Postgame Notes & Quotes: Nebraska vs. Purdue

Nebraska Post-Game Notes

• Nebraska’s 70-56 win over Purdue marked the first Big Ten coaching victory of Fred Hoiberg’s career, and the Huskers’ 14-point margin of victory was the second-largest of the season.
• The Huskers had a season-high 22 assists in the win, the first time Nebraska had 20 assists in a game in more than a year dating back to a 21-assist performance against Missouri State on Nov. 18, 2018. Nebraska had 22 assists on its 26 made baskets.
• NU had 22 assists and only 11 turnovers in the game, as Nebraska posted its best assist-to-turnover ratio of the season (plus-11). The Huskers boast a plus-21 assist-to-turnover ratio in their two Big Ten Conference games (41 assists, 20 turnovers).
• Nebraska had two 12-0 runs in the first half en route to taking a 34-23 lead into the locker room. The 12-0 runs were the largest Purdue has allowed this season, as the Boilermakers had allowed only one double-digit run (11-0) in their first nine games this season.
• Nebraska held Purdue to its worst shooting performance of the season. The Boilermakers shot just 30.4 percent from the field (24-of-79) and only 17.1 percent from the 3-point line (6-of-35). Purdue’s 30.4 percent shooting was the lowest mark Nebraska has held an opponent to this season.
• Cam Mack had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to post the first triple-double in the history of the Nebraska men’s basketball program (Note: Brennon Clemmons had a triple-double in an exhibition game against Sports Tours on Nov. 14, 2002). Mack’s triple-double was the first in Big Ten play since Zavier Simpson of Michigan had one against Ohio State on Jan. 29, 2019.
• Mack’s 10 rebounds and 12 assists were both career highs.
• With his triple-double, Mack has now posted a double-double in each of his first two career Big Ten Conference games, as Mack had 15 points and 10 assists in Friday’s game at Indiana. Mack is the first Husker in at least 30 years to have back-to-back double-doubles in points and assists.
• Mack has posted three points-assists double-doubles in 11 games this season. In Nebraska’s previous 29 seasons, a Husker had produced a points-assists double-double a total of just five times.
• Dachon Burke Jr. scored a game-high 18 points against Purdue after scoring a game-high 25 points at Indiana on Friday. Burke has scored 43 points in the first two Big Ten Conference games of his career.
• Burke also tied his season high with seven rebounds against Purdue.
• Thorir Thorbjarnarson scored 13 points, his fourth consecutive game in double figures and the fourth time in his career he has scored 10 or more points.
• Home teams are now 12-0 in Big Ten play following Nebraska’s win.
• Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak to Purdue dating back to Jan. 6, 2018

Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg
Opening statement
“I want to start out saying how proud I am of this group for the ability to bounce back after a really tough loss in Indiana the other night. I thought our guys came out with the right mentality yesterday. Any time you have basically a one-day prep after an overtime game, getting back at two in the morning. [I] know our guys didn’t get to bed until probably three or four like everybody when you get back from a road trip like that. So to bounce back with a mental day and really challenge these guys to go out there and put in a game plan and to execute it pretty much to perfection I thought our energy had focus and our walkthrough this morning was as good as it’s been all year. We got them going a little bit got them a little sweat after not doing much yesterday and then went out and executed against a heck of a team. This team poses a lot of problems with their size and their physicality. They’re the fifth-best defensive team in the country, but I thought our execution at the beginning was excellent and into the half was excellent. I think this is where we won the game with that lull in the middle of the first half where we couldn’t throw that thing in the ocean, but we kept guarding and we gave ourselves a chance because they were not able to pull away when we couldn’t score the ball because of our defensive energy. Defensively I really challenged these two guys, Dachon (Burke Jr.) and Cam (Mack), to go in and help on the glass. It’s got to be a five-man effort. Our [bigs] are giving up size every time we step on the floor and they responded in a big way with Burke getting [seven] and Cam going out there and getting ten. Really pleased with the effort. One guy that I recognized in our locker room was Charlie (Easley). Charlie easily works as hard as anybody that I’ve been around and for him to go out there and keep himself prepared and keep himself ready  when you’re out of a rotation which I was plenty of times in my career you wait for these types of opportunities and the amount of work you put in will help you prepare to go out and have a positive impact on the game . Charlie made some big-time toughness plays. Hit the two big free throws. I know he’s probably upset because they hit the rim, but he went in there and made a big impact. I think everybody that stepped on the floor tonight had a positive impact on that win tonight and that’s what being a team is all about and responding to that tough loss the other night was a big time, big time performance by these guys to go out there and do that. So with that I’m out of here.”

On the adversity of the season
“I’ll say this. I was proud of them the other night. When you go out and battle like we did at Indiana and [our] first opportunity to play in the Big Ten is a road game and we handled it so much better in a hostile environment than we did that game against Creighton and I think, I hope, that was a turning point for us. The next morning, we had a film session where we talked about a lot of things. We were honest about a lot of things and I don’t think guys took it personal. I think we’ve grown since that situation and then to bounce back with that effort in Indiana, would have loved to have won it, but we talked about one of the hardest things in this business is to put a tough devastating loss behind doubt for our guys to go out there and do that, to bounce back the way we did, and everything [I challenged] I said make Purdue call the first timeout tonight and they did that by getting off to that good start and you set the tone and like I said, then you have that little lull and you’re able to sustain because we guarded and then finished of the half in a big way and then I thought those last 20 minutes we were phenomenal. We had that little stretch where we didn’t rebound it well but overall the energy, the effort, guys going out there and playing for each other. We had 26 baskets and 22 assists. That’s a big time stat. Only 11 turnovers against, like I said, the fifth best defense in the country and a team that really climbs into you and makes it tough. Just a really solid overall effort."

On Cam Mack
“No, It’s not surprising to me. When you know you’ve got a really good point guard is when they make really tough plays look easy and that’s what Cam does. He’s a guy that will look one way, he knows where he’s making the pass, but he’s looking the other way so the no look plays that he can make and sometimes that triggers another action. What isn’t in the stats are the hockey assists. You hit a guy in the pocket and then he makes the extra pass when the defense is sucked in. That’s what we’ve had the last couple of days with the ball in Cam’s hands, that’s a pretty efficient offense.”

Nebraska Player Quotes
Cam Mack, So., Guard
On what was working so well tonight
“Basically just getting my teammates involved and you know they came through. I wouldn’t have gotten any assists if they didn’t make shots. So I can really appreciate my teammates for making shots and helping me out.”

On being the first in the program to get a triple-double
“Very surprised. There has been a lot of great people to come through Nebraska. And for me to have the first triple-double just give glory to God.” 

On preparing for games now
"I just get into the gym more. I wasn’t a gym rat like that, but I just try to get into the gym and work on my free throws work on different stuff. Its really just locking in. It’s the Big Ten. Hard game every night and you have to come ready to play."

Dachon Burke Jr., Jr., Guard
On how far the team has came since the beginning of the year
“We have come a long way. I feel like this year has been a rollercoaster, but we at a point now that everyone is just buying in. We just come in with each other. Buying into the coaches, watching film with coach, watching reads and just buying in with the team the coaching staff because it is all we have. We are just going to build on this.” 

On practicing three-point shot
“When I first game in I hadn’t been working on threes, but this year (Coach) Holberg has been on me a lot. My footwork. Balancing my highs and lows. I just stay in the gym really. I have just been staying in the gym and buying in with Fred. I have good teammates that give me good shots and get me open.” 

Charlie Easley, Fr., Guard
On advice from coach Hoiberg
“He just told us not to focus on the last game. We just got to keep moving on and keep focusing on the next task. We just got to focus up and have good practices and mentally don’t let the fatigue get to you. always play hard.” 

On the crowd energy
“It was a great feeling. I have always kind of been a crowd feeder and I like the energy. It was a great feeling to be out there with my teammates and effecting the game. It was good to get the win.” 

Purdue Coach Matt Painter
Opening Statement 
“If we could have come back and won this game, it would have been a shame. I thought Nebraska played harder than us and [they] were more ready to play. For a team that played [Indiana] Friday night on the road, you’d think it’d be the [opposite]. Give Nebraska credit. I thought those guys were hooked up and they played hard. We tried to take away some of what they try to do, especially from a transition standpoint and keeping the ball out of the paint. [Nebraska] played a good game. They have a couple really good guards [Cam Mack and Dachon Burke]. We tried to make it hard on them and both of those guys played with good discipline and made shots at the end.” 

On Cam Mack and his performance
“Mack is a good player. He is fast and can break you down off the dribble. You watch him on film [and sometimes] he gets out of control, especially earlier in the season. We needed him to get out of control, and he didn’t. He showed poise tonight. And he showed discipline--he handled the game...He had a triple-double, ran the team, played 35 minutes. I thought he was great. He was the best player on the floor tonight.” 

On Nebraska responding following losses at Creighton and Indiana
“Give [Nebraska] credit. It’s hard. You get your doors blown off [at Creighton] and you go [to Indiana]...To be able to regroup [after the Creighton loss] and have a game…[then lose] at Indiana, [in] a tough environment…[then] to have to regroup again and play the way they did tonight, give [Nebraska] credit. I thought [Dachon] Burke was great, [Cam] Mack was great, Thor[ir Thorbjarnarson]’s been solid. He had a great game against Indiana and he had a great game tonight. [Nebraska’s] guys outplayed our guys.”  

On early season conference games
“[They’re] good for us. We need to play as many games against good [teams] as we can. [Nebraska’s] fans are maybe the best in the country outside of Purdue’s [fans]. They want to see Big Ten [games].” 

NU Athletic Communications