Nebraska's Mikey Labriola (174) claimed the NCAA Wrestler of the Week and the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week honor, when the award winners were announced on Tuesday. 
 
The Easton, Pa., native and four-time All-American recorded five-straight wins in route to his second straight Cliff Keen individual title. He defeated Will Miller of Appalachian State, Ross McFarland of Hofstra, #30 Sal Perrine of Ohio and #5 Demetrius Romero of Utah Valley before facing the top-seeded #2 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech. In the finals, the two were tied 1-1 after Period 3 and went into sudden victory. Labriola grabbed the 3-1 win with a late takedown. 
 
Labriola, who is currently the second-ranked wrestler in the nation according to the InterMat rankings, has a team-leading 102 career victories. This past weekend he became just the 30th Husker wrestler to amass 100 or more career victories. He is also 12-0 on the season and 3-0 in conference competition. 
 
The Huskers are back in action against SDSU in Brookings on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. (CT). 

 

Huskers Face Badgers in Big Ten Battle

Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-3, 1-0 Big Ten)
vs. Wisconsin Badgers (3-7, 0-1 Big Ten)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 7 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (105.9 FM)
Huskers.com, Huskers App
Special Event: Marines Toys for Tots Collection

Huskers Return Home for Big Ten Battle with Badgers
The Nebraska women's basketball team returns home for the first time in 15 days when the Huskers play host to Wisconsin on Wednesday. 

Tip-off between the Huskers (6-3, 1-0 Big Ten) and Wisconsin (3-7, 0-1 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. A live video stream will be provided to subscribers of B1G+ with Big Ten Student U announcers Connor Clark and Peyton Thomas on the call. The game also can be heard live on the Huskers Radio Network with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call on 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska, which opened the year in the preseason top 25 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls, is receiving votes in both polls this week following a 90-67 victory over No. 20 Maryland in College Park on Sunday. It was Nebraska's first-ever win over the Terrapins. The Huskers outscored the Terps 59-31 in the second half, including 30-11 in the fourth quarter at the Xfinity Center.

Jaz Shelley led the Huskers with 29 points, five assists and three steals at Maryland. An explosive scorer, Shelley scored 22 points in an 11-minute span that turned a 36-25 deficit with one minute left in the first half, into a 60-56 NU lead heading to the fourth quarter. The 5-9 shooting guard from Moe, Australia, is leading the Huskers with 13.7 points, 7.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. She also leads the Big Red with 20 three-pointers and is hitting 95 percent of her free throws. 

Preseason All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski has added 12.8 points and a team-best 8.9 rebounds through nine games in 2022-23. Markowski managed 14 points and six rebounds in the win at No. 20 Maryland, despite battling foul trouble. The 6-3 center from Lincoln Pius X also leads the Huskers with seven blocks and ranks second on the team with 1.4 steals per contest.

Isabelle Bourne, a 6-2 junior forward from Canberra, Australia, has added 12.0 points and 7.4 rebounds, including 18 points, six boards and a season-high four assists at No. 20 Maryland. Bourne hit a career-high four threes, as she teamed with Shelley on 10-for-15 three-point shooting against the Terps. Bourne notched her second double-double of the year with 15 points and 12 rebounds at No. 9 Virginia Tech (Dec. 1). Over the last three games, Bourne is averaging 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds. 

Allison Weidner added a breakout performance with 13 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and five assists in the win at Maryland. The 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., scored all 13 of her points and grabbed eight rebounds in the second half at Maryland. Weidner had been bothered for three games by an eye injury suffered in Nebraska's last home game against Tarleton (Nov. 22), when she was knocked out of the game just 59 seconds into the contest.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-3, 1-0 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 12.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - So. - C/F - 12.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 13.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - So. - G - 9.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - So. - G - 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - So. - F - 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - So. - G - 4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 3.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - So. - F/G - 2.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg
2 - Trinity Brady - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
24 - Nailah Dillard - 5-10 - Gr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
44 - Maggie Mendelson - 6-5 - Fr. - F/C - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Seventh Season at Nebraska (102-87); 16th Season Overall (295-196)

Wisconsin Badgers (3-7, 0-1 Big Ten)
25 - Serah Williams - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 12.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg
3 - Brooke Schramek - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 9.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
5 - Julie Pospisilova - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 14.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
11 - Maty Wilke - 5-10 - RFr. - G - 13.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
12 - Avery LaBarbera - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 9.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Off the Bench
30 - Sydney Hilliard - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
14 - Krystyna Ellew - 5-10 - So. - G - 6.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
4 - Lily Krahn - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 3.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
20 - Sacia Vanderpool - 6-4 - RFr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
22 - Tessa Towers - 6-5 - Fr. - C - 1.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg
15 - Sania Copeland - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 1.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg
24 - Natalie Leuzinger - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg
13 - Ronnie Porter - 5-4 - Fr. - G - 1.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg
2 - Savannah White - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 0.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg
44 - Mary Ferrito - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
Head Coach: Marisa Moseley (Boston U, 2004)
Second Season at Wisconsin (11-28); Fifth Season Overall (56-57)

Toys for Tots Collection Wednesday at PBA
The Nebraska women's basketball program will join the annual U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Drive Wednesday, Dec. 7, when the Huskers take on Wisconsin at the Pinnacle Bank Arena at 7 p.m.

Husker fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to the game. Cash donations for the cause are also encouraged and accepted. 

The Marines will be stationed near entrances throughout PBA to accept donations that will brighten the holiday season for children in need. 

This holiday season marks the 75th anniversary of the Marine Toys for Tots program. Since 1947, the Marines have distributed 627 million toys to 281 million children.

For more information, visit ToysforTots.org.

Scouting The Wisconsin Badgers
Coach Marisa Moseley guides her second Wisconsin team to Lincoln with a 3-7 overall record and an 0-1 Big Ten mark after a 102-71 loss to No. 10 Iowa in Madison on Sunday afternoon. Four of Wisconsin's seven losses have come by single digits, including five-point losses to Florida State (92-87) and at Illinois State (62-57) and eight-point setbacks to Georgia (68-60) and VCU (75-67).                

The Badgers have outscored (71.5-71.1) and outshot (.434-.411 FG/.350-.341 3FG/.759-.751 FT) the opposition, but carry a negative rebound margin (-0.9 rpg) and turnover margin (-1.4 pg).

Moseley, a long-time assistant at UConn, posted a 45-29 record in three seasons as the head coach at Boston University, before taking the Wisconsin job prior to last season. The Badgers finished 8-21 overall and 5-13 in the Big Ten a year ago.

While Moseley is making over the UW lineup, the Badgers have several familiar pieces. Senior guard Julie Pospisilova continues to lead Wisconsin with 14.2 points per game. One of the Big Ten's best long-range shooters, the 6-0 guard from the Czech Republic has hit 44.2 percent (23-52) of her threes early this season. She also leads UW with 4.2 assists and ranks second among the Badgers with 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while adding 4.6 rebounds.

Junior guard Brooke Schramek has added 9.6 points and 3.1 rebounds as a returning starter. Schramek is also tied for second among the Badgers with 2.9 assists per game. Schramek was a high school teammate of Nebraska sophomore Kendall Moriarty at Benet Academy in Illinois.

Maty Wilke leads three newcomers to the Badger starting five. The 5-10 redshirt freshman from Beaver Dam, Wis., ranks second on the team in scoring with 13.8 points, while leading UW with 24 made three-pointers. She also leads Wisconsin with 1.8 steals on the season. She put up 13 points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting in the loss to No. 10 Iowa on Sunday.

True freshman Serah Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has give the Badgers an immediate boost inside. The 6-4 forward ranks third on the team in scoring at 12.7 points while leading the starters with 5.5 rebounds per game. Williams also leads UW with 1.4 blocks while adding 1.0 steal. She led Wisconsin with 15 points against Iowa.

Graduate transfer Avery LaBarbera rounds out Wisconsin's starting five with 9.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. The 5-6 guard spent her first four seasons at Holy Cross, where she was the 2022 Patriot League Player of the Year. The four-time All-Patriot League pick ranked third in the conference with 16.5 points and fifth in the league with 4.0 assists in 2021-22. She scored 1,478 points while adding 660 rebounds and 364 assists in 107 games in her four seasons as a Crusader.

In addition to the three new faces in the starting five, Wisconsin also has six true freshmen and a redshirt freshman coming off the bench. 

While the youngsters have added a fresh look for the Badgers, the return of senior Sydney Hilliard may be significant. Hilliard, a 5-11 guard, stepped aside from UW program late last season for personal reasons. She underwent offseason knee surgery, but returned to action for the Badgers last week and has averaged 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds off the bench, including 11 points in 23 minutes in Sunday's loss to No. 10 Iowa and seven points and five boards in a loss to Florida State. Hilliard finished second among the Badgers with 12.8 points and a team-leading 4.7 rebounds last season through 18 games. She owns nearly 900 career points at Wisconsin.

Sophomore Krystyna Ellew was also a significant contributor last season and is averaging 6.4 points per game off the bench this year. Ellew averaged 7.6 points per game and ranked second on the team with 36 made threes last season. She started 15 games a year ago.

Junior captain Halle Douglass, who was lost for the 2022-23 season to a knee injury in a loss at Illinois State on Nov. 20, averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds while starting 18 games last year. She was averaging 3.2 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds through the first five games this season.

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Wisconsin 14-7, including a five-game winning streak. The Huskers were 2-0 against the Badgers last season, including a 77-44 win at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Jan. 27, 2022) and an 80-70 win at Wisconsin (Feb. 23, 2022). 

The Huskers have won eight consecutive home games against the Badgers in a streak that started at the Bob Devaney Sports Center with a 68-59 win on Feb. 19, 2012. Nebraska is 14-2 against Wisconsin as Big Ten foes.

Wisconsin notched its last win in the series with a 70-69 victory on a controversial buzzer-beater at the Kohl Center on Jan. 27, 2018. Nebraska leads the series 6-5 in Madison.

Wisconsin won the first five meetings in series history, dating back to a 79-74 win over the Huskers in Madison, Wis., on Jan. 5, 1979. NU's first win came with a 75-69 victory at Madison (Jan. 12, 2012).

Aussies Putting Up Numbers in Last Three Games
Jaz Shelley (Moe, Australia) and Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) combined for 47 points and nine assists on 10-of-15 three-point shooting in Sunday's win at No. 20 Maryland. 

Nebraska's Aussie duo has increased production in NU's past three games against Power Five Conference schools (Mississippi State-SEC, Virginia Tech-ACC, Maryland-Big Ten) on the road.

Shelley is averaging 21.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steal, while knocking down 13-of-27 threes over the last three contests.

Bourne has been NU's most consistent player the last three contests, averaging 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds while hitting 56.8 percent (21-37) from the field, including 6-of-12 three-pointers (.500).

Husker Numbers to Watch
With her next rebound, Jaz Shelley will secure No. 300 in her college career (230 at Nebraska). Shelley made her 100th three-pointer as a Husker and the 100th free throw of her college career in Nebraska's win at No. 20 Maryland on Sunday.

Shelley is four games away from 100 in her college career (41 at Nebraska/55 at Oregon).

Allison Weidner needs 9 assists to reach 100 in her career.

Isabelle Bourne is 49 points away from 1,000 in her career. She is six games away from her 100th career game as a Husker. Her older sister, Callie, recently reached the 1,000-point mark in her fifth season at Idaho State, achieving the milestone at San Diego (Nov. 25) in career game No. 118.

Nebraska's Amy Williams is two wins from her 200th career victory as an NCAA Division I head coach. She has 102 victories at Nebraska, after notching 96 wins at South Dakota (2012-16).

Williams is five wins away from the 300th of her collegiate head coaching career, including 97 victories at Rogers State (NAIA, 2007-12).

Nebraska is three home victories away from 500 in program history. The Huskers enter the Wisconsin game with 497 all-time home wins.

Wiegert Set to Officially Join College Football Hall of Fame

Outland Trophy winner and Nebraska great Zach Wiegert will have his name permanently placed among college football royalty on Tuesday night when he is inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Wiegert is part of a 21-man 2022 College Football Hall of Fame class that will be honored at the National Football Foundation dinner in Las Vegas on Tuesday evening.
 
The 2022 Hall of Fame class includes nine winners of major college awards, 10 unanimous first-team All-Americans and four members of national championship teams. Wiegert is the only member of the 2022 College Football Hall of Fame class who was a member of four conference championship teams.
 
Wiegert is the 20th Nebraska player to earn induction into the College Hall of Fame. Nebraska is one of 12 programs nationally with 20 or more players in the College Football Hall of Fame. Wiegert is the seventh Nebraska offensive lineman to join the College Football Hall of Fame, including four coached by Tom Osborne and offensive line coach Milt Tenopir.
 
Nebraska has 26 overall members of the Hall including six coaches, and Wiegert is the eighth Husker to be inducted since 2006. Other recent inductees include Eric Crouch (2020), Aaron Taylor (2018), Trev Alberts (2015), Tommie Frazier (2013), Will Shields (2011), Grant Wistrom (2009) and Mike Rozier (2006). 
 
Wiegert was a 1994 unanimous first-team All-American and is one of eight Huskers to win the Outland Trophy. Wiegert helped lead the Huskers to 1994 National Championship after NU played in the 1993 title game. The Huskers averaged 340 rushing yards per game in 1994, and Wiegert led Nebraska with 113 pancake blocks.

The leader of the famed 'Nebraska Pipeline' Wiegert earned one first-place vote for the Heisman, finishing tied for ninth with 27 points. In addition to winning the Outland, he was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, a consensus All-American, the UPI Lineman of the Year and the Touchdown Club of Columbus Offensive Lineman of the Year. His No. 72 jersey was retired before the 1995 season.

Following his college career, Wiegert was a second-round NFL draft pick by the St. Louis Rams. He went on to play for 12 seasons with the Rams, Jaguars and Texans and made 137 starts in 145 career games played. Wiegert currently resides in Omaha and works in the commercial real estate business.

Five Huskers Named to AVCA All-Region Team

The Nebraska volleyball team placed five student-athletes on the AVCA North All-Region Team on Tuesday. It marks the most all-region selections for the Huskers since earning six in 2016. 

Madi Kubik, Lexi Rodriguez, Kaitlyn Hord, Whitney Lauenstein and Bekka Allick were all selected to the AVCA North All-Region Team. Hord earned her fifth career all-region honor, while Kubik picked up her fourth and Rodriguez her second. Lauenstein and Allick were honored for the first time. 

Kubik, a senior outside hitter, is an AVCA All-Region selection for the fourth time in her career after leading the Huskers with 3.17 kills per set and a .247 hitting percentage, the best of her four-year Husker career. A six-rotation outside hitter, Kubik ranks third on the team in digs at 2.50 per set. Kubik was also a unanimous All-Big Ten selection this season, her second career first-team accolade and the third All-Big Ten honor of her career. An AVCA third-team All-American last year, the Husker captain ranks 14th in Nebraska school history in kills with 1,255. Kubik was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 21 this season. 

Rodriguez, a sophomore libero, also repeated as an AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First-Team selection this season. Rodriguez leads the Huskers with 4.29 digs per set and had 128 set assists in the Huskers' 6-2 system this regular season. A unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten Team, Rodriguez has captained a Husker defense that leads the nation with a .123 opponent hitting percentage, and she ranks second on the team with 24 service aces. Rodriguez was an AVCA First-Team All-American and the AVCA National Freshman of the Year in 2021. She was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 10 this season. 

Hord, a senior middle blocker, was named to the AVCA All-Region Team for the fifth time and the All-Big Ten Second Team this season after ranking among the nation's leaders in blocks. She currently is No. 1 in the nation with 1.60 blocks per set and averages 1.40 kills per set with a .291 hitting percentage. The graduate transfer from Penn State became a five-time All-Big Ten honoree this season. She has earned three AVCA All-America selections in her career as well.

Lauenstein is averaging 2.79 kills per set while hitting .243 and has a team-high 28 service aces, which earned her a spot on the AVCA All-Region team for the first time. The sophomore opposite hitter had a career-high 25 kills on .385 hitting in a win at No. 17 Creighton on Sept. 7. It was the most kills by a Husker in a match since Mikaela Foecke had 27 kills in the NCAA Championship match against Stanford in 2018. 

Allick, a freshman middle blocker, earned her first AVCA All-Region honor this season and was one of just two unanimous choices to the seven-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team. Allick was also a second-team All-Big Ten honoree. She averages 1.95 kills per set and 1.04 blocks per set with a team-best .334 hitting percentage in the regular season. Allick was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season. 

Huskers Head to No. 14 Indiana Wednesday Night

Coming off a win at No. 7 Creighton, the Nebraska men's basketball team continues its early season gauntlet on Wednesday night, as the Huskers travel to Bloomington, Ind., to face No. 14 Indiana. Tipoff from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is slated for 7:30 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised nationally on BTN and on the Huskers Radio Network.

The Huskers are in the midst of a stretch of playing three straight top-15 teams which culminates with Saturday's game against No. 4 Purdue at Pinnacle Bank Arena. In the initial NET rankings released Monday, Nebraska has already played four Quad 1 games, a total which ties for fourth nationally and matches the most of any power conference team.
  

Game 10: at No. 14/11 Indiana

Date: Wed., Dec. 7 Tipoff:  7:30 p.m. (CT) Location: Bloomington, Ind. Arena: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets On the Air Radio: Wednesday's game will be carried on the Huskers Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen on the call, including KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln, KXSP (590 AM) in Omaha and KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington and will also be available on Huskers.com and the Huskers app. The pregame show begins an hour before tipoff.   TV/Online: Wednesday's game will be televised nationally on BTN with Kevin Kugler and Stephen Bardo on the call. The game will also be available on the Fox Sports App

The Huskers (6-3) come to Bloomington for their Big Ten opener riding a three-game win streak following Sunday's 63-53 win at Creighton. Derrick Walker and Sam Griesel combined for 40 points and 20 rebounds, while Nebraska held Creighton to a season-low 53 points (previous low was 67 at No. 2 Texas) on 30.8 percent shooting. Walker led all scorers with 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting, dominating the matchup with Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner in the paint, while Griesel had 18 points, including six straight after the Bluejays pulled within three, a season-high 12 rebounds and seven assists, as Nebraska enjoyed a commanding 46-16 advantage in the paint and shot 52 percent from the field in the second half.

Nebraska has relied on a balanced attack with five players averaging double figures and a sixth at 9.4 points per game. NU has had four players (Walker, Griesel, C.J. Wilcher and Keisei Tominaga) post 20-point games this year, while Greisel became the fourth different player to record a double-double in NU's first nine games. 

Indiana (7-1, 0-1 Big Ten) looks to rebound following a 63-48 loss at Rutgers on Saturday. The Hoosiers, who were without Jalen Hood-Schifino because of injury, shot 30.4 percent and were out-rebounded 47-33 by the Scarlet Knights. Indiana features one of the nation's top centers in Trayce Jackson-Davis, who averages 18.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

About Indiana
Indiana comes into Wednesday's game with a 7-1 record following a 63-48 loss at Rutgers on Saturday afternoon. In that game, Miller Kopp scored a team-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers, but Trayce Jackson-Davis was held to 13 points and 10 boards.  The Hoosiers, who are shooting 52.1 percent on the season, were held to just 30 percent shooting, including 6-of-25 from 3-point range, in the loss at Rutgers.

Former Indiana All-American Mike Woodson is in his second season at the helm of the Hoosier program. Woodson returned to his alma mater after coaching in the NBA since 1996. Woodson spent eight-plus seasons as an NBA head coach, guiding the Atlanta Hawks (2004-10) and the New York Knicks (2012-2014). He guided his teams to a trio of Eastern Conference semifinal appearances (2009, 2010, 2013) during head coaching tenure. Woodson was the 1980 Big Ten player of the Year before playing 11 seasons in the NBA.

Indiana, which returned four starters from a team that won 21 games and reached the 2022 NCAA Tournament, rolled through its first seven opponents, including a 81-79 win at Xavier and a 77-65 win over No. 18 North Carolina. Jackson-Davis is one of the nation's premier players as the senior averages 18.3 points on 68 percent shooting, 8.6 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game. He is one of four seniors in the Indiana lineup, as Xavier Johnson averages 11.8 points and 4.6 assists per game, while Kopp is at 9.0 points per game and shooting 53 percent from 3-point range. Indiana's strength is on the defensive end, as the Hoosiers are holding teams to 36.4 percent shooting and out-rebounding foes by 4.6 per contest.

Nebraska and Indiana meet for the 26th time on Wednesday and the 17th time since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. Indiana leads the all-time series, 18-7, but the Huskers are 6-10 against the Hoosiers since NU joined the Big Ten (6-9 regular season; 0-1 Big Ten Tournament). Nebraska looks to snap a six-game losing streak to the Hoosiers dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season.
 
Numbers to Know
.671 - Derrick Walker's career field goal percentage at Nebraska. He is on track to set NU's career record in that category. Larry Cox (.625, 1974-76) and Dave Hoppen (.600, 1983-86) are the only two Huskers with career field goal percentages above .600. 
1.39 - Nebraska's point per possession total in the win over Boston College on Nov. 30. It was the highest PPP for NU under NU Coach Fred Hoiberg (1.36 vs. Doane on Dec. 17, 2020) and the highest since posting a 1.40 PPP vs. Creighton on Dec. 8, 2018).
4 - Through the first nine games of the season, Nebraska has had five double-doubles by four players (Derrick Walker-2; Juwan Gary-1; Blaise Keita-1 and Sam Griesel-1).
5- Nebraska's win at No. 7 Creighton was the fifth top-10 road win in school history and second for NU Coach Fred Hoiberg. The other top-10 road wins were at No. 1 Missouri (1982), at No. 7 Iowa State (1997), at No. 9 Michigan State (2014) and at No. 10 Wisconsin (2022). 
9.6 - Nebraska is allowing its opponents only 9.6 free throw attempts per game. The Huskers have held five of their nine opponents to 10 free throws or less, including five at Creighton on Sunday. On the other hand, NU is getting to the line an average of 16.4 times per game.
13 - Nebraska is 9-4 in its last 13 games dating back to last season, including 3-0 against ranked teams. The Huskers are 4-1 in road games dating back to Feb. 28, 2022. A win on Wednesday at Indiana would also match Nebraska's longest conference road streak since 1920.

Worth Noting

• Nebraska opens Big Ten play at Indiana for the third time in four seasons under Fred Hoiberg (all but the Covid season of 2020-21 when NU opened at No. 9 Wisconsin). Since the Big Ten went to its early-season December scheduling format in 2017, NU has opened Big Ten play on the road in five of the last six seasons (all but 2018-19). Wednesday's game will be the fourth time since 2016-17 that Nebraska has opened Big Ten play at Indiana.
• Wednesday's game will feature a pair of former NBA coaches with Fred Hoiberg and Indiana's Mike Woodson. Indiana won both meetings last season. Woodson and Hoiberg both spent significant time in the NBA, but their head coaching careers did not overlap. They are just two of eight former NBA coaches on the Division I sidelines this year.
• Nebraska comes into Wednesday's game with wins in its last three games against ranked opponents dating back to last season (at No. 22 Ohio State, at No. 10 Wisconsin, at No. 7 Creighton). NU's three straight road wins against ranked teams is already a program first, and NU will look for four straight ranked wins for the first time since a school-record four-game streak from Jan. 20-Feb. 10, 1999 (at No. 25 Oklahoma, No. 20 Kansas, No. 24 Missouri, at No. 24 Kansas). The current three-game win streak ties for the second-longest in school history.
• Wednesday's game at No. 14 Indiana continues a run of three straight games against nationally ranked opponents. It is the first time since the 2020-21 season that Nebraska had played three straight games against ranked foes.
• A win at No. 14 Indiana would be the Huskers' 75th win in program history over a ranked opponent.
• The Big Ten has six teams ranked in the Top 25 this week in either the AP or coaches poll (Purdue-4/4; Maryland-13/13; Indiana-14/11; Illinois -17/17; and Ohio State-25/23 and Iowa RV/24). In addition, three other teams (Rutgers, Wisconsin and Michigan State) are receiving votes in at least one poll.
• With more of an emphasis on positional size compared to previous Hoiberg-coached Husker teams, Nebraska has made significant improvement on the defensive end despite breaking in an entirely new starting lineup. The Huskers have held eight of their nine opponents to 70 points or less and have climbed 107 spots in adjusted defense in KenPom compared to last season.  The Huskers have held six of their nine opponents to under 1.0 point per possession.
• The biggest strides Nebraska has made has been in rebounding. NU is currently sixth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +5.6 per game and has been out-rebounded once in its first nine games. NU is 71st nationally in rebounding margin after ranking 344th last year. NU has four players averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game entering Wednesday's game at Indiana.
• Nebraska has been balanced during the early portion of the season. Currently five Huskers are averaging double figures, led by Derrick Walker's 16.8 points per game, while Emmanuel Bandoumel is at 9.4 ppg.  Since 2000-01, NU has had only four seasons with four players averaging double figures (2019-20, 2018-19, 2013-14, 2005-06). The last time NU had five players finish the season averaging double figures was the 1993-94 season.
• Nebraska shared the wealth during the first nine games. The Huskers have had six different players lead the team in scoring (Griesel-Maine; Wilcher-Omaha; Tominaga-St. John's and Boston College; Gary-UAPB, and OU; Bandoumel-Memphis; Walker-Florida State and Creighton) and eight players score double figures at least once.
• Nebraska has done an excellent job of not fouling. The Huskers are fourth nationally in fewest fouls per game (11.6) as of Dec. 6. Nebraska has made more free throws (92) than its opponents have attempted (85), while one opponent (Florida State) has gotten to the line more than Nebraska in the nine contests.
• Nebraska has had five double-doubles in the first nine games of the season, by four different players (Juwan Gary, Blaise Keita, Sam Griesel and Derrick Walker).
• The wins by the Husker men (63-53 at No. 7 Creighton) and women (90-67 at No. 20 Maryland) on Sunday marked the first time since March 9, 2014, that both programs beat ranked opponents on the same day.

Last Time Out
Derrick Walker and Sam Griesel combined for 40 points and 20 rebounds, as Nebraska knocked off No. 7 Creighton, 63-53, at the CHI Health Center on Dec. 4. Walker led three Huskers in double figures with a career-high 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting and eight boards, while Griesel added 18 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as Nebraska picked up its third straight road win against a ranked opponent dating back to last year.

Griesel, who had 13 of his 18 in the second half, scored six straight in a decisive run after Creighton cut an eight-point lead to 36-33 with just over 10 minutes remaining. His spurt pushed the Husker lead to nine, as Nebraska shot 52 percent in the second half and withstood a barrage of Bluejay 3-point attempts.

Creighton pulled to within 44-39 after Francisco Farabello's 4-point play, but Griesel came back with a three-point play on the ensuing possession, and Nebraska stretched the lead in the final minutes in picking up its first win over the Bluejays in Omaha since 2004. Nebraska held Creighton to just 30.8 percent shooting, including 10-of-40 from 3-point range. Walker had 22 of the Huskers' 46 points in the paint over the Bluejays. 
 
Ending Streaks and Starting New Ones
Over the past week, the Huskers have ended a pair of significant streaks and come into Wednesday's game at Indiana with some momentum.

• The Huskers' 88-67 win over Boston College on Nov. 30 broke NU's three-game losing streak in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and snapped a five-game streak in either the Gavitt Games or ACC/Big Ten Challenge dating back to 2018.
• Nebraska's 63-53 win over No. 7 Creighton on Dec. 4 was NU's first win against Creighton since 2018, but first win in Omaha against Creighton since 2004, and first regular-season win against the Bluejays since 1995.
• Nebraska's win at Creighton was NU's first non-conference ranked win since 2007 when Nebraska downed No. 16 Oregon at the CHI Health Center in Omaha

Efficient Night vs. Boston College
Nebraska averaged 1.39 points per possession in its Nov. 30 win over Boston College, marking the highest total in Fred Hoiberg's four seasons. Boston College entered the game allowing just over 62 points per game and ranking in the top 75 nationally in defensive efficiency. NU's 88 points were the most points the Eagles allowed in regulation since UNC scored 91 on Jan. 2, 2022.
 
Trio of Transfers Making Impact
Nebraska added three Division I transfers in the offseason in Sam Griesel (North Dakota State), Emmanuel Bandoumel (SMU) and Juwan Gary (Alabama). The trio combined for nearly 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their college careers before enrolling at NU and have made major contributions early on.  They've combined for 31.0 points, 18.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game in NU's first nine contests.

Griesel, a Lincoln native, has enjoyed quite the homecoming, averaging 11.3 points, 4.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game from his point guard spot. He is fifth in the Big Ten in assists entering this week.  The Huskers' first scholarship recruit from the state since Jake Muhleisen in the early 2000s, Griesel keyed NU's win at No. 7 Creighton with 18 points - including 13 in the second half - a season-high 12 rebounds and seven assists.  Against Maine, Griesel scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds while also chipping in 18 points against Omaha. Griesel's 22-point effort against Maine was one of the highest-scoring debuts by a Husker in the last 50 seasons.

Bandoumel has been steady on both ends of the court, averaging 9.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while also pacing NU's effort on the defensive end. Bandoumel, who played off the ball for most of his time at SMU, has nearly a 1.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and matched his career best with six assists against Boston College. He had 18 points and five assists in the loss against Memphis on Nov. 15 and had 13 points and five dimes against Oklahoma on Nov. 24. He enjoyed his best game against Omaha with 18 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in NU's game-opening 11-0 run. His on-ball pressure on opposing guards has helped with NU's defensive efforts early on in the season. Bandoumel averaged double figures in his final two years at SMU.

Gary, who can be used on the wing or in the post when NU goes small, has been a disruptive force on both ends, as he averages 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and a team-high 1.7 steals per game. He is sixth in the Big Ten in steals and eighth in offensive rebounding (2.5 per game). He has reached double figures in five of the last six games, including 12 points and nine rebounds in the win at No. 7 Creighton. Gary had 16 points and seven rebounds against Oklahoma. He posted a double-double against Maine with 14 points and 11 boards, while he matched his career high with 11 rebounds in the loss to St. John's.

If history is any indication, it will be likely that one of these three will pace NU in scoring, as a newcomer has topped the Husker scoring chart in each of the three seasons under Fred Hoiberg. Of the eight players who have averaged double figures under Hoiberg, all eight have been in their first year of competition at Nebraska.
 
Walker Looks to Continue Efficient Shooting
Nebraska has been a much more efficient team since the return of Derrick Walker on Nov. 25. Walker, who missed NU's first five games, has been a force in the paint, averaging 16.8 points on 73 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The 6-foot-9 forward was NU's only returning starter and has posted two double-doubles in his first four games.

• Walker keyed NU's win over Creighton with a career-high 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting and eight rebounds against Ryan Kalkbrenner, the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Walker's efforts helped NU enjoy a 46-16 advantage in points in the paint.
• He posted his first career 20-point game in a win over Florida State on Nov. 27, with 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting and matched his career high with 13 rebounds.
• He made his 2022-23 debut against Memphis and had 15 points and 12 boards in a loss to the Tigers.
• Over his last six games dating back to last season, Walker is averaging 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest while the six straight games in double figures is the longest stretch in his career.
• Prior to Walker's return, NU was 181st in offensive efficiency  and 115th in defensive efficiency in Bart Torvik's T-Rank stats. Since Nov. 25, NU is 63rd nationally in offensive efficiencyand 59th in defensive efficiency.
• Walker averaged 9.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg in 2022, breaking NU's single-season field goal percentage mark by shooting 68.3 percent from the field. 
• Last season, Walker was the only Big Ten player and one of just 14 players in Division I to shoot at least 65 percent and average at least eight points per game.

 
Tominaga Continues Strong Play
After a summer with the Japanese National Team, junior Keisei Tominaga continued his strong play during the opening stretch of the season. Tominaga, a 6-foot-2 guard, has been a spark off the bench, ranking third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game while averaging just under 20 minutes per contest.

• Tominaga is second on the team with 15 3-pointers and is shooting a team-best 42 percent from long range.
• He enjoyed the best performance of his career in NU's win over Boston College on Nov. 30. He tied his career high of 23 points on just eight field goal attempts (7-8 FG, 4-5 3PT; 5-5 FT) for his second career 20-point game. He had 17 of his 23 markers in the first half, including 11 straight NU points.
• Tominaga has been in double figures five times this season, including a team-high 15 points at St. John's and a 19-point effort against Maine. In that game, he connected on 7-of-12 shots from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers, and added two rebounds and a blocked shot in 20 minutes.
• He averaged 10.0 ppg during the three games in the ESPN Events Invitational, including a 13-point effort in the win over Florida State.
• Of Tominaga's 12 double-figure games at Nebraska, nine have come off the bench, including his other 23-point game against South Dakota last season.
• Over the summer, Tominaga was with the Japanese National Team, making his debut in the FIBA World Cup Asia qualifier in early July and then starred for Japan in the 2022 Asia Cup. In seven games with the Senior National Team, Tominaga averaged 15.9 points per game while shooting 39.3 percent from the 3-point line. His best performance came against Australia in the Asia Cup quarterfinals, when he poured in 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including 8-of-15 from 3-point range.

Wilcher Breaks Out
Sophomore C.J. Wilcher was one of the Big Ten's top scoring sixth men last year and has moved into the starting lineup in 2022-23. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field.

• He tops NU with 17 3-pointers this season and is shooting 36 percent from 3-point range.
• Wilcher scored all 14 of his points in the second half in the win over Boston College on Nov. 30, including a quartet of 3-pointers.
• He had 13 points in NU's win over Florida State, including a trio of 3-pointers. Wilcher also had three assists in the win.
• Wilcher was efficient in NU's win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 15 points and three assists on just nine shots. Wilcher was 3-of-3 from 3-point range, the second time this season he had at least three 3-pointers.
• He posted a career-high 21 points against Omaha on 8-of-12 shooting, including four 3-pointers. It marked the first 20-point game of his career.
• Last season, he closed the season playing some of his best basketball, shooting 60 percent from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range, over NU's final five games. In Big Ten play last season, he shot a team-best 43.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Revamped Husker Coaching Staff
In addition to nine new faces on the Husker roster (six scholarship players and three walk-ons), the Husker staff also has several new faces this season.

• Assistant Coach Adam Howard comes to Nebraska after spending the last four seasons at South Alabama, helping the program to 75 wins in that span after the program had seven straight losing seasons. Last year, South Alabama won 21 games, the school's highest total since 2008. Howard also coached at Troy, Tennessee, Southern Miss and Morehead State after playing collegiately at Western Kentucky.
• Assistant Coach Ernie Zeigler comes to Lincoln after spending six years on Ben Howland's staff at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had four postseason appearances between 2018-22. Zeiger spent six seasons as the head coach at Central Michigan (2007-12) and previously served stints at UCLA, Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Detroit and Bowling Green.
• Emmanuel Tommy joined the staff as Director of Player Development. He was an assistant coach at Alabama A&M last season and had worked on the administrative side at both McNeese State and South Alabama.
• Two familiar faces in new positions are graduate managers Michael Bania and Payden Borders, both of whom worked as managers in the Husker program. Both graduated from Nebraska last May.

 A Change of Pace
One typical trait of a Fred Hoiberg coached team is to play at a fast pace. The Huskers led the Big Ten in pace in each of the last three seasons according to KenPom, including top-20 rankings in 2019-20 (16th) and 2021-22 (19th). NU has been the only Big Ten team to rank in the top-50 in any of the past three seasons.

• The 2022-23 team has been completely different, as NU is 283rd nationally in pace entering this week's action. NU has had just three games with 70+ possessions in the first nine contests (St. John's, Florida State and Creighton). In all three of those games, NU held its opponent to under 1.0 point per possession.

 Playing with Pace (Adjusted Tempo per KenPom)

Year	Hoiberg-Coached Team	Big Ten Leader
2010-11	Iowa State (34th)	Iowa (100th)
2011-12	Iowa State (128th)	Iowa (70th)
2012-13	Iowa State (30th)	Iowa (95th)
2013-14	Iowa State (12th)	Iowa (29th)
2014-15	Iowa State (10th)	Minnesota (47th)
2019-20	Nebraska (16th)	Same
2020-21	Nebraska (35th)	Same
2021-22	Nebraska (19th)	Same
2022-23	Nebraska (283rd)	Illinois (15th)

 
Three Huskers on NBA Rosters in 2022-23
Nebraska is well represented on 2022-23 NBA rosters with Isaiah Roby (San Antonio), Dalano Banton (Toronto) and Bryce McGowens (Charlotte). The group is joined by Tyronn Lue, who begins his third season as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.

• Nebraska's three active NBA players is the most since the 2007-07 season (Eric Piatkowski, Mikki Moore and Lue)
• McGowens became the 15th former Husker to make his NBA debut on Oct. 19, as he saw action in Charlotte's win over San Antonio.
• Four members of the 2021-22 team are playing professionally, including Bryce McGowens (NBA), Lat Mayen (Australia), Alonzo Verge Jr. (Poland) and Kobe Webster (Netherlands). Trey McGowens was in camp in the G-League but was cut in November.

Taylor Takes First at Doane

Crete, Neb. – Freshman Antrell Taylor took home the 157 title, as the Huskers saw six of their 12 wrestlers place in the top six of their weight class at the Doane Open.

A native of Omaha, Taylor grabbed three straight victories to take home the title. At 133, Hayden Mills posted a 3-1 record en route to a second-place finish.

Harley Andrews (285) tallied five wins (two pins, one technical fall and a major decision) and only one loss to finish third. At 141, Blake Cushing recorded two pins and two major decision victories to grab fourth with a 5-1 overall record. Cameron Graham (157) and Quinton Chavez (125) both finished sixth in their respective weight classes.

Alex Thomsen (133), Daniel Monahan (141), Reese Davis (149), Adam Thebeau (165), Nathan Haas (184) and Austin Emerson (285) did not place.

Doane Open – Dec. 3, 2022
Crete, Neb.

125: Quinton Chavez 6th (4-2)
133: Hayden Mills 2nd (3-1)
133: Alex Thomsen – unattached DNP (2-2)
141: Blake Cushing 4th (5-1)
141: Daniel Monahan DNP (0-2)
149: Reese Davis DNP (3-2)
157: Cameron Graham 6th (3-3)
157: Antrell Taylor 1st (3-0)
165: Adam Thebeau DNP (1-1)
184: Nathan Haas DNP (0-1)
285: Harley Andrews 3rd (5-1)
285: Austin Emerson DNP (1-2)