Harleen Sidhu Season 2011-12

Honors & Awards

• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2012)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2012)
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2011)
• Two-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2011; Spring 2012)
• Four-Time Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (Fall 2008, 2009; Spring 2009, 2010)
• Canadian National Team Tryout Camp Invitee (2007)
• National Elite Development Academy Invitee (2007)
• Led British Columbia to Canadian Under 17 National Championship (2006)
• Five-Time British Columbia Provincial Team Member

Senior (2011-12)
Harleen Sidhu (pronounced SIH-doo) played just three games for the Huskers as a senior. The 6-1 forward from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, underwent offseason knee surgery before her senior year. She was not cleared to return to practice until Nov. 8. She made her first appearance of the season against Vermont on Nov. 18. She played 15 minutes against the Catamounts and grabbed four rebounds after missing NU's first 10 games of the season.

She played in Nebraska's Big Ten debut at No. 16 Penn State on Dec. 30, and in the Huskers' Big Ten home opener against Indiana on Jan. 5.

However, pain and weakness continued in her leg, forcing her out for the rest of the season. Sidhu, who played much of her junior season with a torn knee ligament, chose not to apply for a fifth season of eligibility in 2012-13.

Despite her physical setbacks on the court, Sidhu continued to be an outstanding leader and teammate for the Huskers. She played a major role in mentoring a group of Huskers that featured six freshmen and two sophomores.

In addition to helping the Huskers in practice and leadership training, Sidhu earned academic All-Big Ten honors for her performance in the classroom.

"Harleen is a versatile player with solid fundamentals, and she showed her toughness and team-first approach last season while she battled through an injury," Coach Connie Yori said. "She pays attention to the skill areas in her game. She adds some more size on the perimeter for us. She is also an outstanding person and a great student."

Junior (2010-11)
Sidhu earned the first start of her career in Nebraska's season-opening victory over Vermont on Nov. 13. She scored four points, pulled down two rebounds and notched an assist and a steal in 12 minutes against the Catamounts. She added her second and third career starts in NU's January games against Kansas and Kansas State. For the season she averaged 1.5 points and 0.7 rebounds while competing in 29 of NU's 31 games.

She erupted for a career-high 12 points in NU's win over Missouri on Feb. 22, when she hit 5-of-7 shots from the field including 2-of-3 three-pointers. She added a rebound and an assist in 22 minutes off the bench against the Tigers.

She produced six points in NU's win over Florida A&M on Jan. 2, when she tied a career high by burying a pair of three-pointers. Sidhu added five points and a pair of boards in just 11 minutes off the bench at Oklahoma State on Feb. 12.

Sidhu played a season-high 23 minutes at Iowa State on Jan. 11, when she had three points and two rebounds. She added three points and a rebound in seven minutes off the bench in the regular-season finale at Texas A&M on March 5. Against Colorado on March 2, Sidhu contributed two points while matching her season highs with two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Sidhu is also a standout in the classroom, capturing first-team academic All-Big 12 honors as a junior in 2011. She is also a four-time selection to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Sophomore (2009-10)
The lone sophomore on Nebraska's 2009-10 roster, Sidhu missed a portion of the preseason and the Huskers' first two games with an ankle injury suffered in preseason practice.

Sidhu averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 12 games, including five points and three rebounds in five minutes in an NCAA Tournament win over Northern Iowa on March 21. She also appeared in NU's win over Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on March 12.

Sidhu had 26 points and 20 rebounds in just 62 minutes on the year. Those numbers translate to 16.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per 40 minutes.

She made her first appearance of the season against Idaho State on Nov. 19, then erupted for a career-high 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field against Washington State on Nov. 22. In seven minutes off the bench against the Cougars, Sidhu hit 2-of-3 three-pointers and pulled down three rebounds.

Sidhu played but did not score in NU's win at Saint Mary's, when she distributed the first assist of her career. She added another assist and her first blocked shot of the season, while grabbing four rebounds in seven minutes in the Huskers' win over South Dakota on Dec. 3.

Sidhu saw her most extensive action of the year with 12 minutes in NU's run past Albany on Dec. 30. She scored four points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds, while adding an assist and her first steal of the season.

The next time out, Sidhu pumped in five points, including her third three-pointer of the season, while adding a rebound in just five minutes of action at Vermont.

She contributed two points in two minutes of action in Nebraska's win over Northern Illinois on Dec. 13.

She appeared in three Big 12 games, including four minutes in NU's home finale against Kansas on March 3.

Freshman (2008-09)
Sidhu joined fellow British Columbia Provincial Team member Kaitlyn Burke on Nebraska's roster in 2008-09.

Sidhu is one of three Canadians over the past seven years to join the Huskers, following in the footsteps of Canadian Senior National Team member Chelsea Aubry.

Sidhu contributed for Nebraska as a true freshman, appearing in 25 games while helping NU to the second round of the Postseason WNIT. She averaged 0.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high five points against eventual 2009 NCAA Final Four participant Oklahoma on Jan. 10. She also grabbed a pair of rebounds in 13 minutes of action against the Sooners.

She opened the season with four points, five rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal in NU's season-opening win over Weber State on Nov. 14. She added two points and two rebounds in a win at Denver on Nov. 24, before pulling down a career-high seven rebounds in NU's win over Butler in Albuquerque, N.M., on Nov. 28. She added three points and six boards in a Husker victory over Oral Roberts on Dec. 2, before contributing two points and five rebounds in a win over Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 9. She pitched in two more points and three boards in a win over Long Beach State three days later.

Following her effort against Oklahoma, Sidhu added two points and two rebounds at Missouri on Jan. 17, before playing a career-high 24 minutes in a win over Kansas on Jan. 21. She did not score against the Jayhawks but did grab three rebounds and secured a career-best two steals.

She appeared in each of NU's first 22 games to open the year, before missing her first contest in a win over Texas Tech on Feb. 14. She played at Iowa State on Feb. 18, and played 10 minutes with two rebounds in NU's win over Missouri on Feb. 21, before seeing her last action of the year at Kansas on Feb. 28.

Sidhu performed well in the classroom as a freshman, earning spots on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll during the fall and spring semesters, including a perfect 4.0 GPA in the spring.

High School
Sidhu amassed 867 points (26.3 ppg) as a senior for Fleetwood Secondary, including a season-high 38 points to go along with 10 rebounds in a 49-39 win over Oak Bay on Nov. 30, 2007.

She added 37 points in a 58-40 victory over Queen Elizabeth on Jan. 24, after scoring 37 points in a 63-62 win over Lord Tweedsmuir on Jan. 11. Overall, she scored 30 or more points 12 times in 33 games.

In a 62-43 win over Princess Margaret on Nov. 26, 2007, Sidhu scored 31 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and recorded nine steals. She may have been even better two weeks later when she scored 32 points, pulled down 11 boards and added eight steals in a 46-29 win over Mouat on Dec. 6.

Sidhu's junior season was cut short by an injury, but she averaged 31 points per game when she was on the court in 2006-07. As a sophomore at Fleetwood Secondary School in 2005-06, Sidhu averaged 23 points and eight rebounds per game for Coach Rose Bindra.

Sidhu spent five years on the British Columbia provincial team, leading her team to a gold medal in the 2006 Canadian Under 17 National Championships in Quebec, where she produced a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Coach Shaun McGuinness. She earned first-team all-tournament honors for her performances. She was also a first-team all-tournament selection while leading British Columbia to the Under-15 national title in 2004.

As both an eighth and ninth grader Sidhu was named the MVP of the British Columbia Provincial Championships, and helped lead Fleetwood to its first-ever appearance at the BC Senior Girls Provincial Championships as a sophomore in 2005-06.

Sidhu was an outstanding performer in the classroom and in the community. She was an honor roll member throughout high school, carrying a 4.0 grade-point average. She also received the Youth Recognition Award for Personal Achievement from the City of Surrey in 2004 for her commitment to volunteering her time in the community.

Sidhu earned an Award of Appreciation from the local community arts academy in 2004, and also earned the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award from the Newton Community in 2003.

Personal
Harleen is the daughter of Jay and Bal Sidhu. Harleen has one younger sister, Jasmine, and a younger brother, Jeevan. Harleen was born Nov. 30, 1990, in Surrey, British Columbia. A nutrition science major at Nebraska, Sidhu earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2012.

Sidhu was a first-team academic All-Big Ten selection as a senior in 2012, and joined Kaitlyn Burke as a Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar in 2012. A first-team academic All-Big 12 choice in 2011, Sidhu was a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll, and she claimed two spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in 2011-12.

Sidhu chose Nebraska over Gonzaga, Utah, San Diego, Colorado, Colorado State, Montana and Oregon State among many other schools.

Five Facts About Harleen

1. Harleen's dad has put in countless hours coaching her since she was a child and she admires his positivity. She admires her mother for her hard work, love and support.
2. Harleen's parents are originally from India and she is believed to be the first Indian female to play basketball at the NCAA Division I level.
3. She has future plans to attend medical school and become a doctor.
4. Harleen wants to travel the world when she is finished with school. She especially wants to travel to Africa and India to assist children in impoverished communities.
5. Harleen lives by the idea of "No Regrets."

Sidhu's Career Statistics 

 

Year

G-GS

FG-FGA

Pct.

3P-3PA

Pct.

FT-FTA

Pct.

TRB-Avg.

PF-D

A

TO

Blk

ST

Pts-Avg.

2008-09 25-0 9-42 .214 2-13 .154 0-0 .000 41-1.6 15-0 0 19 1 8 20-0.8 2009-10 12-0 10-26 .385 4-14 .286 2-4 .500 20-1.6 6-0 3 7 1 1 26-2.2 2010-11 29-3 13-54 .241 6-23 .261 11-13 .846 21-0.7 13-0 9 16 0 6 43-1.5 2011-12 3-0 0-7 .000 0-3 .000 0-0 .000 6-2.0 0-0 0 4 0 0 0-0.0

Career

69-3

32-129

.248

12-53

.226

13-17

.765

88-1.3

34-0

12

46

2

15

89-1.3