The Nebraska men's basketball team looks for its fourth straight win on Saturday afternoon, as the Huskers play host to Minnesota.  Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 2:30 p.m. and a limited number of tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets, calling the NU Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.) and at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Ticket Office 90 minutes before tipoff.  Saturday's game will be carried on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network and will also be available online on the Fox Sports app.

Nebraska (14-14, 7-10 Big Ten) comes into Saturday riding a three-win streak following a 70-67 overtime win over Maryland on Feb. 19. Derrick Walker had a career-high 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks
while Keisei Tominaga added 20 points as Nebraska rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit.
  

Walker is quietly putting together an All-Big Ten caliber season, as he leads the Huskers in scoring (14.0 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.599) while dishing out 3.7 assists per game. He now has five 20-point games and has tied or established a new career best four times during the season.

Tominaga has been on a tear the last month, averaging 23.6 ppg while shooting 55 percent from the field and 46 percent from the 3-point line. He comes into the Minnesota game with five straight 20-point games, the longest stretch since Tyronn Lue back in 1997-98.

With a win on Saturday, the Huskers can post their longest Big Ten winning streak since the 2017-18 season and continue their late-season surge.

Minnesota (7-19, 1-15 Big Ten) completes a stretch of four games in eight days on Saturday following an 88-70 loss at Maryland Wednesday night. The Golden Gophers feature one of the Big Ten's top frontcourt players in Dawson Garcia, who averages 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
 
Worth Noting
• Nebraska enters the final stretch of the season with a chance to play its way into postseason. NU's seven Big Ten wins are the most since winning 13 games in 2017-18 and NU has a chance to finish with double-digit conference wins for the third time since joining the Big Ten (also 2014 and 2018).

• Keisei Tominaga has been one of the Big Ten's top scorers this month.  He is averaging 23.6 ppg on 55 percent shooting in six games this month.  Here's how his numbers compare to the top six scorers in the Big Ten entering Thursday's games.
 
Feb. Totals (Keisei + B1G Scoring Leaders)

 
• Tominaga comes into the Minnesota game with five straight 20-point games, including a career high 30-point game against Penn State on Feb. 5. He is the first Husker since Tyronn Lue (7, 1997-98) to have at least five consecutive 20-point games. Tominaga had just three career 20-point games (1 in 2021-22; 2 in 2022-23) before this current stretch.

• Nebraska has tied a school record with its four overtime games, matching a mark which has been set six other times (also 2019-20, 2007-08, 1996-97, 1986-87, 1979-80 and 1955-66). Nebraska's three OT wins this season are the most for the program since the 1986-87 team won a school-record four overtime games, including the third-place game of the NIT Tournament.

• Nebraska's offense has been a spark in recent weeks. Over the past eight games, NU is shooting 48 percent from the field, including 37 percent from 3-point range. Of the eight games in that stretch, six have been against teams that currently rank in the top-30 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency - Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Maryland (2x).
 
Improved Shooting

 
• Nebraska's offensive outburst at Rutgers on Jan. 14 was impressive considering that Rutgers came into the contest second nationally in adjusted defense by KenPom and in the top 10 nationally in both field goal defense and scoring defense. The 82 points were the most Rutgers allowed at home since 2020, while NU became the first team to shoot 50 percent against the Scarlet Knights this season (.491 by Miami). The Huskers' 69.1 effective field goal percentage was the best against Rutgers since Jan 23, 2010, when the Scarlet Knights were in the Big East.

• Nebraska overcame a 17-point second-half deficit in the win over Wisconsin on Feb. 11. It marked the Huskers' largest comeback since 2012-13 and the second-largest comeback in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present). The Huskers also overcame a 10-point second-half deficit in last year's win over No. 10 Wisconsin in Madison. Prior to the loss to Nebraska, Wisconsin had not lost a game when leading at half since the 2021 Big Ten Tournament.

• According to BTN research, Nebraska's comeback marked the first time since Dec. 9, 2015, that Wisconsin lost at least a 15-point lead (68-67 vs. UW-Milwaukee).

• Tominaga became the 10th Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-present) to post a 30-point game with his effort against Penn State on Feb. 5. Tominaga had 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting, as he matched his career high with five 3-pointers. Prior to Feb. 5, no Husker had posted a 25-point game this season.

• Nebraska has faced one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2022-23. As of Feb. 23, Nebraska's NET strength of schedule is eighth nationally.  Michigan State (fifth) and Ohio State (ninth) give the Big Ten three teams in the top 10 nationally in strength of schedule in the NET.

• NU's adjusted strength of schedule is eighth in KenPom as of Feb. 22, which would mark the third time in Fred Hoiberg's four seasons that the Huskers have had a SOS in the top 10 (2019-20, 8th; 2020-21, 4th).
 
NET SOS (Feb. 23)

 
• Nebraska now has three Quad 1 wins (at Creighton, at Rutgers and Maryland) as well as four wins over teams in Quad 2.

• Nebraska has nine active scholarship players following season-ending injuries to Juwan Gary (shoulder), Emmanuel Bandoumel (knee) and Quaran McPherson (knee). In addition, Ramel Lloyd Jr. will redshirt this season.  Nebraska played just 10 games with its full starting lineup this year.
Entering the Minnesota game, NU players have missed a combined 60 games this season: Quaran McPherson (28); Juwan Gary (11); Emmanuel Bandoumel (8); Derrick Walker (5); Blaise Keita (6) and Sam Griesel (2). McPherson had season-ending knee surgery in September.

• Since the season-ending injuries to Juwan Gary and Emmanuel Bandoumel, a trio of freshmen have earned significant spots in the Husker rotation. Jamarques Lawrence and Denim Dawson moved into the starting lineup while Sam Hoiberg moved into the guard rotation. Here are their numbers heading into the Penn State game where Bandoumel suffered his knee injury and following the injury.

• Since Jan. 24, Nebraska's freshmen have accounted for 31.9 percent of the team's total minutes.

• Injuries have forced the Huskers to shuffle their lineup for the last month. NU used its ninth different starting lineup - and seventh in the last 11 contests - at Rutgers with C.J. Wilcher moving back into the lineup fro the first time since Jan. 18.

• Nebraska had started multiple freshmen in five consecutive games (Jan. 25-Feb. 8), including Denim Dawson, Jamarques Lawrence and Sam Hoiberg at Illinois on Jan. 31. That marked the first time NU started three freshmen since the 2015-16 season.

• Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the Huskers have had 21 freshmen (true, redshirt or covid year) start at least one game, and Jarmarques Lawrence became just the second Husker to reach double figures in his first start with 12 points against Northwestern. He joined Bryce McGowens (25 vs. Western Illinois, 2021) as the only two freshmen to score double figures in their first career start since 2011-12.

• Of the 13 players who have seen action for the Huskers this season, 10 have reached double figures at least once in 2022-23. Sam Hoiberg was the most recent member to reach that mark with his 15-point effort at Maryland on Jan. 28.

• Juwan Gary's injury against Illinois on Jan. 10 has hampered the Huskers' rebounding efforts. In Big Ten play, NU is 5-0 when out-rebounding opponents, but 2-10 in conference play when being out-rebounded.  NU had a +2.5 rebounding margin in the 17 games that Gary was in the lineup and the Huskers were on track for their first positive rebounding margin since the 2016-17 season. Since then, NU has been out-rebounded by 5.2 rebounds per game.

• Derrick Walker is averaging a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game to rank ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding as of Feb. 12. Since 2000, only five Huskers - Ed Morrow Jr. (2016-17), Aleks Maric (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08), Andrew Drevo (2002-03), Kimani Ffriend (1999-2000, 2000-01) - have averaged at least seven rebounds per game. 

• Nebraska's 63-53 win at No. 7 Creighton on Dec. 4 marked the program's fourth-ever road win over a top-10 team and marked the Huskers' first win at Creighton since the 2004 NIT. The No. 7 Bluejays were the highest ranked opponent that NU beat on the road since 1997.

• Nebraska has been the one team to keep Zach Edey in check in 2022-23, holding the national player of the year frontrunner to just 11.5 points per game in two contests. Edey's two lowest scoring percentages came in the two games against Nebraska.
 
Numbers to Know
 
73.8 - Nebraska is averaging 73.8 points per game during its five games this month. In January, NU averaged 61.3 ppg in nine contests and topped 70 points just once.
 
.916 - Nebraska is 11-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points. The only loss was at Michigan on Feb. 8. NU has scored 70+ points in each of its last five contests.
 
13.8 - Nebraska ranks 11th nationally and second in the Big Ten with 13.8 fouls per game as of Feb. 22. Maryland went to the line 19 times against NU on Sunday, the highest total by a Husker opponent since Jan. 31.
 
7 - Since 2000, only seven Big Ten players have averaged at least 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game. Currently, Derrick Walker, Jalen Pickett (Penn State) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) are at those numbers as of Feb. 22.
 
About Minnesota
Ben Johnson is in his second season in charge of the Golden Gopher program.  Johnson, who played at both Minnesota and Northwestern during his college career, won 13 games in his first season at Minnesota. Before taking the Golden Gophers job, he spent the prior three seasons at Xavier as an assistant. Previously, he had been an assistant with the Golden Gophers from 2013 to 2018. Johnson spent one season at Nebraska as an assistant coach under Tim Miles in 2012-13.

The Gophers have battled injuries, as Jamison Battle and Dawson Garcia have both missed significant time this year. Minnesota was 6-6 at New Year's and resumed Big Ten play with close losses at Wisconsin and against Nebraska before posting a 70-67 win at Ohio State on Jan. 12. Since then, Minnesota has dropped 11 straight and also had games postponed because of a COVID pause and the Michigan State shooting last week. The Gophers are in the midst of playing four games in eight days, culminating with Saturday's game in Lincoln.

The strength of the Gopher attack is the frontcourt duo of Jamison Battle and Dawson Garcia. Battle, who led Minnesota in scoring with 17.5 ppg last season, is averaging 12.9 ppg while shooting 31 percent from 3-point range. Garcia, who played at both Marquette and North Carolina, has been an impact performer in his first season at Minnesota, leading the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). Point guard Ta'lon Cooper chips in 9.8 points per game and 5.9 assists per game to rank among the Big Ten leaders in assists.

Series History: Nebraska and Minnesota will meet for the 83rd time on Saturday, which is the most between the Huskers and any other Big Ten member. It is NU's longest-running series in the Big Ten, dating back to February of 1902. The Gophers lead the all-time series, 57-25, while the Huskers have won 10 of the past 15 meetings. In all, 14 of the last 16 meetings have been won by the home team dating back to March of 2012.  Nebraska is 10-8 against the Golden Gophers as Big Ten members. Prior to joining the Big Ten in 2011-12, NU and Minnesota met in non-conference action every year from 1995 until 2004 after not playing for 16 years.

Last meeting Derrick Walker tied his career high with 22 points, as Nebraska defeated Minnesota, 81-79, in overtime on Jan. 7. Walker matched his personal best in points and posted his third 20-point game of the year, while dishing out seven assists and grabbing eight rebounds. The win was NU's first OT win since the 2019-20 season and first win in Williams Arena since 2018. The win snapped a six-game streak of OT losses and marked NU's first overtime road win in conference play since 2001. Juwan Gary added a season-high 18 points and six boards, including a key putback in OT, while Sam Griesel had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, as the Huskers shot 51 percent from the field and went 16-of-21 from the foul line. Gary gave the Huskers the lead for good in the extra session, as his putback with 55 seconds left gave NU a 76-74 lead. On the Gophers' next possession, C.J. Wilcher picked off a Jamison Battle pass and found Griesel, whose two free throws with 21 seconds remaining gave NU a four-point lead. Battle, who led Minnesota with 20 points, missed a 3-pointer on the next possession, ending the Gophers' last gasp. NU out-rebounded Minnesota, 38-28, despite a 19-point, 15-rebound effort from Dawson Garcia, who fouled out in overtime for Minnesota.

Husker Coaches to Support Autism Awareness this weekend
The Husker basketball coaches will be wearing special puzzle pins on Saturday as part of the Autism Speaks Coaches Powering Forward Week. Coaches around the country will be wearing the pin as part of an annual effort to bring the NCAA community together in support of the mission of Autism Speaks.
 
Last Time Out
Derrick Walker scored a career-high 23 points while adding seven rebounds and six assists, powering Nebraska (14-14, 7-10 Big Ten) to a 70-66 overtime win over Maryland on Sunday evening.

Nebraska (14-14, 7-10) overcame an eight-point deficit in the final seven minutes of regulation and used an 8-0 run in overtime after Maryland led 64-61 with under 2:30 left in overtime.

After a pair of Walker free throws made it 64-63, Sam Griesel's basket with 1:23 remaining in the extra period gave NU a 65-64 lead. Maryland had the ball with 39 seconds left in OT at midcourt, but Sam Hoiberg's steal and layup off the inbounds pass gave NU a 67-64 lead with 34 seconds. On Maryland's next possession, Walker blocked Hakim Hart's shot before Hoiberg was fouled. He hit the two free throws to push the lead to 69-64 as Nebraska won for the fourth time in five games.

Walker's 23 points was a career best, as he went 9-of-11 from the foul line, setting personal bests in both categories and added three blocked shots.  Keisei Tominaga pitched in 20 points in his fifth-straight game scoring 20 or more, while Sam Griesel, despite being in foul trouble for most of the game, added 12 points.
 
Defensive Improvement
Nebraska has made significant improvement on the defensive end this season, which is a big reason why the Huskers have already surpassed their 2021-22 win total.

• Nebraska has climbed from No. 178 to No. 53 nationally in defensive efficiency in KenPom. NU was 35th in defensive efficiency on Jan. 21 when Emmanuel Bandoumel suffered his season-ending injury.
• The jump is more impressive when you consider that Nebraska has played 13 games against teams currently in the top 50 nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 22.
• NU's 9.4 points per game decrease from last season is fifth nationally and second to Oregon State among power conference programs.
• Nebraska has held 14 opponents to 1.0 point per possession or less.
• In the overtime loss to No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10, Nebraska held the Boilermakers to 0.99 points per possession. Purdue is seventh nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 22.
• Nebraska held Iowa, which is currently fith in offensive efficiency, to 0.76 per possession and just 26 percent shooting on Dec. 29.
• In NU's win at No. 7 Creighton on Dec. 4, the Huskers limited the Bluejays to 0.73 points per possession, the Huskers' best performance in a road game in over a decade.

Biggest Decrease in Opponent PPG (as of Feb. 22)

 
Hometown Kid Making Good
Sam Griesel has enjoyed quite the homecoming, averaging 11.4 points, 4.0 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game from his point guard spot. Griesel spent the last four seasons at North Dakota State, earning All-Summit League honors in 2021 and 2022 before returning to Lincoln for his senior year.

• He has been a solid distributor, posting a 2.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last five games.
• Griesel had his third double-double of 2022-23 at Rutgers on Feb. 14 with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
• He ranks seventh in the Big Ten in assists and in the top 15 in steals, minutes and assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Griesel had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes in the Feb. 11 win over Wisconsin.
• He has 15 double-figure games this season, including seven straight games from Dec. 20 to Jan. 21.
• Griesel had 21 points at Illinois on Jan. 31, his second 20-point game of 2022-23.
• The senior came up big in the win at Minnesota with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, while going 6-of-6 from the foul line.
• Griesel collected his second double-double in the win over Iowa with 12 points and team highs in rebounds (10) and assists (five).
• The Huskers' first scholarship recruit from Lincoln since Jake Muhleisen in the early 2000s, Griesel keyed NU's win at No. 7 Creighton with 18 points, 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 in the win over Omaha.

Walker Puts Together Strong Senior Season
Derrick Walker has made the most of his super senior season. The 6-foot-9 forward has been a force, averaging 14.0 points on 60 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. The 6-foot-9 senior forward was NU's only returning starter entering 2022-23 and has 16 double-figure efforts following his career-high 23-point effort against Maryland.

•  He is one of just 13 players nationally averaging at least 13 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as of Feb. 22.
• He is bidding to join a small list of Big Ten players who averaged at least 14 points,  seven rebounds and three assists per game since 2000.
• Walker is second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.599), a total which ranks 25th nationally as of Feb. 22.
• His playmaking ability has been evident in recent weeks. He has five or more assists on seven occasions, including a career-high eight assists at Michigan on Feb. 8.
• Walker has a team-high three double-doubles (Memphis, Florida State and No. 4 Purdue) and six for his career.
• He picked up his fifth 20-point game of the year in Sunday's OT win over Maryland with 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
• Walker had a strong performance at No. 3 Purdue with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, while helping limit Zach Edey to 12 points on seven shots.
• Walker had one of the finest games of his career in NU's OT win at Minnesota on Jan. 7 with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He set or tied personal bests in both points and assists.
• His most recent double-double was a 14-point, 10-rebound effort against No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10.  He also helped limit Zach Edey to a season-low 11 points.
• He keyed NU's win over No. 7 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.
• Walker 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.
• 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.

Tominaga Sparks Huskers Attack
Whether starting or off the bench, Keisei Tominaga has been a spark for the Huskers' attack this season.  The 6-foot-2 guard is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game while averaging 24 minutes per contest.

• Tominaga leads the Huskers in both 3-pointers (58) and 3-point percentage (.403), as he ranks 10th in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game.
• Since moving into the starting lineup on Jan. 18, he is averaging 17.8 points per game on 52 percent shooting, including 41 percent from 3-point range. Tominaga has six 20-point games in that span, including a 30-point effort against Penn State on Feb. 5.
• He has a team-high 18 double figure games, including seven 20-point games.
• Tominaga had 20 points and a season-high four boards in 42 minutes of work in NU's OT win over Maryland.
• He torched a Rutgers defense which led the Big Ten in scoring defense with 22 points.
• Tominaga scored 17 of his game-high 22 points against Wisconsin after halftime, including 12 points in Nebraska's 20-2 spurt to erase a 17-point second half deficit.
• Tominaga kept the Huskers in the game at Michigan with 24 points, including four 3-pointers, while hitting 10 of-16 shots from the field.
• He starred in Nebraska's win over Penn State on Feb. 5, scoring a career-high 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting. He also matched his career high in 3-pointers with five in the 72-63 win.
• He enjoyed one of his best efforts of the year in NU's 65-62 loss to No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10 with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. He sent the game to OT with a 3-pointer with 9.1 seconds left in regulation.
• Of Tominaga's 23 career double-figure games at Nebraska, 12 have come off the bench, including 23-point efforts against Boston College on Nov. 29 and 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.

Huskers Travel to New Mexico for Troy Cox Classic

• The Huskers lead the Big Ten in shutouts with four and are ranked 12th in the NCAA. 
• Billie Andrews leads the Big Ten Conference with five homers this season and has the second-most in the NCAA.
• Courtney Wallace finished the first weekend of the season with a 0.00 ERA, three shutouts and three victories. Wallace is the lone pitcher in the NCAA who tallied three shutouts in the first weekend. 
• Nebraska returns 11 players from a 2022 squad that claimed the Big Ten Tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament. 
• The Huskers 2023 team features seven newcomers including six freshmen and one transfer. 

Opponents by the Numbers

• No. 4 Oklahoma State ranks 15th in the NCAA with a team batting average of .357. 
• Kelly Maxwell is third nationally in strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 13.1, for the Cowgirls.
• New Mexico State is averaging 1.44 home runs per game which ranks 11th in the nation.
• Kendal Lunar is second in the nation in doubles this season as she has tallied six for the Aggies.  
• Brianna Sanchez is ranked first in the Big West and 24th in the NCAA for innings pitched with 34.1 innings for CSU Bakersfield. 
• New Mexico has tallied three triples including two from Rachel Hathoot. She ranks first in the Mountain West and third in the nation. 

Husker Quick Hits

• NU will play its fifth game against a top-10 team this season when they face No. 4 Oklahoma State this weekend. The last time time Nebraska beat a top-10 team was in 2018 when the Huskers defeated No. 6 Texas A&M, 6-3. 
• After Billie Andrews three home runs last weekend, she is now tied for eighth all-time in Nebraska history in career homers. 
• Andrews is one of 12 returning players in the NCAA who hit 20 or more home runs last season. 
• Mya Felder is the only returning Big Ten player who received All-Big Ten, All-Defensive and All-Tournament honors in 2022. 
• Courtney Wallace is one of six returning Rawlings/NFCA Gold Glove recipients from last season.

Huskers Travel to South Alabama

NEBRASKA at SOUTH ALABAMA
Feb. 24-26, 2023
Stanky Field | Mobile, Ala.
 
Friday, Feb. 24 – 6:30 p.m. CT
Pitching: LHP Emmett Olson (0-1, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Jeremy Lee (0-0, 0.0 ERA)
TV/Streaming: None
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Saturday, Feb. 25 – 2 p.m. CT
Pitching: RHP Jace Kaminska (0-0, 4.76 ERA) vs. LHP Gehrig Conard (0-1, 1.80 ERA)
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (105.3 The Bone), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Sunday, Feb. 26 – 1 p.m. CT
Pitching: LHP Caleb Clark (0-0, 10.38 ERA) vs. LHP Garfield Johns (0-0, 2.08 ERA)
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: Huskers Radio Network – Lincoln (1400 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Nebraska continues play this weekend with a three-game series at South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. First pitch of the series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday night at Stanky Field.

The teams continue the series on Saturday, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. 

The final two games of the series this weekend can be seen on ESPN+, while there is no stream available for the series opener on Friday night. Fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call the action this weekend on the Huskers Radio Network. Friday's game can be heard on KLIN (1400 AM, 99.3 FM) in Lincoln and KSXP (590 AM) in Omaha, while Saturday's game will be carried on 105.3 The Bone. Sunday's series finale can be heard on KLIN (1400 AM, 99.3 FM) in Lincoln. Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.
 
Nebraska vs. South Alabama
• This weekend's series between the Huskers and Jaguars marks the first all-time meeting between the two programs.
 
Big Red in Alabama
• With the three-game series in Mobile, Nebraska makes its second-ever trip to the state of Alabama this weekend.
• NU's previous visit to Alabama was a three-game series against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa in 2007.
• The Big Red are 2-1 in the state. Nebraska lost its series opener with an 8-0 setback, before bouncing back with 4-3 and 6-5 wins to take the series against Alabama.
 
Carey Starts Hot in First Collegiate Action
• Freshman Dylan Carey had a hot start to his collegiate career in four starts at third base last weekend.
• The Castle Rock, Colo., native hit .471 (8-for-17) with two doubles, two home runs, four RBI and five runs.
• Following a 1-for-4 outing in the season opener, Carey ended the weekend with three multi-hit games, including a 3-for-4 performance with a double on Saturday.
• Hitting .471 at the plate, Carey ranks sixth nationally among freshmen with at least 15 at-bats on the season.
• Carey joins Indiana's Hunter Jessee and Michigan's Ted Burton as the only three players in the Big Ten with a pair of doubles and homers to begin the season.

Caron Among the Toughest to Strike Out
• Through the first five days of the season, Josh Caron ranks among the national leaders in the toughest to strike out at the plate, sitting 16th nationally and second in the Big Ten.
• The Sun Prairie, Wis., native had 16 at-bats in four games at San Diego, striking out only one time.
• Caron hit .313 at the plate with a double, home run, three RBI and four runs in the opening weekend.

NU Heads to Alabama for Blue Gray Tennis Classic

The Nebraska men's tennis team (4-4, 0-0 Big Ten) heads to the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala., for matches on Friday, Feb. 24 and Saturday, Feb. 25. 
 
The Huskers open play on Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT against No. 14 Arizona at Lagoon Park. Following that match, the Huskers will also play either No. 38 Alabama or No. 41 Oklahoma with doubles play starting at a time to be determined on Friday afternoon and the remainder of the match resuming on Saturday. 

Nebraska will also play a third game Saturday afternoon with the opponent and start time to be announced. 
 
Additionally, the tournament will feature No. 25 Middle Tennessee State, No. 36 Auburn, No. 44 Texas Tech and Tulane. 
 
Nebraska took part in the tournament last season and went 0-3 in matches against then-ranked No. 29 Princeton, No. 25 Auburn and Alabama.

Scouting Arizona (6-2, 0-0 PAC 12)
One of the best teams in the nation, the Wildcats have four ranked singles players in the top 125. Arizona enters its match against Nebraska on a one-game losing skid after a 5-2 defeat to No. 2 Texas. 

Series History Against Arizona
Nebraska is 2-1 all-time against Arizona. The Huskers won the first two matchups in 2007 and 2010 and lost the most recent match in 2018. 

Scouting Alabama (8-2, 0-0 SEC)
The Crimson Tide have two ranked singles players, both in the top 100. 

Series History Against Alabama 
Nebraska is 0-1 all-time against Alabama, with the lone loss coming in this tournament last season.  
 
Scouting Oklahoma (6-3, 0-0 Big 12) 
The Sooners have four singles players ranked in the top 125 and one pair of players ranked No. 60 in doubles.

Series History Against Oklahoma
Nebraska is 6-19 all-time against Oklahoma. The Huskers' last win came in Lincoln in 2007 when they took down Oklahoma, 5-2. 
 
Up Next
The Huskers head to La Jolla, California to take on Ball State on Thursday, March 2 at 1 p.m. CT.

Huskers Begin Beach Season on Friday

The Nebraska beach volleyball team begins its season on Friday with home matches against Wayne State at 8 a.m. and Park at 4 p.m. Both matches will be played at the Hawks Championship Center and will be streamed on the Huskers' YouTube page. Nebraska's home matches are closed to the public because of space limitations inside the Hawks Championship Center. 

The Huskers will start the following pairs on Friday morning: Bekka Allick/Lexi Rodriguez, Harper Murray/Merritt Beason, Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly, Laney Choboy/Lindsay Krause, Hayden Kubik/Caroline Jurevicius and Andi Jackson/Maisie Boesiger. 

Nebraska will also play two home matches on March 1 against Oklahoma Wesleyan at 8 a.m. and Ottawa (Kan.) at 4 p.m. 

NU's first road trip will be to Gulf Shores, Ala., for the BadgerRam Beach Bash on March 3-4. Nebraska will face Huntingdon College, Spring Hill College, Florida Memorial University and the University of Mobile. Those matches will be played at West Public Beach.

Nebraska will then travel to Hawaii for six matches in five days. The Huskers will take part in the annual Heineken Queens Cup on Queen's Beach in Honolulu, facing California, Hawaii, Texas, Washington and Oregon. On Tuesday, March 14, the Huskers will battle the Rainbow Wahine one more time at the Ching Complex. 

As the Big Red heads back to the mainland, they'll stop in California for six final matches. NU will play Grossmont and San Diego Mesa in El Cajon, Calif., on March 16, and then they will play Saddleback College and Orange Coast College on March 17 in Irvine, Calif. The Huskers will close out their season on March 18 with a doubleheader against Irvine Valley College and Hope International University, also in Irvine. 

Five Huskers Look to Improve Times at Mizzou

The Nebraska swimming and diving team is sending five swimmers to Columbia, Mo., Feb. 25-26, for the Mizzou Last Chance Qualifier. 

At the Mizzou Aquatic Center, the swimmers will look to clock their best times of the season to earn spots at the NCAA Championships.

Shannon Stott will race in the 500 freestyle, a week after setting a new school record with a time of 4:41.65 at the Big Ten Championships. The senior from St. Albans, Great Britain went on to place eighth in her first of three individual podium finishes of the week. 

JoJo Randby broke the 27-year-old 100 breaststroke record on Friday at the conference meet with a 1:00.10 in prelims and went on to re-break the record in finals to place seventh with a 1:00.07. Randby looks to improve upon her NCAA B-Standard Cut this weekend and earn a spot at nationals.

Maia Hall and Sydney McCracken will join Randby in the breaststroke events. Hall was the top finisher in the 200 breaststroke B-final at Big Tens, with a 2:11.63. The sophomore from Whitby, England swam her best time of the season at the Hawkeye Invitational with a 2:10.76, moving her up to third on the All-Time list. McCracken qualified for the C-final last week in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and is set to swim both events again this weekend.

Gena Jorgenson, a freshman from Aberdeen, S.D., topped the All-Time list in the 1,650 freestyle on Saturday at the Big Ten Championships and will swim it again at Mizzou. With a 16:13.54, Jorgenson finished sixth overall in her third time swimming the mile at the collegiate level.

Prelims will begin at 10 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, with finals set for 5 p.m. (CT).

Five Huskers Look to Improve Times at Mizzou

The Nebraska swimming and diving team is sending five swimmers to Columbia, Mo., Feb. 25-26, for the Mizzou Last Chance Qualifier. 

At the Mizzou Aquatic Center, the swimmers will look to clock their best times of the season to earn spots at the NCAA Championships.

Shannon Stott will race in the 500 freestyle, a week after setting a new school record with a time of 4:41.65 at the Big Ten Championships. The senior from St. Albans, Great Britain went on to place eighth in her first of three individual podium finishes of the week. 

JoJo Randby broke the 27-year-old 100 breaststroke record on Friday at the conference meet with a 1:00.10 in prelims and went on to re-break the record in finals to place seventh with a 1:00.07. Randby looks to improve upon her NCAA B-Standard Cut this weekend and earn a spot at nationals.

Maia Hall and Sydney McCracken will join Randby in the breaststroke events. Hall was the top finisher in the 200 breaststroke B-final at Big Tens, with a 2:11.63. The sophomore from Whitby, England swam her best time of the season at the Hawkeye Invitational with a 2:10.76, moving her up to third on the All-Time list. McCracken qualified for the C-final last week in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and is set to swim both events again this weekend.

Gena Jorgenson, a freshman from Aberdeen, S.D., topped the All-Time list in the 1,650 freestyle on Saturday at the Big Ten Championships and will swim it again at Mizzou. With a 16:13.54, Jorgenson finished sixth overall in her third time swimming the mile at the collegiate level.

Prelims will begin at 10 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, with finals set for 5 p.m. (CT).

Huskers Head to Big Ten Indoor Championships

The Nebraska track and field team is set compete at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this weekend at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The two-day meet begins on Friday at 9:40 a.m. (CT), followed by a 10 a.m. start on Saturday. Both days of the meet will be streamed on B1G+.  

Big Ten Indoor Championships Meet Information
Dates: Feb. 24-25
Location: Geneva, Ohio (SPIRE Institute) 
Start Times: Friday - Field Events: 9:40 a.m. / Running Events: 11:40 a.m.
                      Saturday - Field Events: 10 a.m. / Running Events: 12:20 p.m.

Meet Schedule
Live Results
Live Video:
Friday Field Events | Friday Track Events | Saturday Field Events | Saturday Track Events

Big Ten Leaders
Athletes who finish in the top eight of an event at the Big Ten Indoor Championships will score team points. Scoring goes as follows: 1st place - 10, 2nd place - 8, 3rd place - 6, 4th place - 5, 5th place - 4, 6th place - 3, 7th place - 2, 8th place - 1. 

The Huskers currently have 17 individuals ranked in the top five of an event heading into the conference meet. 
 

NCAA Leaders
Athletes who rank in the top 16 nationally at the end of the regular season will qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held March 10-11 in Albuquerque, N.M. The following Huskers currently rank in the top 16 in their respective events: 
 

All-Time Top-10 Performances
The following Huskers have either improved their marks or cracked the all-time top-10 indoor charts at Nebraska this season: 

Till Steinforth, Men's Heptathlon - 6,082, No. 1
Axelina Johansson, Women's Shot Put - 63-4 (19.30m), No. 1
Taylor Latimer, Women's Weight Throw - 72-11 3/4 (22.24m), No. 1
Maxwell Otterdahl, Men's Weight Throw - 73-2 1/2 (22.31m), No. 2
Darius Luff, Men's 60m Hurdles - 7.66A, No. 3
Jonah Wilson, Men's Shot Put - 67-0 (20.42m), No. 3
Jenna Rogers, Women's High Jump - 6-1 1/2 (1.87m), No. 3
Lishanna Ilves, Women's Long Jump - 21-3 1/4 (6.48m), No. 4
Garrett Kaalund, Men's 200m - 20.96A, No. 4
Maxwell Otterdahl, Men's Shot Put - 65-10 1/4 (20.07m), No. 4
Niko Schultz, Men's 800m - 1:48.80, No. 5
Brithton Senior, Men's 60m Hurdles - 7.69, No. 5
Taylor Latimer, Women's Shot Put - 55-10 1/2 (17.03m), No. 5
Niko Schultz, Men's 600m - 1:17.83, No. 6
Axelina Johansson, Women's Weight Throw - 64-10 1/2 (19.77m), No. 7
Nick Bryant, Men's 600m - 1:18.05, No. 8
Bailey Timmons, Men's 3000m - 8:12.01, No. 8
Jacob Hyde, Nick Bryant, Niko Schultz, Omar Rodgers, Men's 4x400m Relay - 3:08.43, No. 8
Brynna McQuillen, Women's 3000m - 9:34.58, No. 8
Lorenzo Paissan, Men's 60m - 6.72, No. 9
Mayson Conner, Men's High Jump - 7-4 1/4 (2.24m), No. 9
Kalynn Meyer, Women's Shot Put - 53-3 3/4 (16.25m), No. 10

Huskers In the National Rankings
Both the Husker men and women are ranked in the USTFCCCA National Rankings this week with the Husker men at No. 8 and the Husker women at No. 17. 

The Husker men have been ranked as high as No. 5 this season, which is its highest ranking since 2013. At No. 17, the women have their highest indoor ranking since 2011. 

In the weekly USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings, the Husker men are No. 1 in the shot put, No. 3 in the high jump, No. 5 in the 60-meter hurdles and No. 10 in the weight throw. 

The Husker women rank No. 1 in the shot put, No. 2 in the triple jump, No. 3 in the weight throw, No. 4 in the high jump and No. 10 in the long jump. 

St. Clair Officially Named Nebraska Track and Field Head Coach
Nebraska track and field interim head coach Justin St. Clair has officially been named the 17th head coach in program history.
 
Nebraska Vice Chancellor, Director of Athletics Trev Alberts announced on Wednesday, Feb. 22 that the "interim" tag has been removed from St. Clair's title. The first-year head coach will lead the Huskers into the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio this weekend.
 
St. Clair was named interim head coach last August after Gary Pepin retired after 42 years as Nebraska's head coach. St. Clair served as the Huskers' associate head coach and throws coach for the 2022 season.
 
St. Clair has guided the Husker men and women to strong indoor seasons, as the NU men are No. 8 in this week's USTFCCCA National Rankings, while the NU women are No. 17. The Husker men have climbed as high as No. 5 this season, their best indoor ranking since 2013. The Husker women at No. 17 have their best indoor national ranking since 2011.  
 
The Huskers have a combined 11 athletes who currently rank in the top 16 nationally in their respective events, which would earn a bid to the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 10-11 in Albuquerque, N.M. It would mark the most NCAA Indoor Championships bids for the Huskers since 2011.
 
This indoor season, the Huskers have had 22 new all-time top-10 performances in school history, including three new school records in the heptathlon (Till Steinforth), women's shot put (Axelina Johansson) and women's weight throw (Taylor Latimer).

Steinforth, Johansson Collect B1G Field Athletes of the Week
Nebraska track and field athletes Till Steinforth and Axelina Johansson swept the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week honors, the conference office announced on Feb. 8. 

Steinforth broke the Nebraska heptathlon school record and Devaney Center facility record at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational over the weekend. He scored 6,082 points, which shattered the old school record by 188 points. Steinforth won the heptathlon 60m with a time of 6.87, the heptathlon long jump at 24-11 (7.59m) (PR), the heptathlon 60-meter hurdles in 7.96, the heptathlon pole vault at 17-0 3/4 (5.20m) (PR), and also set a personal best in the 1,000m (2:47.58). 

Johansson recorded not one, but two school-record throws to win the shot put title at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational with one of the all-time best throws in NCAA history. Johansson set a new shot put school record on her second throw, only to break it again on her third throw with a winning mark of 63-4 (19.30m). The previous indoor school record was 60-7 3/4 (18.48m) by Tressa Thompson in 1997. 

Huskers Sweep B1G Field Athletes of the Week
The Nebraska track and field program swept the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week honors on Jan. 25. Maxwell Otterdahl was named Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row, while Jenna Rogers picked up Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Week honors. 

Otterdahl won both the shot put and weight throw titles at the Mark Colligan Memorial, including a new indoor personal best of 64-11 1/4 (19.79m) in the shot put. That mark moved him up to No. 6 in Nebraska indoor history. 

Rogers won the high jump at the Mark Colligan Memorial, clearing 6-1 1/4 (1.86m), which put her in a tie for fifth in school history. The sophomore from Rutherford, N.J. collected her fourth career Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week honor.

Otterdahl Named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week
Nebraska junior Maxwell Otterdahl was named Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Week on Jan. 18. Otterdahl won the Graduate Classic men's weight throw with a throw of 73-2 1/2 (22.31m). It was a personal best that was just one inch shy of Alex Talley's school record set last year. The Rosemount, Minn., native was the Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Outdoor Championships last year after sweeping the shot put and discus titles. 

2023 Season Preview
The 2023 season is the Huskers' first under new head coach Justin St. Clair, who took over after legendary coach Gary Pepin retired in August after 42 years leading the Husker program. St. Clair came to Nebraska in 2021-22 as an associate head coach and coached 10 NCAA qualifiers, including a pair of NCAA medalists, in his debut season on the Husker coaching staff to earn his 10th USTFCCCA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor since 2016.

Overall, the Huskers claimed eight first-team All-Americans and eight second-team All-Americans in 2022. The Huskers also crowned 12 Big Ten champions, and nine of the 12 are back to defend titles this year. Maddie Harris brought home the NCAA silver medal in the javelin last year, while Axelina Johansson was the NCAA bronze medalist in the outdoor shot put and was the Big Ten Women's Outdoor Freshman of the Year. 

The Nebraska men were third at last year's Big Ten Indoor Championships and fourth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. They tied for 24th at the NCAA Indoor Championships, their best finish since 2015, and 59th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. 

The Husker women tied for seventh at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and were fifth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. They tied for 47th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and were 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, their best finish since 2006. 

Nebraska's Returning 2022 All-Americans and Big Ten Champions
Mayson Conner won the Big Ten indoor and outdoor high jump titles in 2022, giving him four career Big Ten gold medals. Conner, a senior, is a five-time All-American in the high jump, including second-team honors both indoors and outdoors last year. The McCool Junction, Neb., native enters the season at No. 9 on Nebraska's all-time indoor chart (7-3 3/4, 2.23m) and No. 5 outdoors (7-3 3/4, 2.23m). 

Maddie Harris was the silver medalist in the javelin at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships and won her second straight Big Ten javelin title with a school-record throw of 189-11 (57.90m). The first-team All-American from Lee's Summit, Mo., is the first Husker woman to repeat as a conference javelin champion since Kayla Wilkinson in the Big 12 in 2005 and 2006. 

Axelina Johansson took home the bronze medal in the shot put at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships as a true freshman, and she was named the Big Ten Women's Outdoor Freshman of the Year. She was the Big Ten outdoor runner-up and indoor bronze medalist and collected All-America honors at both NCAA meets. Following the outdoor season, the Hok, Sweden native finished 12th in the shot put at the World Athletics Championships with a new personal best of 60-11 1/4 (18.57m), the No. 2 throw in Nebraska outdoor history. Johansson was the only collegiate student-athlete to reach the final 12 in the shot put at the World Championships. She also enters the season ranked No. 2 in school history in the indoor shot put (59-9 3/4, 18.23m).

Mirta Kulisic finished 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the javelin to earn second-team All-America honors. The junior from Split, Croatia was the runner-up in the javelin at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and ranks No. 8 in school history with a PR of 175-1 (53.37m).  

Darius Luff earned first-team All-America honors in the 60m hurdles by finishing seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships last year. Luff's PR of 7.67 ranks No. 3 in school history. The junior Lincoln High grad also finished 17th in the 110m hurdles at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and ranks No. 7 all-time at NU (13.59). 

Maxwell Otterdahl won both the shot put and discus gold medals at the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships and was named the Big Ten Men's Field Athlete of the Championships. The junior from Rosemount, Minn., became the first Husker male to win both the shot put and discus titles at the same conference meet since 2004. Otterdahl went on to finish 18th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put and earn USTFCCCA Honorable Mention. He enters the season ranked fifth in school history in the outdoor shot put (65-6 3/4, 19.98m) and seventh in the indoor weight throw (68-5 1/4, 20.86m). 

Jenna Rogers won the Big Ten indoor and outdoor high jump titles as a true freshman last year, becoming the first Husker woman to sweep the conference indoor and outdoor high jump titles since 2004. She was also a two-time first-team All-American by finishing seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships and tying for sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Rutherford, N.J., native enters the season tied for eighth in NU indoor history (6-0 3/4, 1.85m) and fourth in outdoor history (6-1 1/4, 1.86m). 

LaQwasia Stepney placed 13th in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year to earn second-team All-America honors. The junior from Belleville, Ill., was the runner-up in the long jump at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. 

Darby Thomas won the Big Ten indoor long jump crown last year and earned second-team All-America honors after a 12th place finish at nationals. Thomas' breakout season included a PR of 21-5 1/2 (6.54m), the No. 3 indoor mark in school history. 

Jacob Hyde, Cory Berg and Nick Bryant were part of the Nebraska men's 4x400m relay team that pulled off an upset win at the 2022 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Racing in the first of two sections with the ninth-fastest seed time entering the meet, the Huskers got a strong anchor leg from Bryant to win section one in 3:09.51. That time held up against section two, despite Iowa and Ohio State possessing two of the fastest 4x400-meter squads in the country. It was the Huskers' first 4x400-meter relay conference title since 2016. 

New Transfers to Watch in 2023
Kavian Kerr (Kansas State) finished fourth in the long jump and 200m at the 2022 Big 12 Indoor Championships. His 200m PR of 20.99 would be the fourth-fastest time in Nebraska school history. 

Tanessa Morris (Montana) was a two-time Big Sky champion in the hammer throw and her PR of 210-4 (64.14m) at Montana would rank as the second-best throw in Husker history. 

Rhema Otabor (Florida International) placed fourth in the javelin at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn first-team All-America honors. Her personal best of 184-6 (56.25m) would rank second in Nebraska school history. 

Arthur Petersen (UT Arlington) was a two-time All-American and Sun Belt champion in the javelin. Petersen was sixth at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and 11th in 2021. His personal best of 262-2 (79.90m) would be a Nebraska school record. 

Rhianna Phipps (Kansas State) finished 12th in the triple jump at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships and 17th at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her PR of 44-4 1/4 (13.52m) would rank fifth on the all-time top-10 chart at NU. 

Omar Rodgers (Southern Illinois) was the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles champion at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. 

Brithton Senior (South Dakota) was an All-American in the 60m hurdles in 2021 after finishing 10th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. His personal best of 7.74 would be tied for sixth in school history. 

Velecia Williams (Kansas State) finished 17th in the long jump at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman. Her outdoor long jump personal best of 21-0 3/4 (6.42m) would put her on Nebraska's all-time top-10 chart at No. 10. 

Jonah Wilson (Washington) was a three-time All-American in the shot put for the Huskies. Wilson was eighth at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships, ninth at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships and 16th at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. His indoor (64-2 1/4, 19.56m) and outdoor (64-7 1/4, 19.69m) personal bests would both rank No. 7 all-time at Nebraska. 

2023 Nebraska Track & Field Captains
Mayson Conner, Senior, High Jump
Michael Hoffer, Senior, Jumps
Lishanna Ilves, Junior, Jumps
Johanna Ilves, Junior, Sprints/Hurdles
Micaylon Moore, Junior, Jumps
Jenna Rogers, Sophomore, High Jump
Bailey Timmons, Senior, Distance
Madison Yerigan, Senior, High Jump

Huskers Ready to Host Big Five Meets