Brian Conklin Season 1999-00

• 2002 First-Team Academic All-Big 12
• Fall Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2000, 2001, 2002)
• Spring Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2001, 2003)

Outlook
Senior Brian Conklin is looking to rebound from a sub-par junior campaign and finish his career on a bright note. The 6-11 forward will likely be a key component to the Husker offense, especially if he gets back the shooting touch that helped him to an NU sophomore record for three-pointers in 2002.

Conklin gives Nebraska a presence in the post and provides an accurate threat when stepping outside the three-point line to create matchup problems for opponents. He is also one of the Huskers’ top performers in the classroom, where he has been selected to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll five times, and was named to the academic all-conference first-team in 2002.

2002-03 (Junior)
Conklin averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game and was one of just four Huskers to play in all 30 contests. He picked up 17 assists, five blocks and eight steals while averaging 14.5 minutes per game. At the free throw line, Conklin continued his near-perfect accuracy, as he hit 14-of-15 attempts.

After gaining a reputation in the league as a deep threat in 2001-02, Conklin was guarded much more closely outside the arc, where he was held to just 25.9 percent shooting, dropping from first to sixth on the NU career chart. Despite the constant pressure, the Hubbard, Ohio, native remained one of the most prolific three-point shooters in Nebraska history when he became just the ninth Husker ever to record at least 100 three-pointers in a career. Conklin hit 22 treys to rank second on the team during the season, lifting his career total to 110.

Conklin had his best game of the year on the road at Baylor, when he hit 5-of-8 attempts from behind the arc for a season-high 15 points. He added 12 points against Kansas on the road while adding a season-high eight rebounds. Conklin was also productive against Oklahoma State, when he picked up 12 points and seven rebounds.

In the non-conference slate, Conklin had a solid contest against nationally ranked Minnesota, when he pitched in eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes as NU upset the Gophers, 80-60.

Away from the court, Conklin was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the Fall and Spring, giving him a team-high five awards during his career.

2001-02 (Sophomore)
Conklin was fourth on the team with 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while ranking among the league leaders in three-pointers made per game (2.3) and three-point field-goal accuracy (43.3 percent). He added 24 assists, 14 steals and 10 blocked shots while averaging 25.3 minutes per game, which ranked third on the team.

Conklin worked hard to get inside the paint more often during the season, but as one of the team's best shooters from outside the arc, found better success from the perimeter against many opponents. Conklin's 65 treys during the season broke the NU sophomore three-point record of 62 set by Cary Cochran in 2000.

In conference play, Conklin picked up the offensive pace by averaging 9.9 points per game and hit 44.4 percent from the floor with 2.8 rebounds per game. Conklin hit an amazing 47.9 percent (46-of-96) from three-point range against league competition, ranking fourth in the league in three-point percentage and sixth in three-pointers made per game (2.9). While he only attempted 10 shots from the free-throw line, he made each attempt count as he hit nine. He also had seven of his 10 blocked shots against league competition.

During the season, Conklin was in the starting lineup 20 times, including in the first nine contests of the year before John Turek was inserted prior to conference play. Conklin joined Turek in the lineup against Texas and came off the bench only once in the final 12 games of the year. In the games he started, Conklin averaged 9.8 points with 3.8 rebounds.

Conklin scored a career-high 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting in a loss at Iowa State, with all six of his made shots coming from behind the arc. His six treys were just one off the then-NU single-game three-point record. That contest was one of 11 games Conklin reached double-figure points, including five straight late in the season.

In one of his best all-around games of the season, Conklin hit 5-of-7 shots from the floor, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, to score 15 points against Kansas State in Nebraska’s 99-82 victory. He added four rebounds with one assist, three blocked shots and two steals vs. the Wildcats.

Conklin was the most efficient shooter for the Huskers over the final nine games of the regular season. During that stretch, he averaged 11.6 points per game while hitting a team-high 50.0 percent (34-of-68) from the floor. He was even more dangerous from the perimeter during that span, as he hit 52.7 percent (29-of-55) from three-point range.

Off the court, Conklin was named a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection. He was one of two Husker honorees, along with Cary Cochran, as NU had two first-team academic all-league selections for just the fifth time in school history and the first time since 1996. He was also selected to the 2001 Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll.

2000-01 (Freshman)
Conklin began his career in solid fashion, averaging 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds while playing in all 30 games for the Huskers. He was one of just four NU players to see action in every contest, starting six games. Playing a key role off the bench for the Huskers, Conklin averaged 14.6 minutes per contest. His time on the floor increased to 26.8 minutes per game in starts, while his productivity increased to 6.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg.

Conklin's ability to step outside the arc often frustrated opponents, as he hit 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from three-point range and 43.1 percent (44-of-102) from the floor overall. His totals ranked in the top five among freshmen in the Big 12 from three-point range. His 23 three-pointers ranked sixth among freshmen in Husker history, while his 10 blocked shots tied for 12th all-time among NU rookies.

Conklin had eight points, four rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal in an overtime victory against Oklahoma State. In his third start of the year (against KSU), Conklin set a career high for rebounds with 17, including 14 defensive boards. The total was the most by any Husker during the year, while his 13 rebounds in the first half were just two off the Nebraska record. He added 11 points in the contest, making it the first and only double-double of his career, and one of five double-figure scoring nights on the year. He had a season high with 18 points in a loss at Baylor when he hit 6-of-8 shots from the floor, including five three-pointers.

Conklin's contributions increased throughout the season, and peaked in the final nine games of the year. Over that period, he averaged 10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds while hitting 44.4 percent from three-point range (12-of-27). He also had 17 of his 34 assists with four blocked shots and six steals in the last nine contests.

Off the court, Conklin was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll.

1999-2000 (Redshirt)
Conklin redshirted his first year in the program.

High School (Hubbard)
Conklin finished his prep career as the most decorated player in Hubbard (Ohio) High School history. He was a two-time all-state and three-time all-county pick and finished as the school's career leader in scoring (1,180 points), rebounds (835), assists (235) and blocked shots (121).

Conklin averaged 18.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 blocked shots as a senior for coach Bernie Tarr, as Hubbard went 18-4. He hit 34 percent from three-point range, after knocking down 39 percent as a junior. Conklin averaged 19 points, 13 rebounds and 3.5 assists as a junior, when he hit 82 percent of his free throw attempts. He did not miss a varsity game in four years, appearing in 86 contests.

Conklin also lettered three years in baseball. A strong student, Conklin was named to the school's honor roll and received an Award of Merit.

Personal
Brian is the son of Karen and Raymond Conklin. He has one brother, Mark, and one sister, Alison. He was born on Aug. 16, 1980, and is majoring in secondary education and English. He chose the Huskers over Northwestern, Bowling Green and West Virginia.