Huskers Look to Upset No. 25 Michigan

The Nebraska men's basketball team hits the road for the first of two games on Thursday night, as the Huskers travel to No. 25 Michigan. Tipoff from Crisler Center in Ann Arbor is set for 5:31 p.m. (CT).
 

GAME 30: NEBRASKA at NO. 25 MICHIGAN Date:       Thursday, March 5 Time:       5:31 p.m. (CT) Location: Ann Arbor, Mich. Arena:     Crisler Center NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 2019-20 Record: 7-22 (2-16 Big Ten) Head coach: Fred Hoiberg     Record at Nebraska: 7-22 (1st year)     Career NCAA Record: 122-78 (6th year) NO. 25/NR MICHIGAN WOLVERINES 2019-20 Record: 18-11 (9-9 Big Ten) Head coach: Juwan Howard     Record at Michigan: 18-11 (1st year)     Career Record: same BROADCAST INFO Television: FS1     Play-by-play: Brandon Gaudin     Analyst: Donny Marshall 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.  970        XM: Ch. 380

The matchup will be carried nationally on FS1 with Brandon Gaudin and Donny Marshall 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 (7-22, 2-16 Big Ten) lost a heartbreaker against Northwestern on Sunday afternoon, falling 81-76 in overtime. Senior Haanif Cheatham had 20 points to pace four Huskers in double figures, while freshman Yvan Ouedraogo posted his second double-double in the last three games with 11 points and 19 rebounds. Nebraska was doomed by going 8-of-30 from the foul line, and committing a season-high 21 turnovers which led to 20 Northwestern points. Despite those numbers, the Huskers still led 67-65 with less than a minute to go in regulation, but couldn't close out the win.

One bright spot over the last three week has been the growth and development of Ouedraogo. The 6-foot-9 freshman is averaging 8.8 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field over the last five games. He is also grabbing 10.4 rebounds per game in that stretch, including a career-high 19 rebounds against Northwestern on Sunday. That performance - the most rebounds by a Husker since 2007 - also shattered the school freshman record for rebounds in a game. He is now averaging a team-best 6.6 rebounds per game. 

Michigan (18-11, 9-9 Big Ten) look to break a two-game losing streak following a 77-63 loss at Ohio State on Sunday. In that game, freshman Franz Wagner had 18 points and 11 boards, while Zavier Simpson had 12 points and seven assists. The Wolverines, who are ranked 25th, are one of a conference-record eight teams ranked in this week's AP top-25. Thursday's game is also senior night for Michigan for a group that includes Simpson and starting center Jon Teske.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
Cam Mack has 179 assists on the season and needs one more to pass Charles Richardson for third place on Nebraska's single-season list. Mack is 15th natonally in assists at 6.4 assists per game. He would be just the second Husker to have at least 180 assists in a season (Brian Carr).

NUMBERS TO KNOW
15,605 - Nebraska's final average attendance this season at Pinnacle Bank Arena, an average which is 11th nationally as of March 3.

4 - Overtime games this season for Nebraska, tying a school reocrd set five times previously (also 2007-08, 1996-97, 1986-87, 1979-80 and 1955-66). 

11 - Number of 20-point game by Husker players this season following Haanif Cheatham's 20-point effort against Northwestern.

12 - 3-pointers Nebraska hit against Northwestern, which tied a season high and marked the seventh time this season that Nebraska has hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game. 

42.0 - Nebraska has held its last three opponent to a combined 42.0 percent shooting from the field. Over the previous four games, opponents shot a combined 49.4 percent from the floor. 

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 steal per game as of March 2. The other power conference players include Tre Jones (Duke), Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State) and Markell Johnson (NC State).

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan comes into Thursday's game with a 19-8 record (9-9 Big Ten) following a 77-63 loss to Ohio State on Sunday. Duane Washington Jr. had 20 points, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range to lead five Buckeyes in double figures. Michigan, which shot 45 percent from the field, but just 7-of-26 from 3-point range, was paced by freshman Franz Wagner, who had 18 points and 11 boards, while Zavier Simpson had 12 points and seven assists. 

Michigan is led by first-year head coach Juwan Howard, who took over the Michigan program following John Beilein's departure for the Cleveland Cavaliers in May of 2019. Howard, who starred at Michigan during the Fab 5 era, spent 19 seasons in the NBA playing for eight franchises and won two NBA titles with the Miami Heat in 2012-13. He worked in the Miami Heat organization for six seasons, the final five as an assistant coach before returning to his alma mater.

The Wolverines raced out to a 7-0 start, including wins over Creighton, Iowa State, North Carolina and current No. 2 Gonzaga to move from unranked to No. 4 in the country in early December. The Wolverines weathered a 2-5 stretch in January before their win in Lincoln began a stretch where they won seven of their next eight contests before dropping the last two games. 

Michigan, which was without Isaiah Livers for a significant portion of the Big Ten slate, is one of the most balanced attacks in the league with five players averaging between 10.9 and 13.0 ppg. Livers leads UM in scoring at 13.0, while Simpson is also at 13.0 points and leads the nation with 7.9 assists per game. Senior center Jon Teske averages 11.7 points per game along with team highs in both rebounding (6.9 rpg) and blocked shots (1.9 bpg). Wagner has been a focal point during the second part of the season and is averaging 11.4 ppg, including a team-high 13.4 ppg over the Wolverines' last 10 games. 

Series History: Michigan leads the all-time series, 17-3, in a series that dates back to 1949, although the Wolverines' win over the Huskers in the 1992 Rainbow Classic was later vacated. Michigan has won 11 of the 12 meetings since Nebraska joined the Big Ten with the Huskers' only win coming in a 72-52 win in Lincoln during the 2017-18 campaign. One of Nebraska's three wins in the series was a 74-73 win over No. 1 Michigan at the NU Coliseum on Dec. 12, 1964. In that game, Fred Hare's buzzer beater knocked off the Cazzie Russell-led Wolverines. That win is one of three wins over No. 1 ranked teams in Nebraska's history.

Last meeting: Cam Mack had 19 points and nine assists, but a second-half lull proved costly as Michigan posted a 79-68 win over the Huskers on Jan. 28. Mack went 7-of-14 from the floor, including a career-high five 3-pointers for the Huskers. He was one of three Huskers to finish in double figures, as Haanif Cheatham had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Kevin Cross came off the bench to add 17 points. Trailing 48-41, Cross keyed an 11-2 Husker run, scoring seven of his 17 points to help the Huskers erase the deficit and take a 52-50 lead on a Cross jumper with 13:49 left. The Huskers' lead would be short-lived, as Michigan responded with a decisive 19-3 surge to regain control. 
Brandon Johns Jr. and Franz Wagner combined for 12 of the Wolverines' 19 points in the run. Eli Brooks led three Wolverines in double figures with 20 points and nine rebounds while Wagner (18) and Johns (16) both finished in double figures for the victors. 

LAST TIME OUT
Haanif Cheatham had a team-high 20 points, while freshman Yvan Ouedraogo grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds and had 11 points, but it was not enough as Northwestern defeated Nebraska, 81-76, in overtime at Pinnacle Bank Arena on March 1.

Nebraska overcame a six-point deficit with 4:54 remaining with Cheatham leading the Huskers on an 11-2 run, scoring eight points before Cam Mack's layup with 1:19 remaining put Nebraska up 67-65. On the Wildcats' next possession, Pat Spencer tied the game with a pair of free throw with 47 seconds remaining in regulation. The Wildcats seized control in the opening minutes of overtime, scoring the first seven points to take a 74-67 lead and force a Husker timeout. Nebraska rallied behind the play of Dachon Burke, who scored eight points in the extra period, including a 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining. On Northwestern's next possession, Burke stole the ball and fed Ouedraogo, who was fouled with 23.5 seconds left. Ouedraogo missed both free throws and NU was forced to foul. Ryan Young sank a pair of free throws to push the margin to four, and the Huskers would get no closer.

Free throw shooting was a critical factor in the loss, as Nebraska went just 8-of-30 from the charity stripe, well under its season average of 60.6 percent. The Huskers were just 3-of-16 from the line after halftime. Northwestern went 15-of-20 from the line in the victory.  Cheatham's 20 points led four Huskers in double figures. Burke added 19, while Mack chipped in 13 to join Ouedraogo in double figures.

STORYLINES
• Thursday's game features the two newest coaches in the Big Ten in Fred Hoiberg and Michigan's Juwan Howard. Besides the Michigan win earlier this season, Hoiberg went 1-1 against the Wolverines while coaching at Iowa State, including a 77-70 win over No. 7 Michigan in Ames on Nov. 17, 2013. No. 14 Michigan downed the Cyclones 76-66 on Dec. 3, 2011 in Ann Arbor in the other meeting. In addition, the pair faced off one time as college players, a 94-72 Michigan win at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 1992.

• Thursday's game will feature two of the Big Ten's premier point guards in Michigan's Zavier Simpson and Nebraska's Cam Mack. Simpson leads the nation in assists at 7.9 per game while Mack ranks 15th nationally at 6.4 assists per game. Simpson (2.5-to-1) and Mack (2.4-to-1) rank second and third, respectively, in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio.

• While the Huskers have lost a school-record 14 straight contests entering Thursday'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' 29 games to date have been against Quad 1 or 2 opponents. NU's games this week (at Michigan, at Minnesota) are Quad 1 opponents.  In all, 11 of the 14 Big Ten teams are in the top 50 of the NET as of March 3.

• Nebraska's Cam Mack is the only Big Ten player who ranks in the top five of the Big Ten in both assists and steals as of March 3. In fact, Mack joins Michigan State's Cassius Winston and Ohio State's C.J. Walker as the only Big Ten players in the top 10 in both categories.

• Cam Mack enters the Michigan game in a tie for third place on NU's single-season assist list with 179. He will move past Charles Richardson Jr. (179, 2006-07) for third place and needs just 21 assists to become just the second player in school history with 200 assists in a season.

• Nebraska has 236 3-pointers this year rank fourth in school history. The Huskers need eight 3-pointers to move into third place on the single-season chart. Nebraska has hit 10-or-more 3-pointers seven times this season, including 12 against Northwestern on March 1.

• Haanif Cheatham's 20-point effort against Northwestern on March 1 marked the Huskers' 11th 20-point game of the season (Burke-4; Cheatham-4; Mack-2; Green-1).

• Nebraska played a school-record four overtime games this year, which is nearly half of the Big Ten's 11 overtime game this season.

• Nebraska enters Thursday's game leading in the Big Ten in turnover margin with +2.5 per game. The Huskers lead the Big Ten in forcing turnovers (14.1 per game) and are sixth in taking care of the basketball (11.6 per game) after committing a season-high 21 turnovers against Northwestern. 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 week, 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	8.3 (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	1.3-to-1 (4th)	1.2-to-1 (5th)	(2) 2013-14; 2014-15
Turnover Margin	+2.2 (1st)	+2.0 (4th)	(0) None

as of March 2
 
• 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 8.1 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	29	8.13
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 15th 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	179-74	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 23 of 29 games this year, including a trio of games with five double-figure scorers.

• Nebraska has used seven different starting lineups this season and are down to just nine eligible players after Matej Kavas suffered a season-ending injury against Wisconsin on Feb. 15. Kavas suffered a left (non-shooting) hand injury and had surgery. Kavas averaged 5.3 points per game and had totaled 23 3-pointers in 22 contests. Three of Nebraska's scholarships are with sit-out transfers (Derrick Walker, Shamiel Stevenson and Dalano Banton) who will be eligible next season.

• Freshman Charlie Easley was put on scholarship for the spring semester on Jan. 10. Easley has played in 25 games as a backup guard, including all 18 Big Ten contests. A Lincoln native, Easley started against Penn State on Feb. 2, and also averages nearly a steal per game.

• 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 seventh nationally in offensive tempo, as their average possession is 15.2 seconds per possession as of March 3.

• 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 second-lowest turnover rate as of March 2, trailing only Gonzaga.  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.

SIX NAMED TO ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT HONOR ROLL
Six members of the Husker men's basketball program were honored on Feb. 29, as they were named to the NU Athletic Department Honor Roll for the fall semester.  The group includes senior Matej Kavas, junior Thorir Thorbjarnarson, sophomore Cam Mack and freshmen Charlie Easley, Jace Piatkowski and Bret Porter. It is the third time that Thorbjarnarson has earned the distinction, while it is the first time for the other five student-athletes, all of whom completed their first semester at Nebraska in the fall.  To qualify for the honor roll, student-athletes must have a 3.0 GPA for the previous semester.

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 Michigan contest averaging 12.0 points per game while leading the Huskers in assists (6.4 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4-to-1) and ranking second in steals (1.3 spg). He is 15th nationally in assists per game.

• He is third in the Big Ten in assists, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio as of March 2. 

• Mack is fourth nationally with four games with at least 10 points and 10 assists. In fact, only 11 players in Division I have at least four double-doubles with points and assists this season as of March 2.

• 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 third in 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.

• He will move into third place on NU's single-season assist list with his first assist against Michigan and needs 21 to become the second Husker with 200 assists in a season.

• Mack has reached double figures a team-high 22 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 in the first meeting with 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 109 career appearances, including 102 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 (12.6 ppg) and field goal percentage (.480) and ranks third in assists (1.5 apg). He has been in double figures 21 times, including four 20-point contests.

• He is playing some of his best basketball in recent weeks, averaging 13.9 points per game on 48 percent shooting, including 39 percent from 3-point range, over the Huskers' last nine games dating back to Jan. 28. He has been in double figures seven times in that stretch. 

• Last Sunday, he totaled 20 points, three assists and three steals in Nebraska's overtime loss to Northwestern.

• 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 suffered at Iowa, 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 8.6 ppg, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range.

• Thorbjarnarson is 10th in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (.393) after shooting just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from 3-point range in his first two seasons. 

• In conference play, he is averaging 10.4 ppg while leading NU in field goal percentage (.456) and 3-point percentage (.374). He is also second in rebounding (5.6 rpg), assists (1.8 apg) and steals (1.1).

• He is third in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (1.9) and 13th in 3-point percentage (.374) in Big Ten games only.

• His 8.9 ppg increase in conference play from last season is the fifth-largest jump in the Big Ten this season. 

• He has reached double figures 12 times in NU's last 22 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 shown the skills to flourish in Fred Hoiberg's attack, averaging 12.1 points, 3.6 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game. 

• He is second in the Big Ten in steals and paces the Huskers in blocked shots (17). 

• Since missing the Maryland game with an illness, he is averaging 15.2 points per game on 44 percent shooting, including 42 percent from 3-point range, and 1.8 steals per game over the last five games. 

• Burke comes off a 19-point, five-steal effort against Northwestern, marking the second time he had five steals in a game this season. He is the only player in the Big Ten with two game with at least five steals.

• 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 10 games with at least two steals, including a five-steal effort against George Mason on Nov. 25 and Northwestern on March 1.

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
Yvan Ouedraogo became the first true freshman to start a season opener at Nebraska since 2013 and has put together a solid first-year at Nebraska. 

• 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 5.9 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game in just over 21 minutes per game. He is third among Big Ten true freshmen in rebounding as of March 3.

• He is playing some of his best basketball over the last two weeks, averaging 8.5 points on 55 percent shooting and 9.4 rebounds per game over Nebraska's last six games. 

• 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).  

• His best performance of the year came against Northwestern, when he posted his third double-double of the season with season highs in points (11), rebounds (19) and minutes (38). His 19 rebounds were the most ever by a Husker freshman and most by any Husker since 2007.

• Ouedraogo became Nebraska's freshman leader in rebounds against Ohio State and now has 191 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's three double-doubles ties for the most ever by a Husker freshman, as he also had double-doubles against Illinois (11 points/10 rebounds) on Feb. 24 and vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (11 points/14 rebounds) on Dec. 29. 

• 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.

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 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. 

• Cross is fifth on the team in both 3-pointers (26) and sixth in assists (34) while playing just 17.8 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 seventh among Big Ten true freshmen in scoring and sixth in rebounding as of March 3.

• Cross has reached double figures seven times, which is the most by a Husker freshman 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.

HUSKERS LOOK FOR FIRST RANKED WIN
Nebraska enters the Michigan game with an 0-6 record against ranked opponents this year - all coming in Big Ten action. The Huskers are 3-4 all-time playing against the No. 25 team in the AP poll, most recently a 66-51 win at No. 25 Indiana on Jan. 14, 2019. That was also NU's last road win against ranked team, as NU looks to snap a seven-game losing streak on the road against ranked squads.