Huskers Battle Wildcats on Senior Day This Sunday

The Nebraska men's basketball team takes the Pinnacle Bank Arena court for the final time in 2019-20 on Sunday afternoon, as the Huskers host Northwestern on Senior Day.  Tipoff is at 3:15 p.m. and any returned tickets will go on sale at the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday's pregame ceremony for seniors Haanif Cheatham and Matej Kavas will begin around 2:55 p.m. so fans that want to be there for the ceremony should arrive at Pinnacle Bank Arena by 2:45 p.m.
 

GAME 29: NEBRASKA vs. NORTHWESTERN Date:     Sunday, March 1 Time:     3:15 p.m. Senior Day: 2:55 p.m. Location:     Lincoln, Neb. Arena:     Pinnacle Bank Arena Tickets:     Huskers.com/Tickets NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 2019-20 Record: 7-21 (2-15 Big Ten) Head coach: Fred Hoiberg     Record at Nebraska: 7-21 (1st year)     Career NCAA Record: 122-77 (6th year) NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS 2019-20 Record: 6-21 (1-16 Big Ten) Head coach: Chris Collins     Record at Northwestern: 107-117 (7th year)     Career Record: Same BROADCAST INFO Television: BTN     Play-by-play: Kevin Kugler     Analyst: Nick Bahe 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.

The matchup will be carried nationally on BTN with Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe on the call. The game can also be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the Fox Sports app.

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.

Nebraska (7-21, 2-15 Big Ten) fell behind early and was unable to catch up in a 75-54 loss to No. 23 Ohio State on Thursday. The Buckeyes hit nine of their first 11 shots, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, in building an early lead. On the night, OSU shot just 40 percent, but the
Huskers shot just 36 percent from the field, including 3-of-16 from 3-point range. Dachon Burke Jr. led NU with 13 points, while Cam Mack added 12 markers. 

Sunday's game is the final home game for Haanif Cheatham, who has been a bright spot for the Huskers. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native has started all 28 games and leads NU in scoring (12.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.473) and is third in assists (1.4 apg). Fellow senior Matej
Kavas, who played in 22 games before suffering a season-ending injury against Wisconsin on Feb. 15, will also be honored.

Northwestern (6-21, 1-16 Big Ten) comes off a 74-66 loss to Illinois on Thursday night. Pat Spencer's 18 points led four Wildcats in double figures, but Northwestern shot just 41 percent from the field on the night and was out-rebounded 42-29.  Northwestern, which committed just five turnovers, trimmed Illinois' 16-point lead to seven with just under three minutes left, but could not get any closer down the stretch.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Cam Mack has 172 assists on the season and needs eight more to pass Charles Richardson for third place on Nebraska's single-season list. Mack has nine games with at least eight assists this year, including seven in Big Ten action.

NUMBERS TO KNOW
39.8 - Nebraska has held its last two opponent to a combined 39.8 percent shooting from the field. Over the previous four games, opponents shot a combined 49.4 percent from the floor.

59.3 - Freshman Yvan Ouedraogo is shooting 59.3 percent over the Huskers' last five games. In that stretch, he is averaging 8.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in just over 20 minutes per contest.
 
1.25 - NU's assist-to-turnover ratio is on pace to rank seventh in school history. The Huskers are currently sixth in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio, including second in Big Ten action.
 
Best Assist-to-Turnover Ratios in School History

No	Year	Ratio
1.	1984-85	1.81
2.	1985-86	1.64
3.	1983-84	1.34
4.	2018-19	1.32
5.	1981-82	1.29
6.	1979-80	1.28
7.	2019-20	1.25

 
10 - Cam Mack is one of just 10 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 steal per game as of Feb. 28. The other power conference players include Tre Jones (Duke), Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State) and Markell Johnson (NC State).
 
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern enters Sunday's game with a 6-21 record and on a 12-game losing streak after falling to Illinois, 74-66 on Thursday evening. The Wildcats put four players in double figures, led by Pat Spencer's 18-point night on 8-of-13 shooting, but Illinois got 45 points from Ayo Dosunmu and Alan Griffin to earn the victory.

The Wildcats returned just two starters and six letterwinners from last year's team that went 13-19 for seventh-year coach Chris Collins. The Wildcats, who picked up non-conference wins over Providence and Boston College, have struggled in Big Ten play, going 1-5 in games decided by five points or less.

Northwestern is a solid team defensive team, holding opponents to 42 percent shooting and allowing 69.8 points per game. Offensively, the Wildcats commit just 10.3 turnovers per game to rank among the Big Ten leaders while also shooting nearly 73 percent from the foul line.
Northwestern starts three freshman and a sophomore in the lineup while its lone senior is Pat Spencer, a first-year player who was four-time All-American in lacrosse at Loyola (Md.). Sophomore Miller Kopp leads the Wildcats in scoring at 13.0 ppg and is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. Kopp also leads the Wildcats with 56 3-pointers. True freshman Boo Buie is averaging 10.5 points per game. He did not play in the first meeting with the Huskers. Spencer is also in double figures with 10.6 points and a team-high 3.8 assists per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Northwestern meet for the 17th time on Sunday, as the Huskers hold an 9-7 lead in a series that dates back to 1933. The Huskers and Wildcats have won six times apiece since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. Northwestern snapped NU's two-game win streak with a five-point win in Evanston on Jan. 11.

Last Meeting: NU nearly erased a 15-point halftime deficit but the Huskers were unable to overcome a cold-shooting performance in a 62-57 loss in Evanston on Jan. 11.

Northwestern used a 16-1 first-half run to build its 15-point halftime lead before hanging on down the stretch. The Huskers trailed by 14 midway through the second half, but rallied by outscoring Northwestern 15-6 over the final 10 minutes. A potential game-tying 3-pointer by Dachon Burke Jr. was missed with 12 seconds to play, allowing Northwestern to escape with its first Big Ten win of the year.

Cam Mack produced another double-double for the Huskers, pacing the Big Red with 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Haanif Cheatham joined Mack in double figures with 10 points. Miller Kopp scored a game-high 15 points for Northwestern, as one of four Wildcats in double figures.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Dachon Burke Jr. and Cam Mack combined for 25 points, but No. 23 Ohio State rode a hot start to a 75-54 win over Nebraska Thursday evening.

Burke led NU with 13 points, while Mack added 12 points, but Ohio State (19-9, 9-8 Big Ten) limited the Huskers to 36 percent shooting, including 3-of-16 from 3-point range.

Caleb Wesson had 16 points and 18 rebounds for Ohio State to pace three Buckeyes in double figures. CJ Walker added 15 points, five boards and three assists, while Duane Washington Jr. chipped in 14 markers.

Ohio State used a blistering start from Washington, who scored all 14 of his points in the first half, to take a 43-27 lead at the break.  Washington, who was 4-of-18 from 3-point range in the previous three games, hit his first three shorts beyond the arc, as the Buckeyes hit nine of their first 11 shots from the floor en route to building a 28-12 lead. The Huskers battled back, using an 8-2 run to pull within 30-18 after a Burke basket with 6:29 left in the half.  The Buckeyes later used a 9-0 run to stretch the lead to 21 before Nebraska ran off seven straight points to climb within 39-25 with 1:16 left in the half.

Nebraska (7-21, 2-15 Big Ten) got to within 14 twice in the opening minutes of the second half, the last being at 47-33 after a Burke bucket, but the Huskers, who shot just 33 percent in the second half, were unable to slice into the deficit.
 
STORYLINES
• Sunday's game features two of the top freshmen rebounders in the Big Ten in Nebraska's Yvan Ouedraogo (6.1 rpg) and Northwestern's Ryan Young (6.0 rpg). The duo ranks third and fourth, respectively, among Big Ten freshman.

• While both Nebraska and Northwestern are locked into the opening day of the Big Ten tournament, the winner of Sunday's matchup would be in prime position to be the No. 13 seed in Indianapolis. If Nebraska wins, the Huskers would be two games up with two to go, while a Northwestern win would give both teams identical conference records, but the Wildcats would hold the tiebreaker based on sweeping the season series.
 
Remaining Schedule After Sunday

School	Opponents (Dates)
Nebraska	at Michigan (3/5); at Minnesota (3/8)
Northwestern	at Wisconsin (3/4); Penn State (3/7)

 
• While the Huskers have lost a school-record 13 straight contests entering Sunday's game, NU Head Coach Fred Hoiberg experienced a similar double-figure losing streak during his first season at Iowa State. That year, the Cyclones were short-handed with four sit-out transfers en route to going 3-13 in the Big 12. The next season, the Cyclones put together the largest turnaround in Big 12 history and went 12-6 on their way to the first of four straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Hoiberg.

•The Huskers have played a challenging schedule, playing 14 Quad 1 games so far this season. In all, 18 of the Huskers' 28 games to date have been against Quad 1 or 2 opponents. NU's upcoming games next week (at Michigan, at Minnesota) are also Quad 1 opponents.  In all, 11 of the 14 Big Ten teams are in the top 50 of the NET as of Feb. 28.

• Husker Assistant Coach Armon Gates spent five seasons (2013-18) on the Northwestern staff as an assistant coach, including the Wildcats' 2017 NCAA Tournament run.

• Nebraska's Cam Mack and Michigan State's Cassius Winston are the only Big Ten players in the top five in both assists and steals as of Feb. 28.

• Cam Mack is in fourth place on NU's single-season assist list with 172 and needs just seven assists to tie Charles Richardson Jr. (179, 2006-07) for third place.

• Nebraska has 224 3-pointers this year rank fifth in school history. The Huskers need eight 3-pointers to move into fourth place on the single-season chart. Nebraska has hit 10-or-more 3-pointers six times this season.

• Dachon Burke's 21-point effort against Michigan State on Feb. 20 marked the Huskers' 10th 20-point game of the season (Burke-4; Cheatham-3; Mack-2; Green-1).

• Nebraska enters Sunday's game leading in the Big Ten in turnover margin with +2.6 per game. The Huskers lead the Big Ten in forcing turnovers (13.9 per game) and fourth in taking care of the basketball (11.3 per game). NU is 26th nationally in fewest turnovers per game as of Feb. 28.  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 only, NU is in the top three in four offensive categories entering the weekend, including assist-to-turnover ratio and 3-pointers per game.
 
Big Strides in Conference Play

Category	2019-20 (B1G)	2018-19 (B1G)	Times ISU Led Big 12 Under Hoiberg
3-Pt./GM	8.1 (3rd)	6.8 (8th)	(3) 2011-12; 2012-13; 2014-15
Asst/GM	14.7 (3rd)	11.7 (10th)	(2) 2013-14; 2014-15
Asst-to-TO Ratio	1.4-to-1 (2nd)	1.2-to-1 (5th)	(2) 2013-14; 2014-15
Turnover Margin	+2.4 (1st)	+2.0 (4th)	(0) None

as of Feb. 28
 
• 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 fourth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game, are on pace to average 8.0 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	28	8.00
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 17th nationally with 6.4 assists per game, which is on pace to be the most by a Husker since the 1985-86 season, and ranks 33rd nationally with his 2.42-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
-	2.42	Cam Mack	172-71	2019-20

min. 3.0 assists/gm
• 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 22 of 28 games this year, including a trio of games with five double-figure scorers.

• Nebraska has used seven different starting lineups this season. At Illinois, Nebraska had just eight eligible players, as Cam Mack did not play because of illness while Matej Kavas suffered a season-ending injury against Wisconsin on Feb. 15. Kavas suffered a left (non-shooting) hand injury and had surgery last week. Kavas averaged 5.3 points per game and had totaled 23 3-pointers in 22 contests. Of the 13 scholarship players that began the year, NU now has only eight available, as three players (Derrick Walker, Shamiel Stevenson and Dalano Banton) are sitting out this year, while Samari Curtis transferred to Evansville at the semester.

• Freshman Charlie Easley was put on scholarship for the spring semester on Jan. 10. Easley has played in 24 games as a backup guard, including all 16 Big Ten contests, and has played double-figure minutes in 12 of the Huskers' last 15 contests.

• 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 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 in more than a decade according to noted statistician Ken Pomeroy. That team was the 2008-09 Indiana Hoosiers, who went 6-26 overall (1-17 in Big Ten) and had two double-figure losing streaks. The Big Ten had seven teams reach the NCAA Tournament this season.
 
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 10th nationally in offensive tempo, as their average possession is 15.3 seconds per possession as of Feb. 28.

• The only power conference school that plays at a faster pace is Alabama, which is fifth nationally. Penn State, which is 48th, is the only other Big Ten team in the top-50 nationally.

• Over the last five years (2014-15 to 2018-19), only two Big Ten teams - Ohio State (16th, 2014-15) and Minnesota (20th, 2014-15) - ranked in the top 20 nationally in possession length.

• Of the top-25 teams in terms of pace nationally, Nebraska has the lowest turnover rate as of Feb. 28. Nebraska, Gonzaga, Belmont and St. John's 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 Northwestern contest averaging 12.0 points per game while leading the Huskers in assists (6.4 apg), steals (1.3 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4-to-1).

• He is second in the Big Ten in steals and third in both assists per game and second in assist-to-turnover ratio as of Feb. 28.

• Mack is fourth nationally with four games with at least 10 points and 10 assists. In fact, only 10 players in Division I have at least four double-doubles with points and assists this season as of Feb. 28.

• His 6.4 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 is second in the Big Ten in assists (6.8 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7-to-1) in conference games only.

• Mack has four of his five double-doubles in Big Ten action, including the first triple-double in school history against Purdue on Dec. 15 with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the Huskers' 70-54 win.

• Mack ranks fourth on NU's single-season assist list with 172 and needs just seven assists to move into a tie for third place.

• He's reached double figures a team-high 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 108 career appearances, including 101 starts during a career which has seen him play at Marquette and Florida Gulf Coast before coming to Nebraska. He was the first player to commit to Nebraska following the hiring of Fred Hoiberg, and has been a steady performer in 2019-20.

• Cheatham has been one of NU's most consistent offensive threats, as he leads NU in scoring (12.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.473) and ranks third in assists (1.4 apg). He has been in double figures 20 times, including a trio of 20-point contests.

• He is playing some of his best basketball in recent weeks, averaging 13.1 points per game on 46 percent shooting, including 33 percent from 3-point range, over the Huskers' last eight games dating back to Jan. 28. He has been in double figures six times in that stretch, and played just 15 minutes at Iowa because of a calf injury.

• Cheatham had 14 points and seven rebounds against Illinois and also had 14 points and a career-high five steals on Feb. 20 against Michigan State. His five steals matched the season high by any Husker in 2019-20.

• Cheatham had one of his best performances of the season at No. 9 Maryland on Feb. 11. 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 8.7 ppg, while shooting 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range.

• Thorbjarnarson is seventh in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (.409) after shooting just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from 3-point range in his first two seasons.

• In conference play, he is averaging 10.8 ppg while leading NU in field goal percentage (.471) and 3-point percentage (.393). He is also second in rebounding (5.4 rpg), assists (1.8 apg) and steals (1.1).
 
• He is third in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (1.9) and 10th in 3-point percentage (.393) in Big Ten games only.

• His 9.3 ppg increase in conference play from last season is the fifth-largest jump in the Big Ten this season. He is one of only five Big Ten players who have increased their scoring average by at least nine points per game.

• He has reached double figures 12 times in NU's last 21 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.

• Thorbjarnarson had 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and seven rebounds in Monday's loss at Illinois.

• 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 shown the skills to flourish in Fred Hoiberg's attack, averaging 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game.

• He is second in the Big Ten in steals and paces the Huskers in blocked shots (16).

• Since missing the Maryland game with an illness, he is averaging 14.3 points per game on 43 percent shooting, including 39 percent from 3-point range, over the last four games.

• He posted his fourth 20-point game of the season against Michigan State on Feb. 20, finishing with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting and tied his season high with four 3-pointers.

• His other 20-point efforts this season include a season-high 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 for most of the season.

• 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 26 starts and played in all 28 games, averaging 5.7 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game in just under 21 minutes per game. He is third among Big Ten true freshmen in rebounding as of Feb. 28.

• 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). 

• He is playing some of his best basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 8.0 points on 59 percent shooting and 7.4 rebounds per game over Nebraska's last five games.

• Ouedraogo became Nebraska's freshman leader in rebounds against Ohio State and now has 172 on the season, breaking the record of 169 by Aleks Maric in 2004-05. Maric eventually became a two-time all-conference performer under Doc Sadler and played for Australia in the
2012 Olympics.

• Ouedraogo became just the fourth Husker freshman to record multiple double-doubles, as he had 11 points and 10 rebounds at Illinois on Feb. 24, and 11 points and 14 rebounds against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 29.

• He has reached double figures in scoring five times including three times in Big Ten play.

• Ouedraogo also has five double-figure rebounding efforts, including 10 against Wisconsin on Feb. 15 and 10 at Illinois on Feb. 20.

• 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. 

• 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.