ebraska Basketball ebraska Basketball ebraska Basketball ebraska Basketball Nebraska Basketball + Iowa State Cyclones (13-8, 3-3 Big 12)

Transcription

1 Nebraska Basketball + Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-6, 1-4 Big 12) Head Coach: Doc Sadler Record at Nebraska: (2 years) Career Division I Record: (4 years) Career Record: (9 years) Assistant Coaches: Philip Mathews, Tony Benford, David Anwar + Game Information Game: Game 19 Game Date: Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008 Game Time: 3:01 p.m. CST Release Date: Friday, Feb. 1, 2008 Television: ESPN Plus (Dan McLaughlin, play-by-play; Paul Splittorff, color) Radio: Husker Sports Network (Kent Pavelka, play-by-play; Matt Davison, color) Internet: Huskers.com (live radio, stats) Satellite Radio: Nebraska broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 119 Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) + Huskers Start Busy February Home Stretch Against Cyclones Following one of the toughest opening stretches for any team in Big 12 Conference play this season, the Nebraska men's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Bob Devaney Sports Center this weekend to kick off a February full of home contests. The Huskers will play eight games in the month with five of the contests taking place on their home court, where NU has won better than 75 percent of its games in the past 31 years. The Huskers open the month against the Iowa State Cyclones in a game set to tip off at 3:01 p.m. Saturday. The contest that will be telecast regionally on ESPN Plus (Channel 8 KLKN in Lincoln; Channel 15 KXVO in Omaha; KIIT in North Platte) with Dan McLaughlin (play-by-play) and Paul Splittorff (color) calling the game. Coverage areas for Saturday's showdown include: KMCI in Kansas City; WOI in Des Moines; KFXA in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; KQEG in LaCrosse, Wis.; KMIZ in Columbia, Mo.; KXLT in Rochester, Minn.; and Spencer Utilities and Cable One in Sioux City, Iowa. The Nebraska-Iowa State contest can be heard live on the radio on the Husker Sports Network, consisting of 30 stations around Nebraska and Iowa that provide coverage of Nebraska athletic events. Veteran play-by-play man Kent Pavelka will call the action while former Husker Matt Davison adds color commentary. The broadcast will be carried around the world live on the Internet on Huskers.com. NU men's basketball games can typically also be heard on satellite radio. This week against ISU, the Huskers' broadcast will be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio on channel 119. The Huskers look forward to getting back into action as they will carry some momentum into the weekend after picking up their first league win of the year on Wednesday. The Huskers, who faced top-five Kansas twice and Baylor in their first four league games, were the last team in the conference to win a Big 12 contest this year after picking up a win over Missouri in Columbia. + Iowa State Cyclones (13-8, 3-3 Big 12) Head Coach: Greg McDermott Record at ISU: (2 years) Career Division I Record: (7 years) Career Record: (14 years) Assistant Coaches: Jeff Rutter, Jean Prioleau, T.J. Otzelberger HUSKERS.COM + Special Events Saturday Two special events will be planned around Saturday's contests vs. Iowa State. The annual Red Cross Appreciation Day will take place at the Devaney Center, with the Red Cross 'passing the bucket' at halftime. The Cornhusker Chapter of the American Red Cross supports youth and college programs, CPR training, blood collection services, disaster response training, and several other programs that help Lincoln and southern Nebraska communities as well as those in need nationwide. Also Saturday, the staffs from both teams will take part in the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend, sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Feb The staffs will wear tennis shoes with their suits, a lasting image of how coaches across the country to show their support in the fight against cancer and help raise awareness about the importance of cancer prevention and early detection. More than 500 coaches have raised nearly $40 million to help fight cancer since The Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center has provided 300 tickets to cancer survivors and their families in the Lincoln area for Saturday's game. For the Huskers to make it two straight wins, NU will need several top performances like it received Wednesday. Junior guard Steve Harley continued his strong recent play, picking up a team-high 15 points and five rebounds while sophomore guard Ryan Anderson posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Harley's basket with 1:17 remaining gave NU a two-point cushion and Anderson's steal and layup with less than 20 seconds left sealed the victory Nebraska Schedule Date Opponent (TV)...Time/Result Nov. 2 Nebraska Wesleyan (exh.)... W, Nov. 6 Wayne State (exh.)... W, Nov. 10 Presbyterian... W, Nov. 17 Alabama A&M... W, Nov. 20 Norfolk State... W, Nov. 24 vs. Creighton...L, Nov. 26 IPFW... W, Dec. 2 Arizona State (ESPNU)... W, Dec. 5 at Western Kentucky (FSN Midwest)...L, (ot) Dec. 9 Rutgers (FSN Midwest^)... W, Dec. 11 Savannah State... W, Dec. 15 vs. No. 16 Oregon#... W, (ot) Dec. 22 North Carolina Central... W, Dec. 29 Alcorn State... W, Jan. 4 Maryland Eastern Shore... W, Jan. 12 No. 3 Kansas (ESPN)... L, Jan. 15 at Colorado* (FSN Midwest^)...L, Jan. 19 Baylor* (ESPN Plus)... L, Jan. 26 at No. 2 Kansas* (ESPN Plus)...L, Jan. 30 at Missouri* (FSN Midwest^)...W, Feb. 2 Iowa State* (ESPN Plus)...3 p.m. Feb. 6 at Kansas State* (FSN Midwest^)...7 p.m. Feb. 9 Texas Tech* (ESPN Plus)...3 p.m. Feb. 13 Missouri*...7 p.m. Feb. 16 at Iowa State* (ESPN Plus)...3 p.m. Feb. 20 Kansas State* (ESPN2)...8 p.m. Feb. 23 at Texas A&M* (ESPN Plus)...3 p.m. Feb. 27 Oklahoma*...7 p.m. March 1 at Oklahoma State* (ESPN Plus)...12:30 p.m. March 4 at Texas* (FSN Midwest^)...6:30 p.m. March 9 Colorado* (FSN Midwest)...2 p.m. March at Big 12 Championship (ESPN Plus)... TBA (Kansas City) *Big 12 Conference game #- at Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. ^-also available nationally on ESPN FullCourt (by subscription only) Possible Lineups Nebraska Cornhuskers Yr. Ht. Wt. Ppg. Rpg. G Cookie Miller Fr * G Steve Harley Jr G Ade Dagunduro Jr G Ryan Anderson So C Aleks Maric Sr Iowa State Cyclones Yr. Ht. Wt. Ppg. Rpg. G Sean Haluska Jr G Bryan Petersen Jr * F Rahshon Clark Sr F Craig Brackens Fr C Jiri Hubalek Sr *assists + Coming Up Nebraska hits the road where it will take on a ranked team for the third time in seven league contests as it faces Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. before NU returns home for four of its next six games, including two straight against Texas Tech and Missouri. + Weekly Media Planner... Note: Media interviews typically take place before practice. Practices are typically open to the public. Friday Feb. 1 Saturday Feb. 2 Sunday Feb. 3 Monday Feb. 4 Tuesday Feb. 5 Wednesday Feb. 6 Thursday Feb. 7 Practice at Devaney Center 4:30 p.m. (Interviews before) vs. Iowa State Devaney Center 3 p.m. TV: ESPN Plus Off Practice at Devaney Center 1:30 p.m. (Interviews before) Practice at Devaney Center 1:30 p.m. (Interviews before) at Kansas State Bramlage Coliseum 7 p.m. TV: FSN Midwest/ ESPN FullCourt Practice at Devaney Center 1:30 p.m. (Interviews before) Nebraska Men's Basketball

2 Nebraska Numerical Roster Nebraska Stats No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Previous School) PPG RPG A B S 1 Sek Henry* G So. Los Angeles, Calif. (Lynwood/Patterson (N.C.) School) Nick Krenk*# G Jr. Nebraska City, Neb. (Nebraska City) Brandon Richardson G Fr. Los Angeles, Calif. (Hawthorne) Redshirting in Steve Harley G Jr. Temple Hills, Md. (Marriott/South Plains (Texas) College) Jay-R Strowbridge* G So. Ardmore, Ala. (Sparkman) Ade Dagunduro G Jr. Inglewood, Calif. (Inglewood/Antelope Valley CC) Alonzo Edwards F Fr. Houston, Texas (Klein Forest) Redshirting in Shang Ping F Jr. Haerbin, China (Illinois Central CC) Aleks Maric*** C Sr. Sydney, Australia (Australian Institute for Sport/Life Center (N.J.) Academy) Mike Diacos# G Fr. Ventura, Calif. (Camarillo) Redshirting in Cookie Miller G Fr. Charleston, W. Va. (Capital/Harmony Community (Ohio) School) Paul Velander**# G Jr. Blacksburg, Va. (Blacksburg) Toney McCray G Fr. Missouri City, Texas (Fort Bend Elkins) Redshirting in Alex Chapman F So. Canby, Ore. (Canby/Sheridan (Wyo.) College) Redshirting in Chris Balham* F So. Kansas City, Kan. (Shawnee Mission West) Andrew Wicklund# G RFr. Colorado Springs, Colo. (Rampart) Ben Nelson*# F Jr. Atwater, Minn. (Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City) Cole Salomon# G So. Omaha, Neb. (Millard North/Nebraska-Kearney) Ryan Anderson* G So. Seattle, Wash. (Rainier Beach) *-letters earned #-walk-on + Team Comparison ( ) Nebraska...Opponents Points per game Scoring margin Field goal percentage pt. field goal percentage pt. field goal made per game Free throw percentage per game Rebound margin Assists per game Turnovers per game Steals per game Blocks per game Iowa State...Opponents Points per game Scoring margin Field goal percentage pt. field goal percentage pt. field goal made per game Free throw percentage per game Rebound margin Assists per game Turnovers per game Steals per game Blocks per game The Series The Huskers and Cyclones are meeting for the 235th time in series history with NU holding a lead. Iowa State won both the matchups last year after the teams split the season series for five straight years. The Cyclones enter this weekend's matchup riding a three-game winning streak in the Devaney Center, tying for the longest streak since winning four straight games in Lincoln between 1944 and NU is overall against Iowa State at home, including in the Devaney Center. + Stat to Watch Nebraska has applied solid defensive pressure all season long and is currently averaging 8.9 steals per game to rank fourth in the Big 12 Conference standings. The Huskers' current average is their highest since posting 10.9 steals per game during the campaign Nebraska Men's Basketball + Maric Finds Success vs. ISU Nebraska has lost three straight games to Iowa State in the Devaney Center and for that streak to stop this weekend senior Aleks Maric will have be at the center of the Huskers' game plan. Maric has found a great amount of success against the Cyclones in his career, both at home and on the road. He set the NU sophomore single-game scoring record with 37 points on 13-of-15 shooting in Ames in Maric followed with 36 points on 15-of-30 shooting against ISU at home last season. In the past two seasons against ISU, Maric has averaged 26.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in four contests. He has hit 40-of-65 from the field in that span and gotten to the free throw line 39 times (made 26, 66.7 percent). Last year, Maric averaged 28.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in two contests against ISU. + Harley Riding High Adjusting to the Division I grind is tough for most players, even two-time junior college All-Americans. But Steve Harley, the highly touted guard from South Plains (Texas) College, has looked to finally be on track in the past three contests after struggling to find his groove early in the season. Harley, a native of Temple Hills, Md., has averaged a team-best 15.3 points per game over the past three contests against league foes Baylor, Kansas and Missouri. He averaged just 6.0 points per game in the first 14 contests of his career. Harley set a career high in consecutive games, posting 15 points against the Bears and 16 points on the road against the second-ranked Jayhawks. Harley, who had a team-high 15 points at Missouri, has hit a solid 17-of-36 (47.2 percent) from the field the past three games while continuing to become more comfortable in the Husker offense. The multi-talented Harley has done a little of everything for the Huskers this season as he has also added 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game while coming off the bench in 12 of 17 games played. Harley had scored 16 points in his first three starts (vs. IPFW, Arizona State and N.C. Central) before matching that total in his first conference start in Allen Fieldhouse. + Henry Breaks Out Long Ball Sophomore guard Sek Henry has always had a solid offensive game according to Coach Doc Sadler, so it is no surprise that it has been on the defensive end where Henry has made his most improvements. Henry has struggled to find a balance between offense and defense, but started to show signs of finding a comfortable middle ground in a road victory against Missouri. Henry kept the Huskers afloat in the first half, scoring 12 points in the opening frame on a career-high four 3-pointers. He entered the Missouri contest with just eight 3-pointers in the first 17 games of the season. He has now hit 6-of-10 from beyond the arc in the past three games. Henry, who finished the contest with MU with 14 points, became the fourth Husker with at least four treys in a game this season. He joined Jay-R Strowbridge (4 vs. Presbyterian), Ryan Anderson (4 vs. Arizona State) and Cookie Miller (4 vs. Colorado). The 14 points were one off his season high of 15 against North Carolina Central. It was his sixth career double-figure scoring game, and first in Big 12 Conference play. It was his highest scoring effort in 21 career Big 12 contests. His previous high was nine in his first career league game against Iowa State last year. + Balham Coming Up Big Sophomore forward Chris Balham has been a solid backup for the Huskers this season, especially since the start of conference play. The 6-8, 225-pounder has provided quality minutes in place of and beside all-conference center Aleks Maric over the past five games. During league play, Balham has averaged 10.6 minutes per game while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the floor and 5-of-6 at the free throw line. He is averaging 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in Big 12 action. At Kansas, he played a career-high 20 minutes, scoring a career-high-tying six points while pulling down a career-best eight rebounds. On the season, Balham has made the most of his time in the lineup, averaging 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 7.5 minutes per game. He has hit an impressive 79.2 percent (19-of-24) from the floor and 75.0 percent (15-of-20) from the charity stripe.

3 Balham was 2-for-2 from the floor with an offensive board in NU's win at Missouri. It was the second straight year Nebraska won in Columbia with Balham's help. Last year, Balham came off the bench for two minutes, scoring three points at the free throw line and recording two huge offensive rebounds to help NU to the road win. + Leader of the Pack Preseason all-conference center Aleks Maric is the unquestioned leader of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and is one of the top centers in the nation. The senior from Sydney, Australia, led Nebraska to 17 wins last season under first-year coach Doc Sadler while earning second-team all-conference honors. This year, Maric has helped NU to a 12-6 start, including a victory over then-no. 16 Oregon. More honors await in 2008 as he has again been one of the top players in the Big 12 Conference. Maric and freshman Michael Beasley of Kansas State are the only players in the Big 12 Conference ranked among the league's top seven in scoring (Maric, 7th; 15.4 ppg), rebounding (4th; 8.5 rpg) and field-goal percentage (3rd; 56.5) entering this weekend's action. Along with his powerful offensive game, Maric has improved defensively as well. He leads the league in blocked shots (1.94 bpg) and is on pace for a career high in steals. He ranks fourth on the squad with 20 steals and needs six more to set a new personal season high. Maric is the active career leader in the Big 12 for rebounds (833), double-doubles (26) and double-figure rebound games (30). No other active player in the league has even 20 double-doubles or double-figure rebounding games. He ranks second all-time at Nebraska in career rebounds and is 11th in scoring. Nebraska Career Scoring Chart No. Name (Years) Career Points 1. Dave Hoppen ( ) 2, Eric Piatkowski ( ) 1, Jerry Fort ( ) 1, Andre Smith ( ) 1, Jaron Boone ( ) 1, Erick Strickland ( ) 1, Tyronn Lue ( ) 1, Cookie Belcher ( ) 1, Rich King ( ) 1, Venson Hamilton ( ) 1, Aleks Maric (2005-pres.),389 + Doubling Down Low Center Aleks Maric established himself as a dual threat in the post from his first career game when he recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds in the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Maric went on to record three double-doubles as a freshman and had 10 as a sophomore. Each of the marks in his first two years tied the NU class record. Maric added 10 double-doubles last season and, after posting three this season, now has 26 in his career, a total that ranks second in Nebraska history. He needs two more double-doubles to move into the Big 12 Conference career top 10. Maric added his first double-double of the campaign with a workmanlike 21 points and 16 rebounds against Alabama A&M and posted 17 points and 13 rebounds at Western Kentucky. He then went 11 games without a double-double until posting 13 points and 13 rebounds at Missouri. During his 11-game stretch without a double-double he had nine rebounds and double-figure points five times. Nebraska Career Double-Doubles Rank Player (Years) Double-Doubles 1. Venson Hamilton ( ) Aleks Maric (2005-present) Carl McPipe ( ) Dave Hoppen ( ) Rich King ( ) Derrick Chandler ( ) Kimani Ffriend ( ) Steffon Bradford ( ) Andre Smith ( ) Mikki Moore ( ) Chairman of the Boards Senior center Aleks Maric is the top returning rebounder in the Big 12 Conference after posting 8.7 rebounds per contest last season, including 9.4 boards per game against league foes. The active career leader in the Big 12 Conference, Maric set his career high with 19 rebounds against Missouri at home last year, bettering his previous mark of 17 at KSU as a sophomore. With 252 rebounds last season, Maric moved into ninth place on the Husker rebounds chart. This season, Maric has already had a game with 16 rebounds (against Alabama A&M) his fifth career game with at least 15 rebounds and with eight rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore, he took over sole possession of second place on the Husker career chart. Nebraska Career Rebound Leaders (since 1952) No. Player (seasons) 1. Venson Hamilton ( )...1, Aleks Maric (2005-present) Leroy Chalk ( ) Dave Hoppen ( ) Rich King ( ) Andre Smith ( ) Chuck Jura ( ) Carl McPipe ( ) John Turek ( ) Rex Ekwall ( ) Dishing It Freshman point guard Cookie Miller had a tremendous impact on the outcome of Nebraska's first game back from a three-day break for Christmas, as he posted eight points, 10 assists and five steals in the Huskers' win over Alcorn State. Miller just missed his first career double-double while recording a personal high scoring effort in the Devaney Center (eight points; season high is 19 on the road). Miller's double-figure assists marked the 25th time overall and he became the ninth Husker since to record at least 10 assists in a game. He is the first freshman in that time to record double figure assists, making him the first Husker freshman in the Big 12 era to post at least 10 assists in a game. Miller is only the second Husker in the past five years to record 10 assists in a game joining Charles Richardson Jr. who had 15 in a road game last year at Rutgers. The Huskers' previous 10-assist game was when Jake Muhleisen had 10 against nationally ranked Minnesota at home. Miller nearly made it two straight games with doublefigure assists as he had nine assists against Maryland Eastern Shore in the non-conference finale. His 19 assists in two games were the most since Richardson had 22 (15 vs. Rutgers; 7 vs. Oregon) last year. Overall, Miller has had 31 assists against 11 turnovers in the past six games. In conference play, Miller has had Team Leaders Double-Figure Scoring Games Aleks Maric 15, Ryan Anderson 9, Ade Dagunduro 8, Steve Harley 5, Jay-R Strowbridge 3, Cookie Miller 2, Shang Ping 2, Sek Henry 1 Double-Figure Rebounding Games Aleks Maric 3, Ryan Anderson 1 Double-Doubles Aleks Maric 3, Ryan Anderson 1 20-Point Games Aleks Maric 5, Ryan Anderson 1 Games Leading NU in Scoring* Aleks Maric 9, Ade Dagunduro 3, Steve Harley 2, Cookie Miller 2, Shang Ping 2, Ryan Anderson 1, Sek Henry 1 Games Leading NU in Rebounding* Aleks Maric 14, Ryan Anderson 5, Ade Dagunduro 1, Sek Henry 1, Cookie Miller 1 Games Leading NU in Assists* Cookie Miller 12, Jay-R Strowbridge 5, Aleks Maric 4, Ade Dagunduro 2, Sek Henry 2, Ryan Anderson 1 Games Leading NU in Blocks* Aleks Maric 14, Ade Dagunduro 2, Shang Ping 2, Chris Balham 1, Steve Harley 1 Games Leading NU in Steals* Cookie Miller 8, Ryan Anderson 5, Ade Dagunduro 3, Sek Henry 3, Aleks Maric 3, Paul Velander 3, Steve Harley 2, Jay-R Strowbridge 2 *includes ties Big 12 Standings* Conference Overall Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct. Kansas State Kansas Baylor Texas Oklahoma Texas A&M Iowa State Texas Tech Missouri Nebraska Oklahoma State Colorado * through games of Feb. 1, Nebraska in the Team Rankings Team... Big 12*...NCAA** Scoring Offense... 10th th Scoring Defense... 1st... 9th Scoring Margin... 7th... 44th Field-Goal Percentage... 8th... 86th Field-Goal Percentage Defense... 3rd... 15th Three-Point Field Goals Per Game... 10th rd Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage... 7th th Free-Throw Percentage... 10th th Rebound Margin... 6th th Assists Per Game... 4th... 83rd Blocked Shots Per Game... 10th th Steals Per Game... 4th... 40th Turnovers Per Game... 5th...62nd Personal Fouls Per Game... 1st... 16th Assist Turnover Ratio... 5th... 63rd * as of games through Feb. 1, 2007 ** as of NCAA stats ranking from Jan Nebraska Men's Basketball 3

4 + Husker Sports Network The Host Communications Husker Sports Network (formerly Pinnacle Sports Network) is in its 12th year producing and marketing live broadcasts of University of Nebraska football, men s and women s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball games. The Husker Sports Network has created a large network of state and national affiliates. All regular-season men's basketball games and any postseason contests will be broadcast on a 30-station basketball network in KFAB (1110 AM) is the Omaha affiliate, KLIN (1400 AM) is the Lincoln affiliate and while KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington also serves as a primary state affiliate. All of Nebraska's men's basketball games can also be heard around the world for free on Huskers.com, the official athletic web site of the Nebraska athletic department. A great number of Nebraska's games will also be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite again this season. Veteran radio announcer Kent Pavelka leads the Nebraska men's basketball broadcast in , along with former Husker letterwinner Matt Davison. Lane Grindle serves as the host of Sports Nightly, a live daily call-in show focusing on NU athletics. Grindle will also host the Doc Sadler Radio Show on Monday nights throughout the season beginning at 7 p.m Husker Sports Network Ainsworth, KBRB-AM, 1400 Alliance, KCOW-AM, 1400 Aurora, KRGY-FM, 97.3 Beatrice, KWBE-AM, 1450 Broken Bow, KBBN-FM, 95.3 Chadron, KCSR-AM, 610 Columbus, KJSK-AM*, 900 Falls City, KTNC-AM, 1230 Falls City, KLZA-FM, Fremont, KHUB-AM, 1340 Fremont, KFMT-FM, Grand Island, KRGI-AM, 1430 Hastings, KLIQ-FM, 94.5 Hastings, KHAS-AM, 1230 Hastings, KICS-AM, Huskers By Class Senior (1) Aleks Maric Juniors (5) Steve Harley Ade Dagunduro Nick Krenk Shang Ping Paul Velander Sophomores (7) Ryan Anderson Chris Balham Alex Chapman Sek Henry Ben Nelson Cole Salomon Jay-R Strowbridge + Huskers By Major Communications Studies Aleks Maric Toney McCray Sociology Ade Dagunduro Steve Harley Economics & Psychology Nick Krenk Economics Shang Ping International Studies Chris Balham *Players not listed have not declared a major + Pronounciation Key Chris Balham BAHL-um Ade Dagunduro ah-day DAH-gun-dur-oh Aleks Maric Alex MAR-itch Shang Ping shung ping Paul Velander VUH-land-er Holdrege, KUVR-AM, 1380 Holdrege, KMTY-FM, 97.7 Kearney, KGFW-AM, 1340 Kimball, KIMB-AM, 1260 Lexington, KRVN-AM, 880 Lincoln, KLIN-AM, 1400 McCook, KSWN-FM, 93.9 Norfolk, KNEN-FM, 94.7 North Platte, KODY-AM, 1240 Ogallala, KOGA-AM, 930 Omaha, KFAB-AM, 1110 Scottsbluff, KNEB-AM*, 960 Sidney, KSID-AM, 1340 Superior, KRFS-FM, Valentine, KVSH-AM, 940 Wayne, KTCH-AM, 1590 West Point, KTIC-AM, 840 *will air only Big 12 Conference games Nebraska Men's Basketball Freshmen (6) Mike Diacos Alonzo Edwards Toney McCray Cookie Miller Brandon Richardson Andrew Wicklund Biology Paul Velander Mechanized Systems Management Ben Nelson Accounting Cookie Miller Cole Salomon Marketing Alonzo Edwards Andrew Wicklund just 10 turnovers in 156 minutes (team-high 31.2 mpg) in league play, including only one turnover in 32 minutes against No. 3 Kansas at home and one miscue in 34 minutes in his first Big 12 road game against Colorado. The list of Huskers with at least 10 assists in a game during the Big 12 era includes: 10 Cookie Miller (Alcorn State) Charles Richardson Jr. (at Rutgers) Jake Muhleisen (Minnesota) Cookie Belcher (Pittsburgh) Miller's steady hand as a ball-distributor has helped the freshman lead the team with 70 assists (3.9 apg) against just 36 turnovers. NU Freshman Top 10 Assists No. Name (Year) Assists 1. Tyronn Lue (1996) Jake Muhleisen (2002) Jaron Boone (1993) Brian Carr (1984) Marcus Walker (2006) Cookie Miller (2008) Cookie Belcher (1997) 68 Eric Piatkowski (1991) Charles Richardson Jr. (2004) 66 Erick Strickland (1993) 66 + Road Warrior Diminutive guard Cookie Miller has shown early in his career that he can play with the big boys, especially in hostile environments. Miller proved how explosive his offensive game can be when he took over for the Huskers in the second half against Creighton in Omaha. Miller, who had recorded 11 points in his first three games combined, posted a game-high 19 points against the Blue Jays. After scoring eight in the first half, Miller came out on fire in the second period when he scored another 11 points to help NU outscore Creighton after the intermission in a come-from-behind attempt that fell short. Miller hit 7-of-13 attempts from the floor against the Blue Jays. In his first Big 12 Conference road game against Colorado, Miller again stepped up to pace the offense as he posted 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting while hitting four 3-pointers. Miller's 18 points were a game high. In five road games this season, Miller is the team's top scorer at 11.0 points per game. Center Aleks Maric is the only other double-figure scorer as he has posted 10.6 points with 10.4 rebounds in five road contests. Miller has hit 18-of-44 field-goal attempts (40.9 percent) away from the Devaney Center, including nailing six shots from beyond the arc. At home, Miller has averaged 4.0 points per game on 34.5 percent shooting (19-of-55) including connecting on just 3-of-21 3-point attempts (14.3 percent) at home. Miller owns 56 assists against 19 turnovers at home, while posting just 14 assists against 17 miscues on opponents' courts. + Stealing the Show Freshman Cookie Miller has quickly made a name for himself on the defensive end of the floor as he moved onto the Nebraska freshman top-10 steals list with five thefts against Alcorn State on Dec. 29. He had at least one steal in each of his first 14 career games until seeing the streak snapped against Colorado on the road. Miller now ranks fourth in NU freshman history with a team-leading 36 steals this season. The Nebraska freshman and career records are also owned by a Husker named Cookie, as Cookie Belcher had 87 steals as a freshman in 1997 and finished with 353 steals in his career. NU Freshman Top 10 Steals No. Name (Year) Steals 1. Cookie Belcher (1997) Tyronn Lue (1996) Erick Strickland (1993) Cookie Miller (2008) Joe McCray (2005) 32 Clifford Scales (1988) Jake Muhleisen (2002) Jaron Boone (1993) Ryan Anderson (2007) Beau Reid (1988) 24 + Under Pressure Since his introductory press conference, Coach Doc Sadler has said that he wants to get to the point where his team can pressure the opponent for 94 feet. With an upgrade in athleticism, speed and talent, that philosophy has already come into play more often this year. Sadler's penchant for a disruptive defense has been widely embraced by the players and fans alike. Through 18 games this season, Nebraska has forced 308 turnovers whlie recording 160 steals. Eleven Huskers have posted at least one steal in a game this year, including five players averaging at least one steal per game. Nebraska posted a season-high-tying 14 steals against North Carolina Central, equaling the mark set against Alabama A&M. The 14 steals are the second-most by a Husker squad under Sadler, trailing only the 15 against North Texas last year. The 14 steals against NCCU made it three consecutive games with double-figure steals. The last time NU had at least 10 steals in three straight games was the last game of (at Hawaii in the NIT) and the first two games of The last time NU posted three consecutive games in the same season with double-figure steals was the first three games of Overall this season, Nebraska has posted double-figure steals eight times, including each of the past three games. The Huskers have had at least nine steals in 12 games this year after posting at least nine steals in just four games in Nebraska Team Steals (Big 12 era) Year Steals Games Avg/G Ind. High Among the Best Rookies As a newcomer to the league, freshman point guard Cookie Miller will be tested repeatedly during the Big 12 Conference season. If he can continue his success from the non-league play, Miller will likely be in the mix when the media votes on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. Through Friday, Feb. 1, Miller ranked eighth in the Big 12 Conference in assist:turnover ratio (1.94-to-1), fifth in assists per game (3.89) and fifth in steals per game (2.00). He is the only freshman ranked in the top 10 in

5 steals and assist:turnover ratio, and the only freshman in the top eight in assists. + Getting Defensive Nebraska has shown the ability to put on a strong defensive performance at times this season. The biggest show-stopper came against North Carolina Central on Dec. 22 when Nebraska set the then-big 12 Conference record by allowing just eight points in a half (first). NCCU posted only two 3-point field goals also tying the then-ncaa and Big 12 record low for field goals in a half and two free throws before intermission. The Big 12 and NCAA records held for only a couple weeks as Kansas State limited Savannah State to four second-half points and one field goal in the period on Jan. 7 to set the new NCAA records. North Carolina Central finished with 28 points, just two off the Big 12 and building record of 26 points by Bethune- Cookman in NCCU's nine field goals in the game also tied the Big 12 Conference opponent low. It was the second straight game at the Devaney Center that Nebraska completely dominated the defensive end. Against Savannah State on Dec. 11, the Huskers allowed just 37 points while holding SSU to just 26.4 percent shooting from the field. The Tigers had just 12 points at the half, tying the previous Big 12 record low for a period, as Nebraska allowed just 20 total points in the first period of the two consecutive games at the Devaney Center. Big 12 Record... Fewest FG allowed -- game... *9 vs. N.C. Central (2007) *tied record Nebraska Record at Devaney Center... Fewest FG allowed -- half... 2 vs. N.C. Central (2007) Fewest FG allowed -- game... 9 vs. N.C. Central (2007) Lowest FG pct. allowed vs. N.C. Central (2007) Points allowed half... 8 vs. N.C. Central (2007) + 40-pointers Nebraska's impressive defensive performances against Savannah State and North Carolina Central marked the first time in the 31-year history of the Devaney Center that NU held consecutive opponents in the building to less than 40 points. NCCU's 28 points was the second-lowest total in building history and the second-fewest points allowed in a game by Nebraska since SSU's 37 points were the sixth-lowest in building history. Overall, the Huskers have held just five teams to less than 40 points in Devaney Center history, including two this season. The last time Nebraska held consecutive teams to less than 40 points at home was the first two games of the campaign. That season marked the last time Nebraska won a league title, as it tied for first place in the Big Seven Conference that year. + Taking Care of Business Coach Doc Sadler stresses the importance of ball security and being smart with every pass. The Huskers have done a solid job of listening to Sadler's direction while taking care of the ball this season as they have averaged just 13.3 miscues per game (240 turnovers in 18 games) to rank in the top 65 nationally entering the week. Nebraska had a season-low seven turnovers against then- No. 16 Oregon, including going the final 9:27 of regulation and all of overtime without a turnover. The Huskers also posted just seven turnovers in the non-conference finale against Maryland Eastern Shore. In league action, NU posted just 12 turnovers against the strong defensive pressure of the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks and had nine turnovers on the road against Colorado. Through five Big 12 games, NU is averaging just 12.6 turnovers per game in conference action. NU's season high for turnovers came on the road against Western Kentucky when the Huskers had 23 miscues. Nebraska also had 21 turnovers in its road opener at Creighton, including 17 in the first half. + Under Pressure Nebraska's defensive pressure has forced teams into an average of 17.1 turnovers per game (308 through 18 games) this season. NU has forced at least 20 turnovers in a contest five times this season, including a season-high 26 against North Carolina Central. In the Huskers' last home game, NU forced 21 turnovers against Baylor, the most against a conference opponent since forcing 26 against Texas Tech in Getting in Gear Nebraska struggled at times early in the season to get the offense in full gear, but cranked it up a notch over the last five games of the non-conference season. During that span, the Huskers averaged 80.8 points per game on 52.0 percent shooting in five straight victories. The Huskers had one of their most productive offensive games against Savannah State despite playing 14 players (everyone on the roster except five redshirts). All but two players scored in the contest with three earning career highs and one gaining a season high. Eleven Huskers scored at least five points apiece with junior forward Shang Ping leading the way with a game-high 11 points. Nebraska started the game on a 26-2 run and hit 60.0 percent from the floor in the opening half before finishing the game hitting half of its attempts (27-of-54). The 82 points were just one off the then-season high and tied for the thirdhighest scoring game in the coach Doc Sadler era. Nebraska came back to add 88 points in an overtime win over then-no. 16 Oregon and posted 71 points in a 43-point victory against North Carolina Central. Nebraska topped the 70-point mark for the fourth straight game with 77 points against Alcorn State and rounded out the non-conference slate with 86 points against Maryland Eastern Shore. The five-game streak scoring at least 70 points was the second-longest under second-year head coach Doc Sadler. Last year, NU had a seven-game streak, all in non-conference action. + Single Digits Rarity? In what is typically an uncommon sight, the Huskers held Savannah State without a double-figure scorer on Dec. 11. Only two players scored more than five points on the night with Anthony Jones leading the way with eight points. While it may not be common, it was the second time this year and the second time in three home games the Huskers held every player on the opposing team to nine or fewer points. NU also turned the trick against Arizona State on Dec. 2, when three players each scored eight points to lead the team in a loss to Nebraska. Against North Carolina Central, the Huskers nearly made it three games without allowing a double-figure scorer as NCCU posted just 28 points in the contest, the secondfewest points NU has allowed since But Bryan Ayala's last basket gave him 11 points on the night to lead the Eagles. Only three other players scored for NCCU, one with seven points, one with six and one with four. + Nebraska Media Relations One Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE Phone: (402) Fax: (402) Web site: Huskers.com Assistant Media Relations Director/Basketball: Jerry Trickie jtrickie@huskers.com Office phone: (402) Cell phone: (402) By the Numbers Starters Returning/Lost...3/2 Lettermen Returning/Lost...8/5 Percentage of scoring (1,265/2,072) Percentage of rebounds (542/928) Percentage of field goals (440/700) Percentage of 3-point FG (125/244) Percentage of free throws (258/428) Percentage of assists (183/462) Percentage of steals (93/205) Percentage of blocks (49/71) Percentage of minutes (3,358/6,225) * based on returning player stats and percent of overall team totals from Returning Leaders from Points... Aleks Maric 556 (18.5 ppg) Field Goals...Aleks Maric 203 Field Goals Attempted...Aleks Maric Aleks Maric 260 (8.7 rpg) 3-Pointers...Ryan Anderson 48 3-Pointers Attempted...Ryan Anderson 111 Free Throws...Aleks Maric 147 Free Throws Attempted...Aleks Maric 216 Assists... Sek Henry 52 (1.7 apg) Steals... Ryan Anderson 25 (0.9 spg) Blocks... Aleks Maric 33 (1.1 bpg) Minutes... Aleks Maric 864 (28.8 mpg) + Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll Team (first-place votes)...points 1. Kansas (10) Texas Texas A&M (2) Kansas State Missouri...66 Oklahoma Oklahoma State Texas Tech Baylor Nebraska Iowa State Colorado...16 Eleven points were awarded for first place, 10 for second, etc. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team Preseason All-Big 12 Team Curtis Jerrells, Baylor, G, 6-1, 205, Jr. Darrell Arthur, Kansas, F, 6-9, 230, So. Brandon Rush, Kansas, G, 6-6, 210, Jr. Aleks Maric, Nebraska, C, 6-11, 275, Sr. D.J. Augustin, Texas, G, 6-0, 180, So. Joseph Jones, Texas A&M, F, 6-9, 250, Sr. Preseason Players of the Year D.J. Augustin, Texas, G, 6-0, 180, So. Preseason Newcomer of the Year DeMarre Carroll, Missouri, F, 6-8, 225, Jr. Preseason Freshman of the Year Michael Beasley, Kansas State, F, 6-10, 235, Fr Nebraska Men's Basketball 5

6 Big 12 Coaches Teleconference The Big 12 Conference coaches will participate in a weekly mediaonly teleconference during , including: Monday, Dec. 10 Monday, Feb. 11 Thursday, Jan. 3 Monday, Feb. 18 Thursday, Jan. 10 Monday, Feb. 25 Monday, Jan. 14 Monday, March 3 Monday, Jan. 21 Monday, March 10 Monday, Jan. 28 Monday, March 17* Monday, Feb. 4 * - For only those coaches advancing to NCAA, NIT or CBI play The teleconference begins at 10 a.m. CST. The call can be heard live or on replay via the Internet at Contact the Big 12 staff at (469) for the call-in and replay numbers. 10 a.m. Bill Self, Kansas 10:10 a.m. Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M 10:20 a.m. Sean Sutton, Oklahoma State 10:30 a.m. Scott Drew, Baylor 10:40 a.m. Mike Anderson, Missouri 10:50 a.m. Bob Knight, Texas Tech 11 a.m. Jeff Bzdelik, Colorado 11:10 a.m. Frank Martin, Kansas State 11:20 a.m. Jeff Capel, Oklahoma 11:30 a.m. Doc Sadler, Nebraska 11:40 a.m. Rick Barnes, Texas 11:50 a.m. Greg McDermott, Iowa State Talk with Doc Dates Set For the second straight year, the Nebraska Athletic Department is inviting Husker fans to a series of Talk with Doc luncheons in Lincoln with Nebraska men s basketball head coach Doc Sadler during the campaign. New this year were a pair of Talk with Doc breakfasts that brought the fun and energetic coach to the Omaha area. At the popular luncheons, the second-year coach will discuss his strategies for the season and his plans for the future of Husker men s basketball, while joining fans for a great lunch. The first two luncheons were held at the Lincoln Station in the Haymarket and drew nearly 200 fans and friends of the program each time. The remaining Thursday lunch dates for Lincoln include Feb. 7 and March 6. The luncheons start at 11:30 a.m. and run till approximately 12:30 p.m. With the early start, it s a great chance to get good parking in the Haymarket in time for a fun lunch. Tickets are just $15 per person, or a table for eight can be purchased for $120. Purchase a table for eight for all four luncheons in advance for just $450 - a $30 discount. New this season were the Talk with Doc breakfasts, held at the Omaha Convention Center at 72nd and Grover Street. Each breakfast saw more than 120 people in attendance. To reserve a spot or a table at the Talk with Doc luncheons, please call BIGRED. Visa, Master Card or Discover card will be accepted for payment. A downloadable application is also available on Huskers.com (link at top of page), which can be sent to reserve a spot along with a payment by personal check. Remaining Talk With Doc luncheon schedule Thursday, Feb. 7, 11:30 a.m. at Lincoln Station Thursday, March 6, 11:30 a.m. at Lincoln Station Nebraska Men's Basketball + Maric Chart Watch With eight rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore, senior center Aleks Maric improved his career total to 789 boards to rank second all-time on the Nebraska career rebounding chart. The Sydney, Australia, native took sole possession of the runner-up spot, passing Leroy Chalk who had 782 in his career. Maric will trail only Nebraska record-holder Venson Hamilton, who posted an amazing 1,080 rebounds in his career. Maric, who currently has 833 career boards after picking up 13 against Missouri, is also on pace to soon move into the career top 10 for scoring at Nebraska. Entering Saturday's game against Iowa State, Maric has 1,389 career points to rank 11th all-time in Husker history. Maric needs 27 points to move into the Nebraska career top 10. Entering the season, Maric already ranked in the NU career top 10 for blocked shots, and currently he sits in seventh place with 123 after passing former teammate Wes Wilkinson (112). Maric is already in the Nebraska top five for free throws made (384, third) and attempted (592, third), and will reach the top 10 for field goals and games started this season. + Hot Shooting Huskers After a strong start to the season, it's obvious why Coach Doc Sadler was optimistic about his team's shooting ability. Despite hitting just 36.3 percent in conference action, the Huskers have knocked down 45.7 percent overall from the floor on the season. Nebraska ranked 86th nationally and seventh in the Big 12 Conference entering the week despite the recent shooting slump. Nebraska began the year by blistering the nets for an impressive 61.0 percent (25-of-41) from the floor in the season opener against Presbyterian. It was the fifth time in the Sadler era NU topped 60 percent shooting. NU has hit at least 50.0 percent in five other contests. Center Aleks Maric has been at the front of the offensive charge during his years at Nebraska. Last season he led the Big 12 in field-goal percentage at 56.5 percent. This season Maric is currently third in the Big 12 in field-goal percentage (56.6) and he is within striking distance to become the first player since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in to lead the league in field-goal percentage for two consecutive seasons. Only Colorado's David Harrison has led the Big 12 in field-goal percentage twice in a career (2002 and 2004). In his career, Maric has hit 52.6 percent (501-of-952) from the field. + Meet the Iowa State Cyclones The Iowa State Cyclones enter this weekend's contest with a 13-8 overall record and sit at.500 in the Big 12 standings after posting a 3-3 mark through its first six league games of the season. The Cyclones have lost four straight road contests and are looking for their first conference road win of the season. ISU suffered a setback with the loss of leading scorer Wesley Johnson on Tuesday against Colorado. Johnson played just eight minutes before re-injuring his ankle but the Cyclones still pulled out a victory over the Buffs. Johnson averaged 13.9 points per game in 17 contests this season, hitting a team-best 31 3-pointers and knocking down 77.8 percent from the free throw line. Behind Johnson, the Cyclones have gotten 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game from freshman forward Craig Brackens, who also leads the team with 27 blocked shots. Along with Brackens, senior center Jiri Hubalek gives the Cyclones a strong front court that will test the Huskers. Hubalek has averaged 11.7 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game this season. Forward Rahshon Clark has added 9.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on a team-best 53.6 percent shooting from the floor. As a team, the Cyclones have hit 43.4 percent from the field, including 39.0 percent in league action. The Cyclones have struggled from 3-point range, hitting just over 31 percent from beyond the arc. + Huskers Find Success in Classroom as Well as On Court After opening a new season with the beginning of Big 12 Conference action, the Nebraska men s basketball team also started a new season in the classroom when second semester classes began at UNL on Monday, Jan. 14. The Huskers hope to be as successful as last semester in both areas. As a team, Nebraska posted an 11-2 record on the court and was nearly as impressive off it. During the first semester in the classroom, the Huskers combined for a team grade-point average. Seventeen players earned at least a 2.5 individual GPA, including 11 Huskers with better than a 3.0. Among the newcomers, six earned at least a 3.0 in their first full semester at Nebraska. I think this says a lot about the players as individuals and competitors, said Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler. To build this program, we ve talked about how we need players who not only have talent, but who also have character. I think the effort that they ve given to produce this kind of success in the classroom shows the type of character we have on this team. Junior guard Paul Velander, a secondary education/ natural science major, has helped pace the Huskers strong academic efforts. Last spring, Velander was the 24th Husker named to the all-academic squad since the formation of the Big 12 Conference, a total that ranks second in the league. Sadler has had a tradition of helping players find success in the classroom. As head coach at UTEP, Sadler saw 10 Miners earn at least a 3.0 grade-point average during the first semester in , his final year at the school. As head coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith, Sadler had a 95-percent graduation rate during his five-year tenure. + NU Picks Up Road Win A short-handed Missouri squad put up a valiant effort but Nebraska, behind double-doubles from Aleks Maric and Ryan Anderson, pulled off its first road win of the year with a victory over Missouri at the Mizzou Arena on Wednesday. With the victory, Nebraska snapped a sevengame road losing streak dating to last season and won in Columbia for the second straight year. NU improved to 12-6 on the year and became the final team to earn a Big 12 victory this season as it moved to 1-4 in conference action. Missouri, who was playing without five suspended players, fell to 12-9 on the season and 2-4 in league action. Maric had 13 points and 13 rebounds for his third doubledouble of the season before fouling out for the first time this year. Anderson added his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Anderson's final basket to give him the double-double came with 16 seconds left and Nebraska leading by just two points. Steve Harley combined with Anderson for NU's last eight points of the game over the final 2:56. Harley scored a game-high 15 points, sharing top honors with Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, who also had a double-double.