all power conference players spanning the last two seasons. The Big Ten features three of the top eight with Purdue's Carsen Edwards and Wisconsin's Ethan Happ.
  • Palmer has reached double figures in 46 of 49 career games at Nebraska, including 16 20-point efforts and a pair of 30-point performances. 
  • Since Dec. 1, Palmer is averaging 21.0 points and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from 3-point range.
  • Palmer led NU with 26 points at Maryland while adding seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals. 
  • Palmer shouldered the scoring load in the win over Oklahoma State with a game-high 29 points, including 14-of-15 shooting from the foul line. 
  • Palmer enjoyed one of the best performances of his career, scoring 30 points against Creighton. The effort included a career-high six 3-pointers. 
  • 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 29 points against Seton Hall, the third-highest scoring night in his career, as he scored 18 of his points in the second half. 

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.

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 Indiana game averaging 13.4 points per game on 46 percent shooting, including 42 percent from 3-point range. He is also averaging career bests in assists (4.1 apg), rebounds (4.1 rpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.1-to-1).

  • His assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.10-to-1 this season is on pace to break the school record of 3.04-to-1 by Brian Carr in 1985-86.
  • Watson has been in double figures in 13 of 16 contests, including his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists in the win over Cal State Fullerton.
  • His on-ball defense has been instrumental in Nebraska ranking among the national leaders in field goal and scoring defense.
  • Watson comes off a strong perfomance at Penn State with 19 points and three assists. He scored eight straight Husker points late in the second half to extend a one-point lead. 
  • 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 2.19-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and has more steals (157) than turnovers (152) 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) in his first year at NU, setting personal bests in all three areas and earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. 

Copeland has improved many of his numbers in 2018-19, as he averages 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. 

  • Copeland has reached double figures 13 times in 16 games, including a trio of 20-point efforts. 
  • He led Nebraka with a season-high 24-point effort at Iowa while adding six rebounds, two steals and two assists.
  • Copeland had 16 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists in the win over Oklahoma State, keying the Huskers' comeback in the first half with five straight points as part of an 11-2 run.
  • 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 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 (Philadelphia).
  • 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.

ROBY FILLS STAT SHEET Isaiah Roby compliments the Husker attack with a unique skill set. The 6-foot-8 junior comes into the Indiana game averaging 11.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.  Roby leads the Huskers in blocked shots and rebounding and is the only Big Ten player ranked in the top 10 in the conference in both blocked shots and steals as of Jan. 11. In addition, he is one of only seven players nationally and three in power conferences averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. 

  • Roby has played some of his best basketball over the past month, averaging 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game over his last seven contests dating back to Dec. 5.
  • He put together his best performance of the year in the Huskers' win over Penn State, totaling 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting, along with season bests in rebounds (11) and blocked shots (four).
  • He enjoyed a solid performance against Iowa, finishing with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting and a season-high nine rebounds despite foul trouble.
  • He scored a career-high 20 points against Cal State Fullerton. Roby topped his previous best of 18 points set as a sophomore at Minnesota, while also topping the Huskers with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. 
  • Roby put together a complete game in the win over Creighton, setting then-season highs in points (15), rebounds (eight) and assists (four) along with a pair of blocks against the Bluejays. 
  • 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 23-8 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. 

THE A TEAM: ALLEN AND AKENTEN One of the biggest questions entering the season was who would emerge as the Huskers' fifth starter. Sophomores Thomas Allen and Nana Akenten have shared the duties and provided the Huskers with an offensive punch. 

  • Allen has started most of the season and is averaging 8.8 points per game on 49 percent shooting, including 39 percent from 3-point range, while chipping in 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He has been in double figures five times, including four of the last seven contests.
  • Allen is third in the Big Ten in steals per games and is second on the team in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.94-to-1).
  • He has been playing well over the last nine contests, averaging 10.4 points per game on 56 percent shooting along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He also has a 3.16-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in that stretch. 
  • Allen had a career-high 18 points, five assists and four rebounds against Creighton and had 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Oklahoma State after missing most of the week with an illness. 
  • Akenten has started twice and is averaging 5.4 points per game on 41 percent shooting. He is shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range and has given the Huskers a pair of double-figure efforts.
  • He had a career-high 18 points off the bench against Mississippi Valley State, including five 3-pointers, in just 13 minutes. He also had 11 points in the win over Missouri State and nine points in a start against Cal State Fullerton.

FILLING UP PINNACLE BANK ARENA Pinnacle Bank Arena will be full once again in 2018-19, as the NU Athletic Ticket Office announced on September 25 that general public season tickets were sold out for the 2018-19 season. In all, nearly 15,000 season tickets have been sold for the 2018-19 season, including the Red Zone student section. 

Since moving into PBA in 2013-14, the Huskers have ranked in the top-15 in attendance nationally all five years, and are one of only nine schools in the country to average 15,000+ fans per contest in that span.  

PROTECTING THE VAULT The Huskers have been strong at protecting its home court at Pinnacle Bank Arena since it opened in 2013-14. 

  • NU has won its last 20 games at home following the 70-64 win over Penn State on Jan. 10. The win streak is the longest among power conference schools and third-longest home win streak nationally. The streak tied the school record which was originally set spanning the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons.
  • Of the 20 wins in the current streak, 14 have come by double-digits, including eight of nine in 2018-19.
  • The Huskers have won their last 11 Big Ten home games dating back to the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
  • NU has posted a 68-24 (.739) record in Pinnacle Bank Arena since it opened in 2013.
  • Nebraska went a perfect 9-0 at home in Big Ten play in 2017-18, the first time NU went unbeaten in conference play at home since the 1965-66 season.