Huskers Take on Badgers Saturday Afternoon

The Nebraska men's basketball team returns home on Saturday afternoon, as the Huskers play host to the Wisconsin Badgers at Pinnacle Bank Arena to begin a two-game homestand. Tipoff is at 1:15 p.m. and Saturday's Legends Weekend game is sold out. Any returned tickets for Saturday's game will go on sale at the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Saturday's game will be televised on BTN with Chris Vosters and Shon Morris on the call. The game can also be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the Fox Sports app.
 

GAME 25: NEBRASKA VS. WISCONSIN Date:     Saturday, Feb. 15 Time:     1:15 p.m. (CT) Location:     Lincoln, Neb. Arena:     Pinnacle Bank Arena Tickets:     Huskers.com/Tickets NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 2019-20 Record: 7-17 (2-11 Big Ten) Head coach: Fred Hoiberg     Record at Nebraska: 7-17 (1st year)     Career NCAA Record: 122-73 (6th year) WISCONSIN BADGERS 2019-20 Record: 14-10 (7-6 Big Ten) Head coach: Greg Gard     Record at Wisconsin: 94-57 (5th year)     Career Record: Same BROADCAST INFO Television: BTN     Play-by-play: Chris Vosters     Analyst: Shon Morris Online Broadcast: FOX Sports App Radio: Learfield IMG College Husker Sports Network, including 590 AM (Omaha), 1400 AM (Lincoln) and 880 AM (Lexington)     Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka     Analyst: Jake Muhleisen Online Radio: Available on Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn.com/Huskers and TuneIn App.  SiriusXM (Internet): Ch.  372        XM: Ch. 372

Fans can follow all of the action across the state of Nebraska on the Learfield IMG College Husker Sports Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen on the call. The game will also be available on Huskers.com, the Huskers app and TuneIn radio. The pregame show begins one hour prior to tipoff. Saturday's game is part of the annual Legends Weekend, as nearly 50 former players will be back in town for the game. Players spanning six decades will be recognized on Saturday.

Nebraska (7-17, 2-11 Big Ten) comes off a heartbreaking 72-70 loss to ninth-ranked Maryland on Tuesday in College Park. The Huskers rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to get within 71-70 when Cam Mack's potential game winner was blocked by Jalen Smith in the final seconds. The Huskers, who were without Dachon Burke Jr. because of illness, got a strong performance from senior Haanif Cheatham, who scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half and added six rebounds. Cheatham suffered a calf injury at Iowa and didn't practice until gameday because of the injury. Cheatham has been a steadying influence for a young Husker roster, averaging 12.2 points per game while shooting a career-best 49 percent from the field in his only season at NU.

Wisconsin (14-10, 7-6 Big Ten) has been off since a 70-57 win over Ohio State on Sunday. In that game, Brevin Pritzl came off the bench and had 19 points, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, while Aleem Ford had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Badgers. Wisconsin, which had six players score at least eight points, hit 12 3-pointers against OSU and held the Buckeyes to just 36.7 percent shooting. The Badgers are one of the most balanced attacks in the Big Ten with six players averaging at least 7.7 points per game.
 
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Over the last two games, Jervay Green is averaging 13.0 points per gane on 50 percent shooting along with 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Green started in place of Dachon Burke Jr. at Maryland and had eight points, six boards and five assists in 34 minutes.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
1.29 - Nebraska's assist-to-turnover ratio which is on pace to rank fifth in school history. The Huskers are currently fourth in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio, including first in Big Ten action. In addition, NU's 14.5 assists per game is on pace to be the Huskers' highest total since the 2007-08 season.
 
Best Assist-to-Turnover Ratios in School History

Year	Ratio
1984-85	1.81
1985-86	1.64
1983-84	1.34
2018-19	1.32
2019-20	1.29
1981-82	1.29

 
2.29 - Cam Mack's assist-to-turnover ratio, which is fourth in the Big Ten entering this week's action. In Big Ten play, he has a 2.5-to-1 ratio.
 
8 - Cam Mack is one of just eight players in Division I - and just four in power conferences -  averaging at least 12.0 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game as of Feb. 13.

50 - Returning point total from last season, all by Thorir Thorbjarnarson. That is the lowest by any power conference team in the last decade.
 
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Under fifth-year coach Greg Gard, the Badgers are 14-10 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten play and enters the weekend in seventh place in the Big Ten standings.  The Badgers returned three starters from a team that won 23 games and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2019. The Badgers went 3-4 in its first seven games, but has rebounded to go 11-6 since that stretch. The Badgers have four wins over ranked teams on the season and also have a 20-point non-conference win at Tennessee.

Wisconsin's stretch is its ability to control the pace, as the Badgers are 13th in the conference scoring offense (65.8 ppg) and first in scoring defense (61.7 ppg). UW commits a conference low 10.3 turnovers per game and leads the Big Ten in free throw shooting (.757).
The Badgers rely on an eight-player rotation with seven players averaging over 7.5 points per game. Junior Nate Reuvers leads UW in scoring at 13.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg but is the only Badger who averages double figures. Ohio State transfer Micah Potter has been a boost, averaging 9.1 ppg and a team-high 6.0 rpg in five games since becoming eligible. UW also has five players who average at least one 3-pointer per game.

Series History: Saturday's matchup is the 32nd meeting between the two programs, as Wisconsin has a 17-14 advantage. The series dates back to the 1903-04 season, as Nebraska won the first meeting, 25-22 over the Badgers in Lincoln before Wisconsin took five of the next six meetings from 1907 to 1955.  Nebraska then won eight straight games before the Badgers won the next five meetings, including the first four in Big Ten play, before the Huskers topped the No. 9 Badgers in the final regular-season game in 2013-14. Wisconsin has won the last three meetings since the 2018-19 campaign. The Huskers are 4-11 against Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten (3-10 in regular season; 1-1 in Big Ten Tournament).

Last Meeting: Wisconsin used a record-breaking performance from beyond the 3-point line to pull away for an 82-68 win over Nebraska on Jan. 21 in Madison.  The Badgers were 18-of-34 from the 3-point line after entering the contest averaging just six 3-pointers per game in Big Ten play. Wisconsin hit 10 threes in the second half alone, to break open what was a one-point game at the half.  Nebraska was within 66-61 after a Kevin Cross 3-pointer with 7:34 left, but the Badgers ran off eight straight points, including 3-pointers by D'Mitrik Trice and Nate Reuvers to stretch the lead back to 13 and led by double figures the rest of the contest.

Brad Davison hit four 3-pointers to pace the Badgers with 14 points, while Brevin Pritzl also knocked down four threes for all 12 of his points. D'Mitrik Trice had a trio of 3-pointers to add 11 points, while Nate Reuvers also scored 11.
The Huskers placed four players in double figures. Dachon Burke Jr. led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.  Kevin Cross added 17 points while Cam Mack (14) and Thorir Thorbjarnarson (12) also finished in double figures.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Despite being down one starter and playing its second road game against a ranked opponent in four days, the Nebraska men's basketball team gave No. 9 Maryland all it could handle in a 72-70 loss Tuesday night at the XFINITY Center.

The Huskers, who trailed by 14 in the opening minutes of the second half, used a late rally to put themselves in position to pull the upset. NU trailed 71-64 with less than a minute to play before a 6-0 run made it a one-point game. After Maryland missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Nebraska had a chance to take the lead but Cam Mack, who had just knocked down a pair of clutch free throws, had his potential game-winning layup blocked by Jalen Smith, who then made his first free throw with 0.7 seconds remaining before intentionally missing the second, and the clock expired on the rebound.

The Huskers, who were without third-leading scorer Dachon Burke Jr. due to illness, outscored Maryland 45-34 in the second half, even though the Terrapins made six of their final seven shots. Nebraska shot 55 percent in the second half but only hit 41 percent of its shots in the game. The Huskers attempted a season-high 33 3-pointers but made just seven of those attempts.

Haanif Cheatham, who was questionable for the game after suffering an injury Saturday at Iowa, led the second-half comeback by scoring 18 of his game-high 20 points in the final period. Thorir Thorbjarnarson added 15 for the Huskers, while Matej Kavas provided a big boost off the bench, chipping in 11 points. Mack dished out eight assists for the Big Red to become the fourth Husker to record 150 assists in a season.

Smith (16 points, 13 rebounds), Donta Scott (10 points, 10 rebounds) and Anthony Cowan (13 points, 10 assists) all had double-doubles for Maryland. Eric Ayala joined that trio in double figures with 16 points, as he knocked down 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
 
WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
• As part of Nebraska's Black History Month celebration, a total of 3,000 Celebrating Black Husker History posters will be available for fans to pick up at Saturday's game. Posters will be available at the South entrance of Pinnacle Bank Arena while supplies last.

• Saturday's game is the eighth-annual Husker Legends weekend, which brings former basketball student-athletes back to campus. Nearly 50 former players spanning six decades are returning to campus for Saturday's game as well as a reception and other social events this weekend. As of Feb. 13, the following former players are scheduled to be at Saturday's game: Tom Baack; Larry Bornschlegl; Henry T. Buchanan; Brennon Clemmons; Cary Cochran; Bernard Day; Steve Erwin; Wilson Fitzpatrick; Larry Florence; Kedrick Ford; Bernard Garner; Ivan Gilreath; Steven Harley; Wayne Hester; Dave Hoppen; Chad Ideus; Nick Krenk; Brendy Lee; Matt Mar; Andy Markowski; John Matzke; Albert Maxey; Keith Moody; Jake Muhleisen; Neil Nannen; Alan Nissen; Terry Novak; Tom Novak; Jason Peterson; Eric Piatkowski; Beau Reid; Claude Renfro; Charles Richardson; Tom Russell; Cole Salomon; Bronsen Schliep; Joel Sealer; Rick Seidel; Jerry Shoecraft; Drew Stange; Matt Svehla; Ryan Thomas; John Turek; Paul Velander; Derrick Vick; Dale Von Seggern; Thomas Wald; Tony Wilbrand; Eric Williams and Mark Woita.

 
STORYLINES
• Tuesday's loss at No. 9 Maryland marked the fifth loss by five points or less this season, including losses at Maryland and at Rutgers, who are a combined 30-0 at home this season.

• Nebraska looks to snap a nine-game losing streak on Saturday. NU's game against Wisconsin will mark the seventh straight opponent in the top 35 of the NET.  The game against Wisconsin ends a streak of three straight games vs. ranked opponents.

• Nebraska is in the middle of a stretch where it plays 11 of 12 games against teams currently in the top 40 of the NET as of Feb. 13. NU's upcoming schedule includes games vs. Wisconsin (32), vs. Michigan State (11), at Illinois (36) and vs. Ohio State (22). In all, 11 of the 14 Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 55 of the NET as of Feb. 13.

• Saturday begins a stretch where the Huskers will play four of its next five at home with only a trip to No. 22 Illinois in that stretch.

• ESPN's BPI has Nebraska with the 13th-hardest strength of schedule remaining as of Feb. 12.  In all, 10 of the top 13 toughest remaining schedules are from the Big Ten.

• Haanif Cheatham's 20-point effort at No. 9 Maryland on Tuesday marked the Huskers' ninth 20-point game of the season (Burke-3; Cheatham-3; Mack-2; Green-1).

• Saturday's game features two of the best teams in the Big Ten in taking care of the basketball. Wisconsin leads the Big Ten with 10.3 turnovers per game, while Nebraska is tied for third at 11.3 turnovers per game. In the first meeting, the teams combined for just 21 turnovers (Nebraska-10; Wisconsin-11).

• Cam Mack is in fifth place on NU's single-season assist list and needs just 10 assists to tie Brian Carr (166, 1986-87) for fourth place. Carr currently holds three of the top four assist marks in school history. With his eight assists at Maryland, he became just the fifth Husker player to ever dish out 150 or more assists in a season (also Brian Carr-3x; Charles Richardson Jr. and Tyronn Lue).

• With 200 3-pointers this year, the 2019-20 Huskers have hit 200-or-more 3-pointers for the 10th time in program history. NU needs six 3-pointers to move into ninth and 10 to move into a tie for eighth. The Huskers have hit 10-or-more 3-pointers six times this season.

• Nebraska enters Saturday's game leading in the Big Ten in turnover margin with +2.8 per game. The Huskers are first in the Big Ten in forcing turnovers (14.0 per game) and third in taking care of the basketball (11.3 per game). NU is 24th nationally in fewest turnovers per game as
of Feb. 13.  During his tenure at Iowa State, Hoiberg's teams ranked in the top three in the Big 12 in fewest turnovers per game in four of his five seasons at the school.

• Despite being undersized and having just one player who had played in a Big Ten game entering the season, Nebraska's play in Big Ten action is starting to resemble the team's that Coach Hoiberg had at Iowa State, especially with ball movement and limiting turnovers. In Big Ten games, NU is in the top three in four offensive categories entering the weekend, including assist-to-turnover ratio and 3-point shooting.
 
Big Strides in Conference Play

Category	2019-20 (B1G)	2018-19 (B1G)	Times ISU Led Big 12 Under Hoiberg
3-Pt./GM	8.8 (1st)	6.8 (8th)	(3) 2011-12; 2012-13; 2014-15
Asst/GM	15.7 (2nd)	11.7 (10th)	(2) 2013-14; 2014-15
Asst-to-TO Ratio	1.5-to-1 (1st)	1.2-to-1 (5th)	(2) 2013-14; 2014-15
Turnover Margin	+2.6 (1st)	+2.0 (4th)	(0) None

as of Feb. 13
 
 
• Nebraska has relied on its balance with four double-figure scorers in conference play. NU has had at least three players reach double figures in 20 of 24 games this year, including each of the past eight contests.  The Huskers put five players in double figures three times, most recently against Iowa on Jan. 7.
• It is not surprising that Nebraska has relied on its 3-point shooting, as Hoiberg's Iowa State teams led the Big 12 in 3-pointers in four of his five seasons at the school. The Huskers, who are third in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game, are on pace to average 8.3 3-pointers per game, a total which would rank second in school history and be the most since the 2001-02 campaign.
 
Most 3-Pointers/Game in School History

No.	School	Games	3-Pointers/Game
1.	2001-02	28	9.54
-	2019-20	24	8.33
2.	2006-07	31	7.87
3.	2018-19	36	7.50

 
• Cam Mack has made an impact in his first season at Nebraska. He is 14th nationally with 6.5 assists per game, which is on pace to be the most by a Husker since the 1984-85 season, and ranks 44th nationally with his 2.29-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Mack's assist-to-turnover ratio is on pace to be one of the best in school history.
 
Best Assist/Turnover Ratios (Since 1979)

No.	Ratio	Player	Asst.-TO	Year
1.	3.05	Brian Carr	201-66	1985-86
2.	2.73	Jamar Johnson	123-45	1993-94
3.	2.58	Brian Carr	237-92	1984-85
4.	2.54	Jack Moore	109-43	1981-82
5.	2.52	Charles Richardson Jr.	179-71	2006-07
-	2.29	Cam Mack	156-68	2019-20

min. 3.0 assists/gm
 
• Cam Mack is the only Husker in the last 30 years to have multiple points-assists double-doubles in the same season as he has four this season, including three in Big Ten play. From 1989-90 to the end of the 2018-19 season, it had happened just five times. Mack's consecutive points-assists double-doubles against Indiana and Purdue were the first since Brian Carr in December of 1985 (vs. UC-Irvine and Creighton).
 
Husker Points/Assists Double-Doubles (Last 30 years)

No.	Pts.	Asst.	Opponent
Cam Mack	15	10	vs. Iowa, 1/7/20
Cam Mack	11	12	vs. Purdue, 12/13/19
Cam Mack	15	10	at Indiana, 12/13/19
Cam Mack	13	11	vs. Southern Utah, 11/11/19
Glynn Watson Jr.	10	10	vs. Cal State Fullerton, 12/20/18
Lance Jeter	10	10	vs. Kansas, 2/5/11
Lance Jeter	12	12	at Kansas State, 2/7/10
Sek Henry	11	11	at TCU, 11/21/09
Tom Wald	11	11	vs. Appalachian State, 12/31/94

 
• Nebraska used its sixth different starting lineup of the season on Tuesday at Maryland, as Kevin Cross made his first career start while Jervay Green replaced Dachon Burke Jr., who missed the game because of illness. Cross became the ninth Husker to start a game this season, as only freshman Akol Arop has not started among NU's eligible players.

• Freshman guard Charlie Easley was put on scholarship for the spring semester. Easley has played in 20 games as a backup guard, including all 13 Big Ten contests, and has played double-figure minutes in nine of the Huskers' last 11 contests. He had seven points and a season-high three assists in 15 minutes at No. 17 Iowa on Saturday.

• Nebraska returned a national-low 1.9 percent of its scoring from last season and the 50 returning points is the lowest by any power conference team since 2009 according to noted statistician Ken Pomeroy.
 
SETTING A FAST PACE
Not only are the Huskers adjusting to a whole new roster, but playing at a significantly faster pace than in previous years. The Huskers are 13th nationally in offensive tempo, as their average possession is 15.4 seconds per possession as of Feb. 13.

• The only power conference school that plays at a faster pace is Alabama, which is fifth as of Feb. 13. Penn State is the only other Big Ten team in the top 50 in offensive pace.

• Of the top 25 teams in terms of pace nationally, Nebraska has the lowest turnover rate as of Feb. 13. Nebraska, Gonzaga, St. John's and Wright State are the only teams nationally to currently rank in the top-25 in both offensive pace and turnover percentage. 

• In his five full seasons as a college coach, Hoiberg's teams have ranked in the top 20 in offensive tempo four times, including top-10 rankings in both 2014 and 2015.

• Hoiberg's first Iowa State team in 2010-11 jumped from 67th to 20th nationally in offensive pace and ranked in the top 40 nationally in adjusted tempo in four of his five seasons in Ames, including top-15 nationally in his last two campaigns.

• In the KenPom era (1997-present), only one Husker team has ranked among the top 100 nationally in adjusted tempo - the 1999-2000 Huskers under Danny Nee. The Huskers' quickest offensive tempo in the last decade was in 2017-18 when the Huskers were 140th in offensive tempo.
 
MACK DELIVERS AS HUSKERS' LEAD GUARD
Junior college transfer Cam Mack was the cornerstone of the Huskers' recruiting class, and has lived up to the billing in his first season at Nebraska.  Mack was the No. 3 JUCO recruit in the country last year at Salt Lake CC and has been one of the Big Ten's top newcomers this season. Mack, who was listed as the top JC point guard recruit in the country, enters the Wisconsin contest averaging 12.6 points per game while leading the Huskers in assists (6.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1).

• He is third in the Big Ten in assists per game and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio as of Feb. 13.

• Mack is third nationally with four games with at least 10 points and 10 assists. In fact, only 17 players in Division I have at least three double-doubles with points and assists this season as of Feb. 13.

• His 6.5 assists per game is on pace to rank third in school history trailing only Brian Carr, who averaged 7.9 assists per game in 1984-85 and 6.7 assists per game in 1985-86.

• Mack has been even better in Big Ten play, as he leads the Big Ten in assists (7.2 apg) and is third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5-to-1) in conference games only.  He has four of his five double-doubles in Big Ten action. He is also sixth in Big Ten action in 3-pointers per game (2.0).

• Mack ranks fifth on NU's single-season assist list with 156 and needs just 10 assists to move into fourth place.

• He recorded the first triple-double in program history against Purdue on Dec. 15 with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Huskers' 70-54 win.

• He's reached double figures 20 times, including a season-high 24-point performance against South Dakota State on Nov. 15 and a 20-point, nine-assist effort against Indiana on Jan. 18.

• He shined against Michigan on Jan. 28 with 19 points, including a season-high five 3-pointers, nine assists and seven rebounds.

• Mack nearly led the Huskers to a comeback win at No. 24 Rutgers on Jan. 25, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the second half as Nebraska rallied back from 14 points down to take the lead before falling 75-72.

• Last season at Salt Lake CC, Mack averaged 19.1 points, 7.6 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game, ranking fifth nationally in assists per game. He totaled nine double-doubles and three triple-doubles as a freshman and dished out 10-or-more assists nine times.
 
CHEATHAM MAKES IMPACT ON BOTH ENDS
Fifth-year senior Haanif Cheatham has been one of the leaders for a young Husker team. The guard from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has made 102 career appearances, including 94 starts during a career which has seen him play at Marquette and Florida Gulf Coast before coming to Nebraska.

• After a slow start, Cheatham has been one of NU's most consistent offensive threats, ranking second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and field goal percentage (.491) and third in assists (1.7 apg). He has been in double figures 17 times, including a trio of 20-point contests.

• He comes off one of his best performances of the season at No. 9 Maryland. In that game, he finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and six boards. Cheatham, who was questionable for the game with a calf injury, had 18 points in the second half as Nebraska rallied back from a 14-point deficit.

• He went over 1,000 career points with a 17-point performance against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 29.

• Cheatham posted his first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds at Georgia Tech on Dec. 4.

• He was in double figures all three games of the Cayman Islands Classic, averaging 19.0 ppg including a career-best 26-point effort against South Florida to garner all-tournament honors.

A former top-100 recruit out of high school, he was named Marquette's top defensive performer in each of his two full seasons at Marquette.
 
THOR EMERGES AS SCORING THREAT
Junior Thorir Thorbjarnarson emerged as a vital part of the Huskers' offensive attack and one of the most improved players in the Big Ten. The 6-foot-6 guard is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.0 ppg, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3-point range.

• Thorbjarnarson is third in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (.440) after shooting just 21.4 percent from 3-point range in his first two seasons.

• In conference play, he is averaging 11.9 ppg while leading NU in field goal percentage (.514) and 3-point percentage (.431) and rebounding (5.6 rpg). He is also second in steals (1.1 spg) and assists (1.7 apg).

• He is sixth in 3-point percentage (.431) and third in 3-pointers per game (2.2) in Big Ten games only.

• His 10.4 ppg increase in conference play from last season is the third-highest jump in the Big Ten, and he is one of four players who have increased their conference scoring average by at least 10 ppg this season.

• He has been on a roll as of late, reaching double figures 11 times in NU's last 17 games after not reaching double figures in his first 41 contests at Nebraska. Since Dec. 4, he has tied or set a career high in points five times, including 17 points at No. 24 Rutgers on Jan. 25.

• He nearly had a double-double in the win over Iowa on Jan. 7, finishing with 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and a season-high nine rebounds. He tied his season high originally set at Indiana on Dec. 13.

• Thorbjarnarson nearly helped NU knock off No. 9 Maryland with 15 points seven rebounds and a pair of assists in a 72-70 loss on Feb. 11.
 
BURKE SHOWS SCORING TOUCH
The other returnee from the 2018-19 season, Dachon Burke Jr. waited in the wings after transferring from Robert Morris. A 6-foot-4 guard, Burke has quickly shown the skills to flourish in Fred Hoiberg's attack, averaging 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game.

• He leads NU and ranks second in the Big Ten in steals and paces the Huskers in blocked shots (15), despite missing the Maryland game with an illness.

• Burke has three 20-point efforts this year, including a 25-point effort against Indiana on Dec. 13, a 21-point performance against South Florida on Nov. 27 and a 20-point, eight-rebound outing at Wisconsin on Jan. 21.

• He has nine games with at least two steals, including a five-steal effort against George Mason on Nov. 25.

Two years ago, Burke was one of the best players in the Northeast Conference, averaging 17.6 points per game while adding 5.8 rebounds and a conference-best 2.1 steals per contest to earn second-team all-conference recognition.
 
OUEDRAOGO IS YOUNGSTER WITH BIG ROLE
Freshman Yvan Ouedraogo became the first true freshman to start a season opener at Nebraska since 2013 and has been a mainstay of the Husker lineup.

• He is one of the youngest players in the country, as he won't turn 18 until after the 2020 Big Ten Tournament.

• Ouedraogo has made 23 starts and played in all 24 games, averaging 5.3 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game in just under 21 minutes per game. He is third among Big Ten true freshmen in rebounding as of Feb. 13.

• He is on track to be the third freshman to lead NU in rebounding in a season, joining Aleks Maric (2005-06) and John Turek (2001-02).

• Ouedraogo is ninth all-time among Husker freshmen in rebounding and could jump into the top five as soon as Saturday.

• He has reached double figures three times, most recently at Ohio State on Jan. 14, finishing with 10 points and five boards.

• Ouedraogo picked up his first career double-double against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 29 with 11 points and 14 rebounds. His double-double was the first by a Husker freshman since Shavon Shields in 2013 and Ouedraogo became just the 10th NU freshman to ever record a double-double.

• His 10 rebounds against Indiana on Dec. 13 marked the second-highest rebounding total for a Husker freshman in his first conference game, trailing only Dave Hoppen in 1983. It is one of three double-figure rebounding efforts in 2019-20, as he also had 12 against South Dakota State on Nov. 15.

• His other double-figure effort was an 11-point peformance against Southern on Nov. 22, including six in overtime.

• Ouedraogo played for the French U-18 squad at the 2019 European Championships in July, as France went 6-1 and finished fifth in the competition.
 
CROSS LIFTS BENCH PRODUCTION
Freshman Kevin Cross has been a key contributor for the Huskers. The 6-foot-8 freshman from Little Rock, Ark., has been Nebraska's sixth man for most of 2019-20, averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

• Cross is third on the team with 24 3-pointers and fourth in assists (31) while playing just 18.6 minutes per game. Because of the Huskers' lack of interior size, Cross has played center as a true freshman after being a forward during his high school career.

• He ranks sixth among Big Ten true freshman in scoring and fifth in rebounding as of Feb. 13.

• Cross has reached double figures seven times, which is the most by a Husker since Glynn Watson (15) in 2015-16.

• He matched his conference high in points (17) and 3-pointers (three) while dishing out a pair of assists against Michigan on Jan. 28.

• Cross enjoyed one of his best efforts of the season at Wisconsin on Jan. 21, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes. He also had a season-best three steals against the Badgers.

• He played a complete game in the win over Washington State on Nov. 25, scoring 14 points, grabbing a season-high eight rebounds and blocking two shots in 27 minutes.

• Against Southern Utah on Nov. 9, Cross had a season-high 19 points, which is the most by a Husker freshman since the 2016-17 season. It was also the most by a Husker freshman since Shavon Shields also had 19 against Michigan State in 2013.
 
KAVAS IS ONE OF NATION'S TOP SHOOTERS
Senior transfer Matej Kavas comes to Nebraska with a reputation as one of the nation's top 3-point shooters. The 6-foot-8 guard is a career 43 percent shooter from 3-point range, and shot 40 percent or better in all three of his seasons at Seattle. Kavas' .431 career percentage ranks 11th among active Division I players as of Feb. 13, and is the only player in Division I with at least 200 career 3-pointers and shooting over 43 percent from the 3-point line.

• Kavas has found his niche in recent games, averaging 8.3 ppg on 50 percent shooting in NU's last three games (vs. No. 24 Penn State, No. 17 Iowa and No. 9 Maryland).

• On Tuesday, he had 11 points off the bench - his first double-figure effort in conference play - and hit his 200th career 3-pointer.

• Kavas had his best performance of the year against North Dakota on Dec. 21, hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers. It was the 18th time in his career he had 4-or-more 3-pointers in a game. 

• To put Kavas' shooting in perspective, Nebraska's career mark for career 3-point percentage is .432 by Brian Conklin (2001-04) and only five players in school history have shot 40 percent in their Husker career with a minimum of 100 3-pointers.

• Kavas' 200 career 3-pointers would ranks third on NU's career list while his 91 3-pointers as a sophomore would top NU's single-season mark (Cary Cochran, 89, 2001-02).

• As a sophomore at Seattle, Kavas led the WAC in both 3-point percentage (.464) and 3-pointers per game (2.8).'