Nebraska ends losing streak with 83-79 overtime win over Texas Tech
March 1, 2010 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
It took 2 overtime periods, but the Huskers finally picked up their 2nd conference win beating the Red Raiders 83-79 on Saturday night in Lincoln. Despite poor shooting and their typical dry spells, NU pulled out the victory thanks to their free throw shooting and rebounding. The Big Red improved to 14-15 (2-12) and Tech dropped 16-12 (4-10) in losing their 5th straight game.
Sek Henry stepped up late to lead Nebraska to the win and in scoring with a career-high 21 points and 6 assists. Joining Henry in double figures were Brandon Richardson with 15 points, Brandon Ubel with 14 points and Ryan Anderson with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Texas Tech got strong scoring from Nick Okorie who had a season-high 28 points, Brad Reese added 19 points and John Roberson chipped in with 15 points.
Turning point in the game:
- Henry scored 7 straight points for the Huskers in the second overtime which gave them a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Henry has struggled offensively the entire conference season, but finally answered the bell when his team needed him the most. His effort late was the difference.
Encouraging points:
- It’s obviously good to see NU put an end to their 7-game losing streak. It’s their 2nd win in the Big 12 and unfortunately at this point I don’t think many people across the state care too much. Hopefully this helps build some confidence for the team and maybe lead to another couple wins.
- Nebraska finally found a way to get to the free throw line on Saturday. And it was a good thing too as they shot the ball poorly – 34.8% overall from the field. The Huskers hit 26 of 36 free throw attempts (72.2%) but more importantly outscored the Red Raiders by 15 points with free throws.
Doc Sadler and his team has 2 more regular season games left. So there is a possibility they could finish at .500 or above. Considering how the conference season has gone that would be an accomplishment. For Husker basketball fans the rest of this season’s schedule is all about building momentum for next season. If they could finish strong it could give the returning players some added confidence as they head into the off-season.
Nebraska Player of the Game: Sek Henry
Up next: Colorado.
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Kansas pulls away in 2nd half for 84-72 win over Nebraska
January 13, 2010 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
The Huskers gave a good effort, but in the end had no answer for the Jayhawks depth. An 8-0 run and a 7-0 run by Kansas in the 2nd half were too much as KU won 84-72. This was the 13th consecutive win for Kansas over Nebraska. NU drops to 12-5 (0-2) on the season.
Nebraska was led by Brandon Richardson’s career-high 18 points, which included 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Joining him in double figures were Jorge Brian Diaz with 15 points on 7-10 shooting and Eshaunte Jones with 12 points on 4-11 shooting on 3’s. Kansas was led by Sherron Collins who had 22 points and Marcus Morris came off the bench to add 19 points.
Turning point in the game:
- NU held a slim 44-43 lead at half and traded leads with KU through the first half of the 2nd half. But Kansas’s 8-0 run a the 11:00 mark gave them a lead they would not surrender. The Huskers did a nice job limiting Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry, but Morris’s effort off the bench was a back breaker.
Encouraging points:
- This game may have been Jorge Brian Diaz’s coming out party. He shot well in a variety of spots in the post against pre-season All-Big 12 center Cole Aldrich. Diaz really has a nice finesse game in the post and seems to have good basketball IQ. For a freshman, the sky is the limit.
- Nebraska did a lot of things that were necessary to have a chance in this game. Only 9 turnovers, they hit 11 of 21 (52.4%) 3-pointers, they also got to the free throw line and hit 15 of 21 (71.4%). But they lost the rebounding battle 30 to 17 and couldn’t keep Kansas from draining shots. KU hit 61.9% on 3-pointers and 57.8% overall.
This game had potential to be ugly for the Huskers with Kansas coming off their first loss but they came out with a lot of energy. They hit some shots early and gained confidence. They really looked good in the first half and went basket for basket with Kansas.
Doc Sadler really tightened down his rotation playing only 7 guys. Brandon Ubel and Quincy Hankins-Cole were notably absent from the lineup. Once Diaz got into foul trouble, Christian Standhardinger played the 5 spot. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with Ubel or Hankins-Cole rather Doc is trying to put his best players on the court. So far this season, they haven’t shown much offensively and haven’t shown to be strong rebounders either.
It’s intriguing with the short bench, because Nebraska was going with a 4 guard lineup for most of the night against a Kansas team with talent and size. But it worked for one half. To some degree it looks like we get an extra punch offensively but give up a little on defense. Knowing how important defense is to Doc, we’ll see if he continues with this rotation.
Nebraska Player of the Game: Brandon Richardson
Up next: Nebraska faces a must-win against Iowa State in the Devaney Center this Saturday at 8 p.m.
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McNeaill backs out of commitment to Nebraska
January 13, 2010 by Bret Nellor, under 2010 Recruiting Class, News, Recruiting.
The Lincoln Journal Star reported earlier this week that point guard Kenyon McNeaill has decided to back out of his oral committment to NU and explore his options.
McNeaill mentioned that he didn’t see much playing time available for him since the Husker’s younger guards seemed to be playing well. The guards who will be back next year should include Lance Jeter, Brandon Richardson, Ray Gallegos, Eshaunte Jones, and walk-on Drake Beranek who is sitting out this season to satisfy NCAA transfer guidelines.
I can see where McNeaill is nervous about his playing time possibilities. The competition will be fierce for time between those 5 next year. But I also think it says something about how McNeaill views himself. While I like our collection of perimeter players, nobody is confusing them for NBA caliber players. If he doesn’t believe that he’s good enough to find a spot in the rotation, then he’s probably not going to be the kind of player the Nebraska wants.
Doc Sadler’s reclamation project with NU, looks to be on its way and is arguably a quality point guard away from being special in the next couple of seasons. We’re young and we finally have some size with Jorge Brian Diaz at 6-11, Brandon Ubel at 6-10, Chirstopher Niemann at 6-10, and incoming junior college transfer Andre Almeida at 6-10. Plus forwards Quincy Hankins-Cole at 6-8, Christian Standhardinger at 6-8, and Toney McCray at 6-6. And some decent outside shooting guards in Jones, Richardson, and Gallegos. A difference-making point guard could push the Huskers over the top.
McNeaill’s back-out opens up a scholarship for the 2010 class. Also, with Adrien Coleman’s departure from the team at the semester break that should give Doc 2 scholarships to fill for the 2010 class.
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Pre-Game: Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Nebraska
January 2, 2010 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Pre-game, News.
Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks 3-8 vs.
Nebraska Cornhuskers 10-3
January 2 – 3 p.m. tipoff
TV: none
Nebraska looks to continue their preparation for the beginning of Big 12 play with a matchup against Maryland Eastern Shore this afternoon. NU is coming off a 33-point blowout of Southern Utah while Maryland Eastern Shore looks to end a 3 game losing streak.
UMES Coach Frankie Allen has seen his Hawks struggle to pick up wins through the first half of the season. They appear to be missing their top returning player Neal Pitt. They’ve had a tough time on the road going 0-5. The Hawks visited Lincoln last year and lost to the Huskers 88-56.
UMES leading scorers
Hillary Haley 11.2 ppg
Kevin White 10.3 ppg
Tim Burns 9.5 ppg
NU leading scorers
Ryan Anderson 10.8 ppg
Brian Diaz 8.5 ppg
Sek Henry 8.0 ppg
Much like NU’s last game against Southern Utah, this game should be a blowout. Maryland Eastern Shore is overmatched and has no way to compete with Nebraska’s depth. I’m expecting a 30 point win with every roster member making an appearance. The key for the Huskers today is to continue developing their offense while maintaining their defensive intensity and avoid any major injuries to any key players.
Doc Sadler made it public after the Southern Utah game that he’s planning to work his team very hard in practices leading up to conference play since these remaining non-conference games will likely be breathers. Also, you can expect to see Brandon Ubel, Brian Diaz, Quincy Hankins-Cole and Myles Holley to receive some extra attention from the coaching staff as they try to determine the 3 that will make up the team’s inside rotation.
My pick: Nebraska
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Huskers dispose of Southern Utah 94-61
December 30, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
Despite a sluggish start Nebraska rolled to a 94-61 victory over Southern Utah last night. Every player on the Husker’s roster scored in what was the highest scoring game since Doc Sadler took over the program in 2006.
NU gets their 10th win of the season improving to 10-3. Quincy Hankins-Cole led the way with 15 points off the bench, followed by Brandon Ubel with 13, Sek Henry with 12, and Brandon Richardson with 10. Davis Baker led Southern Utah with 14 points.
Turning point in the game:
- Nebraska put together a 22-8 run at the end of the first half which propelled them to extend that lead further with a 10-1 run to start the second half. The Thunderbirds were never able to recover.
Encouraging points:
- This was a feel good game for the Husker roster since everyone scored and 4 players hit double figures. Two other players had 9 points. After they shook off some shaky shooting in the first half, the NU offense rolled.
- Myles Holley had his best game as a Husker and looks to be positioning himself for more playing time as Big 12 Conference play arrives. He scored 7 points and grabbed a team high 11 rebounds in only 14 minutes.
- Nebraska did a great job of taking care of the basketball only committing 4 turnovers, a season low.
While it was good to see Nebraska blow out a team that they should blow out there were still some concerning areas. Coach Sadler has to get this team focused at the start of games so they don’t dig themselves holes they can’t get out of in the first half. The Huskers had another poor start for the second game in a row. As with the loss in their last game to BYU, poor starts will lead to more losses once Big 12 play begins.
Free throw shooting also needs attention. NU shot a miserable 42.9% from the line in the first half and finished the game at 62.5%. Failing to take advantage of free throws can also cost them games in the Big 12. If Sadler and his staff can get this team to improve in these areas, they might be able to steal some games during conference play.
Nebraska Player of the Game: Quincy Hankins-Cole
Up next: Nebraska continues it diet of cupcakes before the Big 12 season with Maryland-Eastern Shore coming to Lincoln on Saturday.
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Pre-Game: Southern Utah vs. Nebraska
December 28, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Pre-game, News.
Southern Utah Thunderbirds 4-8 vs.
Nebraska Cornhuskers 9-3
December 29 – 7 p.m. tipoff
TV: none
Nebraska returns home after going 1-1 at the Las Vegas Classic tournament. They picked up a nice win over a good Tulsa team but then followed that up with a 22-point loss to BYU. The Huskers will look to bounce back from that game and prepare themselves for the start of Big 12 Conference play.
Southern Utah has had a tough start to the season enduring a 6-game losing streak at one point. Coach Roger Reid’s team competes in the Summit League Conference and carries a 1-game winning streak into this contest.
SUU leading scorers
Davis Baker 17.5 ppg
Ryan Brimley 11.4 ppg
Jake Nielson 9.5 ppg
NU leading scorers
Ryan Anderson 11.0 ppg
Lance Jeter 8.5 ppg
Brian Diaz 8.5 ppg
Coach Sadler’s team should have no trouble pushing their win total to 10 in this matchup. The Huskers have already defeated another Summit League team, UMKC 70-48. I would expect a similar score in this one. Look for NU to try to lock down the Thunderbirds while generating confidence and consistency on the offensive end. They may attempt to work Diaz, Brandon Ubel, and Quincy Hankins-Cole to speed along their development before conference play.
Also keep an eye on Ryan Anderson. He sat out the BYU game with a foot injury. Hopefully that injury is a minor one. His value to this year’s Nebraska team is unquestioned.
My pick: Nebraska
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Pre-Game: Oregon State vs. Nebraska
December 11, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Pre-game, News.
Oregon State Beavers 4-3 vs.
Nebraska Cornhuskers 6-2
December 12 – 7 p.m. tipoff
TV: Fox Sports Midwest
Nebraska welcomes President Barack Obama’s favorite team, Oregon State, to Lincoln this Saturday. The Huskers will be looking to build on their latest win over Chicago State while the Beavers will be looking to add to their current 3-game winning streak. One of OSU’s wins in that streak was a 5 point victory against Colorado.
Oregon State are coached by Calvin Robinson who happens to the brother-in-law of the President. Will President Obama take in the game? Doubtful. But he probably recalls the Beavers 1-point win over the Huskers in Corvalis last year. The Beavers are the reigning post-season CBI Tournament Champions. This year’s game should be a good test for NU against another Pac-10 opponent.
OSU leading scorers
Seth Tarver 13.0 ppg
Calvin Haynes 9.4 ppg
Joe Burton 7.3 ppg
NU leading scorers
Ryan Anderson 10.5 ppg
Brian Diaz 9.1 ppg
Lance Jeter 8.9 ppg
This game should be a slugfest. Both teams have played good defense and haven’t put up big numbers on the offensive end. Expect a low scoring game that will likely be decided in the final minutes.
A win for the Huskers would complete a sweep for Doc Sadler’s team against the Pac-10. And a win would be helpful for their RPI. Granted Oregon State is not projected to win the Pac-10, but all wins against BCS conference competition are good.
Keys to success for Nebraska include winning the rebounding battle. It’s not known if Quincy Hankins-Cole’s knee injury will prevent him from playing right now. If he does not, the other interior players (Diaz and Brandon Ubel) must step to make up for his absence. The Huskers must also protect the ball and limit turnovers. Those 2 items along with a decent shooting night should lead NU to victory.
My pick: Nebraska
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Huskers run away from Cougars 74-39
December 10, 2009 by Bret Nellor, under Husker Basketball Game Recaps, News.
Nebraska took advantage of an over-matched Chicago State team in tonight’s 74-39 victory. The Huskers were able to stifle the Cougars offense from the start holding them to a 24.2% shooting night. While CSU was struggling with their shot, NU had a good 55.6% shooting effort.
Nebraska bounced back from Sunday’s loss to Creighton and improved to 6-2 on the season. Leading the scoring for Coach Sadler’s team was point guard Lance Jeter with 13 points. Joining Jeter in double figures was Brandon Richardson and Adrien Coleman with 10 points each.
Turning point in the game:
- How about the tipoff? Nebraska scored the first 6 points of the game and extended that to a 30-14 lead at the half. An 18-1 run to start the second half put this game on ice quickly. It was very apparent that Chicago State was over-matched in this game.
Encouraging points:
- The Huskers took control early in this game and dominated the Cougars like they should. It’s good to see them take care of business.
- Brian Diaz nearly came away with a double-double in 20 minutes of action – 9 points and 12 rebounds. Despite his slight build he does some good things on the court. He has really good hands. Whether he’s shooting, dribbling or passing, it’s impressive for a freshman big man.
- The youngsters on the roster received extended minutes tonight. It’s great for the development of the team. From my perspective the roster looks better from top to bottom than it has in years at Nebraska. That could bode well for the next couple of years.
A couple of nit-picky things from tonight’s game. Rebounding was better, but still not where it needs to be. Quincy Hankins-Cole sitting out certainly didn’t help. Nonetheless, it is unacceptable for Brandon Ubel to come away with 0 rebounds in 12 minutes. The interior guys must step it up in this area.
Lastly, Chicago State showed a 2-3 zone late in the first half and during stretches in the second half. The Huskers struggled somewhat with the zone defense. It was eerily reminiscent of their loss to UMBC last season. I expect NU to see quite a bit more zone in upcoming games. Hopefully, Coach Sadler will have the guys prepared for it.
Nebraska Player of the Game: Lance Jeter
Up next: Nebraska welcomes Pac-10 foe Oregon State Beavers to Lincoln on Saturday evening.
