Huskers Host Iowa on Senior Day Sunday Afternoon

GAME 31: VS. IOWA Date: Sun., March 10 Time: 1:07 p.m. (CT)  Arena: Pinnacle Bank Arena Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 2018-19 Record: 15-15, 5-14 Big Ten Head coach: Tim Miles   Record at Nebraska: 112-112 (7th year)   Career Record: 395-332 (24th year) IOWA HAWKEYES 2018-19 Record: 21-9, 10-9 Big Ten Head coach: Fran McCaffery   Record at Iowa: 172-129 (9th year)   Career Record: 423-206 (23rd year) BROADCAST INFO Television: BTN   Play-by-play: Kevin Kugler    Analysis: Shon Morris  Internet: Fox Sports app and BTN2Go 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: 108        XM: 195    Internet: 957 SENIOR DAY Pregame Senior Day ceremonies will begin around 12:40 p.m.

The Husker men's basketball team closes out the regular season on Sunday afternoon, as Nebraska welcomes the Iowa Hawkeyes for Senior Day. Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for shortly after 1 p.m. and a limited number of returned tickets are available on Huskers.com/Tickets or at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Ticket Office beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. 

The matchup of the Huskers and Hawkeyes will be televised nationally on BTN with Kevin Kugler and Shon Morris on the call. The matchup will also be available on the Fox Sports App and BTN2Go 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 both Sirius and XM Radio. The pregame show begins one hour prior to tipoff on many of the Husker Sports Network affiliates.

The Huskers (15-15, 5-14 Big Ten) look to get back above the .500 mark following a 91-76 loss at No. 9 Michigan State on Tuesday. The Huskers got season highs from both James Palmer Jr. (30) and Glynn Watson Jr. (25), but Michigan State shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 12-of-24 from 3-point range, to move into a share of the Big Ten lead heading into the final weekend.

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Huskers are locked in as the No. 13 seed for the Big Ten Tournament and could play either Rutgers, Illinois or Penn State on Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. depending on the other games this weekend. 

Sunday's game will mark the final regular-season home appearance for five Huskers - Tanner Borchardt, Isaac Copeland Jr., James Palmer Jr., Johnny Trueblood and Glynn Watson Jr. - as Senior Day ceremonies will begin around 12:40 p.m. The group has combined for nearly 3,400 points along with more than 1,150 rebounds and 625 assists during their time as Huskers. 

Iowa (21-9, 10-9 Big Ten) has dropped three straight following a 65-45 loss to No. 21 Wisconsin on Thursday evening. The Hawkeyes were held to 30 percent shooting, including 5-of-22 from 3-point range. Jordan Bohannon and Ryan Kriener led the Hawkeyes with eight points apiece.

OPENING NUMBER
3,388 - Points that Nebraska's senior class has scored as Huskers, including 1,000-point scorers James Palmer Jr. and Glynn Watson Jr.

NUMBERS TO KNOW 5 - With a team-high 61 3-pointers this year, Glynn Watson Jr. is five 3-pointers away from 10th on NU's single-season list (Brian Conklin, 2003-04).

16.2 - Points per game for Glynn Watson Jr. over the last six games dating back to Feb. 13. He has posted three of his four highest scoring games of the season in that stretch.

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

44 - Points that James Palmer Jr. needs to be the sixth Husker to score at least 600 points in a season and the first since Tyronn Lue in 1997-98. Palmer currently sits ninth on NU's single-season scoring list and needs just 13 points to climb to seventh. 

227 - Number of free throws James Palmer Jr. has shot this year, a total which is 11th nationally as of March 6. He will break NU's single-season free throw record with his first attempt as he is tied with Kimani Ffriend (1999-2000), and is five made free throws away from tying Jack Moore's record of 184 set in 1979-80.  

SCOUTING IOWA Iowa is 21-9 on the year following a 65-45 loss at No. 21 Wisconsin Thursday evening. Under Coach Fran McCaffery, who returns from a two-game suspension on Sunday, the Hawkeyes are in sixth place in the Big Ten with a 10-9 mark and will be either the sixth or seventh seed in next week's Big Ten Tournament depending on this weekend's games. Iowa has dropped four of their last five games following a 20-5 start. The Hawkeyes provided its share of dramatic moments, including buzzer beaters against Northwestern, when they rallied from a 19-point deficit, and at Rutgers.  Iowa went 11-0 in non-conference games, including a win over Iowa State. 

The Hawkeyes' strength is an offensive attack that is shooting 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range to rank second in the Big Ten in scoring at 78.6 points per game. Iowa is among the nation's best at getting to the foul line, as they make an average of nearly 19 free throws per game while leading the conference in free throw percentage (.747). 

The Hawkeyes are one of the most experienced teams in college basketball, as they returned all five starters. Junior forward Tyler Cook has been the Hawkeyes primary threat, as he paces the squad in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg) while forward Luka Garza is at 12.6 ppg and 4.5 rpg. In the backcourt, two-year starters Jordan Bohannon (11.5 ppg, 69 3-pointers) and Isaiah Moss (9.1 ppg) are joined by freshman Joe Wieskamp, who averages 10.9 ppg. 

SERIES HISTORY The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 20-11 in a series that dates back to 1907. It is NU’s third-oldest series against a Big Ten foe, as only NU’s series with Minnesota and Wisconsin have been around longer.  The teams had not met since 1976 before NU joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. Nebraska is 4-8 against the Hawkeyes since joining the Big Ten and the teams have split the last four meetings with the home team coming out victorious. NU is 9-5 in Lincoln against the Hawkeyes, including 2-1 in Pinnacle Bank Arena.

LAST MEETING VS. IOWA Isaac Copeland Jr. scored a season-high 24 points, but it was not enough as No. 24 Nebraska lost a battle of top-25 teams, falling to No. 25 Iowa, 93-84, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 6.

The 3-point line was a major factor, as Iowa made six more threes than the Huskers. Nebraska hit two of its first four 3-pointers but missed 17 of its final 19 attempts, connecting on just 4-of-23 from beyond the arc on the game. While the Huskers struggled to find their range, Iowa was 10-of-22 from the 3-point line, in addition to going 29-of-32 at the free-throw line. Nebraska made three more field goals and had five fewer turnovers than Iowa, but Iowa out-rebounded Nebraska by nine.

Copeland scored his 24 points in only 30 minutes, and he added six rebounds. James Palmer Jr. added 20 points and four assists, while Isaiah Roby hit 8-of-10 shots from the floor to finish with 17 points and nine rebounds. Thomas Allen rounded out the quartet of Huskers in double figures with 10 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists.

LAST TIME OUT James Palmer Jr. and Glynn Watson Jr. combined for 55 points Tuesday night in East Lansing, but No. 9 Michigan State used a hot-shooting first half to hold off the Huskers, 91-76, at the Breslin Center. Palmer tied his season high with 30 points – his second 30-point effort of the year and third of his career – while Watson tied his season high with 25 points. But the effort of Nebraska’s seniors was matched by a pair of Michigan State seniors, as Kenny Goins scored a career-high 24 points for the Spartans and Matt McQuaid added a career-high 22 points.

Michigan State, which had four players in double figures, shot 53 percent from the field and the Spartans were 12-of-24 from the 3-point line. Nebraska knocked down 10 3-pointers, but the Huskers shot only 37 percent overall and were just 14-of-24 from the free-throw line. Palmer and Watson combined for nine of Nebraska’s 10 threes, while Isaiah Roby had an impressive stat line with 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Nebraska outscored Michigan State 47-44 in the second half, but the Huskers could not overcome an 18-point halftime deficit. Nebraska led five minutes into the game before Michigan State used a 16-2 run to seize control and the Spartans never trailed again, although the Huskers cut a 20-point deficit to as few as seven midway through the second half.

WORTH NOTING

• Isaiah Roby will honor senior Isaac Copeland Jr., as he will be No. 14 for Sunday's game against the Hawkeyes. Copeland suffered a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 26 against Ohio State.
• Nebraska's defense has been significantly better at home than on the road in conference play. In its nine home games, the Huskers are allowing 16.3 fewer points while holding opponents to just 40 percent shooting, including 31 percent from 3-point range. Purdue is the only Big Ten team to score more than 70 points against NU in PBA this season.

Category	Opponent PPG	Opp. FG Pct.	Opp. 3pt Pct.	Record
B1G Home	63.6	.400	.314	4-5
B1G Road	79.9	.490	.434	1-9

• Nebraska is 52nd in the NET rankings released on March 8. NU has played 22 of its 29 Division I games against teams in Quadrants 1-2. In all, 18 of Nebraska's 20 Big Ten games were against teams in the top two quadrants, as Iowa is currently in Quad 2 and 45th in the NET as of March 8.
• According to Kenpom, Nebraska's strength of schedule is fourth nationally as of March 8, as 11 of the 20 toughest schedules are by Big Ten teams.  Since joining the Big Ten in 2010-11, this year could mark the fifth time in eight years that Nebraska has had a top-20 schedule according to the Kenpom rankings (2011-12; 2012-13; 2013-14; 2016-17; 2018-19).  
• 11 of Nebraska's 15 losses have been to teams who have been ranked in the top-15 at some point in the season (Texas Tech, Maryland-2x, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue-2x and Michigan). In all, Nebraska has faced nine ranked teams this season, one off the school record for a season.
• With Sunday's game already sold out, Nebraska will break its single-season attendance average in 2018-19. NU currently ranks 10th nationally in attendance at 15,639 per game as of March 6.  The school record for average attendance is 15,569 set during the 2014-15 season. 
• The Big Ten currently has 10 of the top 25 average attendances in the country as of March 8. 
• James Palmer Jr. has posted 14 20-point games this season, a total that is the most by a Husker since Tyronn Lue had 16 20-point games in 1997-98.  The school record for 20-point games in a season is 21 by Dave Hoppen in 1984-85. Palmer has a total of 22 games in his career with at least 30 points. 
• Palmer's 30-point performance at Michigan State was the third 30-point game of his career at Nebraska. Only eight players have had more 30-point games in a career than Palmer. His 30-point outburst vs. MSU was the most by a Spartan opponent since Brad Davison of Wisconsin had 30 in February of 2018.
• Palmer could also break a pair of single-season school records on Sunday, as he shares the school record with Kimani Ffriend for most free throw attempts (227) while he ranks second in free throws with 179. Jack Moore holds NU's single-season mark with 184 free throws in 1979-80.
• Glynn Watson Jr. is one of only six players in school history with at least 1,400 points and 300 assists, joining Eric Piatkowski, Jaron Boone, Erick Strickland, Tyronn Lue and Cookie Belcher. 
• Glynn Watson Jr. is one of six players currently on NU's top-10 list in both assists and steals, joining Brian Carr (1984-87), Cookie Belcher (1997-2001), Tyronn Lue (1996-98), Erick Strickland (1993-96) and Clifford Scales (1998-91). Watson is currently in eighth place on NU's assist list (358) and fifth on NU's steals list (171).
• Isaiah Roby is currently the only Big Ten player who ranks in the top 10 in both steals (1.3, eighth) and blocked shots (1.7, fifth). If he continues at that pace, he will be just the fifth Big Ten player in the last 25 years to average at least 1.3 steals and blocks per game. 
• On Tuesday at Michigan State, Roby became just the second Husker to record 50 blocked shots and 50 assists in consecutive seasons, joining Venson Hamilton (1997-98, 1998-99). In all, only four Huskers - Roby, Hamilton, Aleks Maric and Rich King - have had 50 blocks and 50 assists in a season. 
• Former walk-on Tanner Borchardt has stepped into a crucial role for the Huskers following Isaac Copeland's injury. Borchardt is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game over the Huskers' last 11 contests and is averaging 27.2 minutes per game. Prior to Copeland's injury, Borchardt averaged just 2.9 rebounds per game in 12.3 minutes per contest and had never played more than 20 minutes in a game in his college career. 
• With Thomas Allen's ankle injury, freshman Amir Harris made his first career start at Michigan State. Harris became the first freshman to start a game in 61 games dating back to March 2, 2017. 
• Balance has been key for the Husker attack this season. When NU has at least three double-figure scorers, the Huskers are 13-10, but just 2-6 when less than three NU players are in double figures.

HUSKERS LIMIT TURNOVERS Nebraska has done an exceptional job of limiting turnovers this season. The Huskers are on pace to shatter the school record for fewest turnovers per game.  Nebraska is currently seventh nationally in that category with an average of 9.7 per game.

• Since Dec. 3, NU is averaging less than nine turnovers per game, and has not had more than 12 in a game in that stretch. 
• NU has committed 10 or fewer turnovers in eight of the last 10 games, including a season low of five against No. 24 Maryland on Feb. 6 and against No. 15 Purdue on Feb. 23.
• Four of the five lowest turnover per game totals have come in Tim Miles' seven seasons at Nebraska.
• Three of the top seven teams in terms of turnovers per game are in the Big Ten, as NU is joined by Michigan (first) and Wisconsin (second). 

HUSKER OFFENSIVE NOTES Despite the offensive struggles since Isaac Copeland's season-ending injury, NU comes into the Iowa game averaging 71.4 points per game. The Huskers have scored at least 70 points 16 times, including seven games of at least 80 points.

• Nebraska is 38th nationally in offensive efficiency according to Kenpom through March 8. Only the 2003-04 team (25th) has had a more efficient offense in the Kempom's rankings since the site began tracking data in 2000-01.
• Over the last four years (2015-16 to present), Nebraska has averaged around 90th nationally in the Kenpom offensive efficiency after being 185th during Tim Miles' first three seasons (2012-13 to 2014-15).  
• Nebraska is 14-7 when averaging at least one point per possession this season, but 1-8 when held under one point per possession. 
• Over the last seven games, NU is shooting 40 percent from the field, including 34 percent from 3-point range and averaging 65.0 ppg. The Huskers' 76 points at Michigan State on Tuesday was their highest total since Jan. 6. In a six-game stretch from Jan. 17-Feb. 6, NU shot just 33 percent and averaged 58.8 points per game.  
• The Huskers scored 106 points against Mississippi Valley State, the Huskers' highest total since the 2005-06 campaign. 
• 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.

DOING IT WITH DEFENSE For Nebraska, the biggest thing over the last two seasons 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.  That has continued during the 2018-19 season entering the final week of the regular season.

• NU ranks 45th nationally in scoring defense (65.9) and 61st in field goal percentage (.414) as of March 7.
• Nebraska's opponents are shooting .414 from the field, which ranks among the best numbers since the 3-point line was established in 1987-88. 
• Only five opponents have shot over 50 percent against Nebraska in the last 54 games dating back to last season. In 2018-19, NU has held 25 of its 30 opponents under 50 percent shooting.
• NU has held its last 33 opponents at home to under 50 percent dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season. 
• Under Miles, the Huskers are 51-5 (.911) when holding foes under 60 points, including 17-0 the past three years.
• Under Miles, the Huskers are 59-19 (.756) when holding opponents under 40 percent shooting, including 22-5 (.815) over the past three seasons. 

PALMER POSTS CONSECUTIVE 500-POINT SEASONS Nebraska senior guard James Palmer Jr. became the eighth Husker player to record consecutive 500-point seasons at Nebraska following his 24-point effort at Penn State on Feb. 19. He is the first Husker to accomplish the feat since Terran Petteway in 2013-14 and 2014-15.  The others on the list include Jerry Fort (1974-75 & 1975-76), Dave Hoppen (1983-84 & 1984-85), Eric Piatkowski (1992-93 & 1993-94), Erick Strickland (1994-95 & 1995-96), Tyronn Lue (1996-97 & 1997-98) and Aleks Maric (2006-07 & 2007-08).

PALMER LOOKS TO JOIN 500/100 CLUB Senior guard James Palmer Jr. could become only the fifth player in school history to have 500 points and 100 assists in the same season.  Palmer, who already has 536 points, needs just nine assists to join Erick Strickland, Jaron Boone, Tyronn Lue and Tai Webster as the only Huskers to score 500 points and dish out 100 assists in a season.

NEW GAME, SAME NUMBER 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. Earlier this season, he was named to the midseason watch list for both the Wooden and Lute Olson awards, and is currently averaging 18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

• He is among the Big Ten leaders in scoring (fourth), assists (12th), steals (fourth) and free throw percentage (.789, eighth).
• Palmer's scoring average is the highest by a Husker since Tyronn Lue averaged 21.2 ppg in 1997-98, while his 566 points is ninth in school history.
• He is on pace to post one of the highest scoring averages in Nebraska history. Only two players - Terran Petteway and Dave Hoppen - have averaged 18.0 ppg as a Husker during their career.
• Palmer has reached double figures in 59 of 63 career games at Nebraska, including 22 20-point efforts and a trio of 30-point performances.
• Palmer has shown the ability to get to the free throw line, as he ranks in the top-15 nationally in both free throws (179, 12th) and attempts (226, 11th), while shooting a career best 78.9 percent from the foul line. Entering this year, Palmer was a career 72 percent shooter.  As of March 8, Palmer leads all power conference players in free throw attempts and is second in free throws made. 
• He joined an exclusive club at Nebraska on Feb. 6, as he became the Huskers' 30th 1,000-point scorer. He reached the 1,000-point mark in 56 career games, the second-fastest player to reach that milestone. He is also just the third player to reach 1,000 points in his first two seasons at NU, joining Terran Petteway and Dave Hoppen. 
• Palmer tied his career high with 30 points at No. 9 Michigan State on March 5. His 30 point effort, which included four 3-pointers, was the most against the Spartans this season.  
• He enjoyed a 24-point effort against Minnesota when he had a game-high 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting and went 8-of-10 from the line, including a pair of free throws with 1.1 seconds left to give Nebraska a 62-61 win.
• Palmer had 24 points, including 11-of-11 from the foul line, and a team-high eight caroms against No. 6 Michigan State.
• He put together one of his best all-around games at No. 25 Indiana with 11 points along with a career-high nine rebounds and seven assists.
• Palmer led NU with 26 points at Maryland while adding seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals. 
• Palmer enjoyed one of the best performances of his career with a 30-point game against Creighton. The effort included a career-high six 3-pointers. 

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. 

WATSON KEYS HUSKER ATTACK Glynn Watson Jr. is in his fourth year as Nebraska's starting point guard and is currently averaging 12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. 

• Watson will make his 108th career start on Sunday which ranks fourth in school history. He will also move into third place on NU's games played list with his 129th appearance on Sunday afternoon.
• His on-ball defense has been instrumental in Nebraska ranking among the national leaders in field goal and scoring defense, as he can switch on bigger guards and some forwards.
• Watson has been in double figures 21 times this season, including his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists in the win over Cal State Fullerton.
• He comes off a strong performance at No. 9 Michigan State with 25 points, including five 3-pointers, along with four rebounds and four assists while limiting Cassius Winston to eight points. It was Watson's third 20-point effort of the season and 14th of his career.
• He enjoyed his best offensive game of the season against No. 15 Purdue on Feb. 23 with a 25 points, including five 3-pointers, whole holding Carsen Edwards to just 3-of-16 shooting.
• Watson put together a strong effort against Minnesota on Feb. 13, finishing with 19 points, while limiting Amir Coffey to 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
• Watson led NU to a win over 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.
• He showed his playmaking ability by dishing out eight assists and totaling 14 points in the win over Seton Hall. 
• 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. 

ROBY FILLS STAT SHEET Isaiah Roby compliments the Husker attack with a unique skill set. The 6-foot-8 junior averages 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.  He 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 March 7.

• He is one of only five players nationally and three in power conferences averaging at least 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game as of March 3. The others are Duke's Zion Williamson and Washington's Matisse Thybulle.
• Roby went over 50 blocks and 50 assists for the second straight year following his performance at Michigan State. He is only the second player in school history to have consecutive 50-block, 50-assist seasons, joining 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year Venson Hamilton.
• Over his last seven games, Roby is averaging 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game.
• Roby enjoyed one of his best performances against Northwestern on Feb. 16, as he had 19 points, 16 rebounds, five blocked shots, two steals and two assists in NU's 59-50 win. His 16 rebounds was a career high while his five blocked shots matched a season best. 
• He collected his second double-double against No. 24 Maryland on Feb. 6 with 20 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and a season-high five blocked shots. 
• Roby put together a strong effort against No. 24 Wisconsin on Jan. 29 with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. 
• He keyed NU's 70-64 win over Penn State with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting, along with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.