Nebraska’s Terran Petteway says he has not been himself on the basketball court lately because he’s worried about his mother, who is undergoing treatment for cancer in Texas.

Petteway is the third-leading scorer in the Big Ten, but he’s been a target for fan criticism on social media for the way he has conducted himself during games.

He has sometimes reacted emotionally to officials’ foul calls, and he got into a shouting match with coach Tim Miles going into a timeout in Tuesday’s loss to Wisconsin.

Petteway said Friday at a news conference in Lincoln, Nebraska, that his behavior stemmed from his anxiety over his mother, Joetta Petteway, who lives in Galveston, Texas.