The Nebraska basketball team continues its season-opening homestand Tuesday evening, as the No. 21 Huskers welcome the Central Arkansas Bears to Pinnacle Bank Arena.
A limited number of tickets for Tuesday’s contest are available, beginning at $7, by visiting Huskers.com, calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIG RED or visiting the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Live video streaming of Tuesday’s game will be carried exclusively on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app with Shawn Kenney and Rich Zvosac on the call. For more information on WatchESPN and ESPN3, visit (espn.go.com/watchespn/index). Tuesday’s game will be one of four ESPN3 broadcasts during the non-conference play.
The game will be broadcast across the state by the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices, as well as on TuneIn Radio.
The Huskers, who remained 21st in the national polls released Monday, got the 2014-15 season off to a good start, posting an 80-61 win over Northern Kentucky Sundayafternoon. Nebraska got a game-high 25 points from junior Terran Petteway to pace three Huskers in double figures against the Norse. Petteway went 6-of-9 from 3-point range, while David Rivers and Shavon Shields combined to go a perfect 9-of-9 from the field.
Rivers, who is the Huskers’ lone senior in the starting lineup, finished with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting and six rebounds. The 6-foot-7 senior from Little Rock, Ark., matched his entire 2013-14 season of double figure performances. Shields was just as efficient, hitting all four shots from the floor while going 10-of-10 from the foul line, as the Huskers went 26-of-30 from the charity stripe on Sunday.
Just as important to the Huskers’ long-term success was the effort on the defensive end. Nebraska held NKU to just 36 percent shooting, including 9-of-27 from the field in the second half, and forced 13 turnovers which led to 22 points. NU also blocked seven shots, including three by Walter Pitchford and two by newcomer Moses Abraham.
Central Arkansas wraps up a three-game road swing through Nebraska on Tuesday after the Bears lost to both Creighton and UNO over the weekend. First-year head coach Russ Pennell, who guided Arizona to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2009 as the interim coach, has a new roster with just one returning player back from 2013-14.
Numbers 2 Know
80 – Points scored by the Huskers in the season opener, which was the highest total by a Husker team to open the season since 2005.
81.5 – Percent of the Huskers’ point total which is back in 2014-15. It is the first time since 2003-04 (89.9 pct.) that the Huskers have returned at least 70 percent of the previous year’s scoring total. For comparison, NU returned 49.7 percent of its points last season and just 24 percent entering 2012-13.
3 – Walter Pitchford’s blocked shots against Northern Kentucky, which matched his career high. He also had three against Northern Illinois on Nov. 30, 2013.
Scouting Central Arkansas
Central Arkansas comes into Tuesday’s game with an 0-2 record following losses to Creighton (104-77) and Omaha (100-75). First-year coach Russ Pennell has only one returnee – sophomore forward Ethan Lee, who comes off the bench for the Bears. He is the only sophomore on a roster which has seven freshman and three juniors. The school, which is most known for former NBA great Scottie Pippen, completed the transition to Division I in 2010-11. Last year, UCA went 8-21 and finished 11th in the Southland Conference. With such a young roster, the Bears were picked 12th by the league’s coaches in the preseason poll. A former player at Central Arkansas, Pennell is an experienced coach, having more than 25 years of coaching experience, serving as an assistant at Arizona State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. Most recently, he led Grand Canyon College helping the school to a 72-44 record. In 2008-09, he served as the interim coach at Arizona, leading the Wildcats to 21 victories and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 that season.
Series History: Tuesday’s matchup will be the first-ever between the Huskers and Central Arkansas. The Huskers are 6-1 all-time against current members of the Southland Conference, and Tuesday’s game will be the first of two against schools from the league. NU takes on Incarnate Word on Dec. 10.
Last Time Out
All-Big Ten performer Terran Petteway had a game-high 25 points, including six 3-pointers, lifting No. 21 Nebraska to an 80-61 win over Northern Kentucky. While Petteway, who connected on 6-of-9 from long range, showed an improved shooting stroke from long distance, it was the efforts and efficiency of David Rivers and Shavon Shields early on who got the Huskers going after a bumpy start.
Shields finished with 18 points, hitting all four shots from the field and going a perfect 10-of-10 from the line, while Rivers connected on all five of his shots from the field en route to scoring 12 points and grabbing six caroms.
The Huskers struggled from the floor early on, missing seven of its first eight field goal attempts to fall behind 8-2 in the opening four minutes before the veterans took over. The pair combined for points in a decisive 16-4 run to take an 18-12 lead after a Shields basket at the 12 minute mark.
Northern Kentucky was within 21-18 after a Cole Murray 3-pointer before the Huskers found their touch from long distance. Petteway’s 3-pointer with 10:57 left in the half was NU’s first make after six straight misses and jump started a 9-0 run from 3-point range, as the Huskers took a 27-15 lead after a Pitchford 3-pointer. Petteway had 16 of his 25 points in the first half, as Nebraska closed the half by hitting five of its last seven 3-pointers to push the lead to 45-30 at the break.
Northern Kentucky cut a 17-point deficit to 49-38 after an Anthony Monaco 3-pointer with 16:40 left, but would get no closer, as the Huskers took command with a 16-6 surge to push the advantage to 21, at 65-44 with 10:10 left after six straight points from Shields.
Notes from Sunday’s Win
*-Nebraska improved to 80-39 all-time in season openers and has won 14 straight openers.
*-Terran Petteway finished with a game-high 25 points, his 13th career game of at least 20 points. Petteway also had a career-high six 3-pointers, topping his previous best of four set most recently against Minnesota on Jan. 26, 2014.
*-David Rivers with 12 points, his highest total since scoring 13 against Ohio State on Feb. 2, 2013. Rivers had one game in double-figures as a junior. He went 5-of-5 from the field and added six rebounds in 27 minutes.
*-The attendance of 15,479 ranked seventh in school history and is the largest season-opener crowd in school history.
*-Nebraska has now won 10 straight games at Pinnacle Bank Arena dating back to last January and improves to 8-0 all-time against non-conference opponents at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
*-Shavon Shields finished 10-of-10 from the foul line, the third time in his career he has shot at least 10-of-10 or better from the foul line. Shields finished with 18 points on just 4-of-4 shooting.
Petteway Named to Wooden Award Preseason Top 50
Nebraska basketball standout Terran Petteway was tabbed for the Wooden Award Men’s Preseason Top 50 Monday afternoon. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.
Petteway earned a spot on the list after an outstanding sophomore season where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The 6-foot-6 wing led the Big Ten in scoring – becoming the first Husker in more than six decades to lead the conference in scoring for a season – and had a pair of 30-point games on the season, including a career-high 35 points against Minnesota. He was his best against the Huskers’ toughest foes, averaging 20.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 12 games against top-50 competition to help the Huskers reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
Petteway opened the season with a game-high 25 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in Nebraska’s 80-61 win over Northern Kentucky on Sunday. Petteway is the first Husker on the preseason Wooden Award list since Aleks Maric in 2007. Petteway is one of seven Big Ten players on the Wooden Award Men’s Preseason Top 50.
Huskers as a Ranked Team
The Huskers opened the 2014-15 season in the national rankings for the first time since the 1994-95 season, as the Huskers are 21st in both the AP and coaches polls. It marks the first time since Jan. 2, 1995, that Nebraska is nationally ranked and just the second time in AP poll history and first since 1992 that the Huskers opened the season as a ranked team. Nebraska is now 35-18 when ranked all-time in program history following Sunday’s win. In addition to the AP and Coaches polls, other publications have taken notice of the Huskers as well.
Huskers Will Be Tested in 2014-15
Nebraska will be tested before the Big Ten season opens against Indiana on New Year’s Eve, as the Huskers host a pair of NCAA Tournament teams (Cincinnati and Creighton) as well as travel to Florida State, Rhode Island and Hawaii in non-conference action.
*-The five known opponents who Nebraska will face in December (Florida State, Creighton, Incarnate Word, Cincinnati and Hawaii) combined to post a 117-46 record in 2013-14. In addition, the Huskers could face No. 11 Wichita State, who went 35-1 last season, in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic.
*-Five Big Ten teams (Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan) are ranked in the AP preseason poll while four others (Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Maryland) are receiving votes.
*-With the Big Ten schedule, the Huskers will face five teams both home and away in 2014-15, and all five of those teams are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason AP poll (Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota and Wisconsin).
Petteway Leads Husker Returnees
Junior wing Terran Petteway comes into 2014-15 as one of the Big Ten’s premier players. The 6-foot-6 junior has been featured on several lists of top players in college basketball and was a second-team preseason All-American by The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. As a sophomore, he led the Big Ten in scoring at 18.1 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, while starting all 32 contests. Not only did he lead the Huskers in scoring, but also was second on the team in rebounding and third in assists.
Nebraska has had eight All-Americans in program history, most recently Carl McPipe during the 1977-78 season.
Petteway opened the season with the best long-distance shooting of his career, hitting 6-of-9 from 3-point range on his way to scoring a game-high 25 points against Northern Kentucky.
This season, Petteway looks to become the first player since Ohio State’s Evan Turner (2009-10) to lead the Big Ten in scoring in consecutive seasons. Over the last 30 years, only three players – Turner, Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (1993-94) and Michigan’s Glen Rice (1988-89) – have accomplished the feat.
Last season, Petteway became the first player to earn unanimous first-team all-conference honors since Venson Hamilton in 1999, and also earned first-team all-district honors by the NABC (coaches) and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (writers).
Petteway finished Big Ten play as the conference scoring leader, averaging 18.6 points per game. He became the fifth Husker in the last century to lead a conference in scoring in conference games and first since former Big Eight Player of the Year Andre Smith in 1980-81. He also led the conference at 18.1 points per game in all games and became the first Husker since 1950 (first year the Big Seven Conference kept records) to ever lead the league in scoring for all games.
Petteway finished seventh on Nebraska’s single-season scoring list with 579 points, as only Dave Hoppen, Tyronn Lue, Eric Piatkowski, and Andre Smith have scored more points in a season. He also finished second on the Huskers’ single-season free throw list with 167.
Nebraska-Tennessee Martin Time Set for Nov. 28th
The Nebraska Athletic Department announced Monday (Nov. 16) that the Huskers men’s basketball game against Tennessee-Martin on Friday, Nov. 28, will tipoff at 7 p.m. The start time had been listed as TBA on the schedule and game tickets until the football game kickoff time at Iowa that day had been determined. The Nebraska-UT Martin game will be carried online by ESPN3 and broadcast on the Husker Sports Network.
Defense Keyed Second-Half Improvement
In 2013-14, the Huskers’ biggest in-season improvements came on the defensive end. The Huskers entered Big Ten play last in field goal defense and eighth in scoring defense, but dramatically improved during conference action.
Over the final 16 games of the 2013-14, NU held 10 opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field, including eight straight foes in one stretch. The eight consecutive foes under 40 percent was the longest streak by a Husker defense in at least four decades. The Huskers finished Big Ten play second in conference games in field goal percentage (.415) and third in scoring defense (63.4).
Nebraska has been stout at home over the last two seasons, as only three teams have shot over 45 percent against the Huskers, while 10 of 17 opponents have been held to under 40 percent shooting. Northern Kentucky shot just 36 percent.
Shields Keys Husker Attack
While Petteway has become one of the best players in the Big Ten, the emergence of junior Shavon Shields is equally vital to the Huskers attack. The 6-foot-7 wing started all 32 games and averaged 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to earn honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. As a sophomore, Shields was second on the team in scoring and led Nebraska in rebounding.
Shields is one of four returnees to rank in the top 15 in both scoring and rebounding in Big Ten play last year, joining Frank
Kaminsky (Wisconsin), Rayvonte Rice (Illinois) and Aaron White (Iowa).
Shields has started the last 52 games dating back to the middle of his freshman season. He was exceptionally efficient in the opener, scoring 18 points on just four field goals, as he went a perfect 10-of-10 from the line. The 6-foot-7 junior had four rebounds and a pair of assists in the 19-point win.
Last season, Shields played some of his best basketball since moving to his natural wing position in February, averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field over NU’s last 12 contests. The Huskers went 8-4 over that stretch.
Shields earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for his efforts during the last week of the season, averaging 21.5 points per game in wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, as he had 26 points against the ninth-ranked Badgers and 17 points and eight rebounds in the win at Indiana.
His best offensive effort came against Illinois on Feb. 12, when he scored a career-high 33 points, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field and all 15 of his free throws. Shields tied Nebraska’s single-game record for free throws without a miss and became only the 11th Big Ten player to hit at least 15 free throws without a miss and the first since 1997.
Pitchford Poses Problems for Opponents
Junior forward Walter Pitchford became one of the focal points to the Huskers’ attack in Big Ten play last season. The 6-foot-10, 237-pounder is one of the toughest matchups in college basketball, as he is a skilled shooter who hit 41 percent from 3-point range. Last season, Pitchford averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while starting 31 games.
An outstanding athlete with a 42-inch vertical leap, Pitchford played some of his best basketball of the season over the Huskers’ second-half surge, averaging 11.0 points per game on 53 percent shooting over the last 14 games. Pitchford reached double figures 11 times in that stretch including a career-high 18-point effort along with five rebounds and a pair of steals in a win at No. 9 Michigan State on Feb. 16. Pitchford sparked NU’s win at Indiana with 17 points and nine rebounds, as he scored the Huskers’ first nine points and then delivered a 3-pointer with 1:55 left to give Nebraska a four-point cushion.
Pitchford was held to just three points in Sunday’s win, but found other ways to contribute during his time on the floor. He had four rebounds and matched his career high with three blocked shots in 26 minutes of work.
New Faces in Huskers’ Rotation
Despite having five returning starters and seven of the top eight players back from a year ago (counting Leslee Smith, who looks to return from knee surgery during Big Ten play), a pair of newcomers – senior Moses Abraham and freshman Tarin Smith – have found their way into the Huskers’ rotation.
*-Abraham is a graduate transfer who spent the past four years at Georgetown. He provided physicality in the wake of Leslee Smith’s injury and is the first post player off the bench. Abraham had five rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in 12 minutes against Northern Kentucky. Last year, Abraham averaged 1.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team with 23 blocked shots. The 6-foot-9, 252-pound forward earned his degree from Georgetown in May and has one year of eligibility remaining. He is the first graduate transfer the Huskers have added since the rule went into effect.
*-Smith has become one of the Huskers’ first guards off the bench during the preseason and had six points and an assist in 16 minutes of work against NKU. Smith was a two-year starter at St. Anthony (N.J.) High School, one of the premier high school basketball programs in the country playing for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley. As a senior, he was a first-team all-state pick by the AP and a third-team honoree by the Newark Star-Ledger, as he averaged 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, as St. Anthony finished with a 25-5 record and a state runner-up finish.
Another freshman who could see more action as the year progresses is post player Jake Hammond. He is 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward who averaged 26.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.7 blocks and 3.1 steals per game as a senior at Comanche (Okla.) High School. He was rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Oklahoma by both ESPN.com and 247Sports as a senior, and was considered one of the top 150 seniors in the country by Hoop Scoop.
In addition, two other Husker newcomers will not suit up this season, as freshman B.J. Day will not play after suffering a torn ACL in practice in October, while Andrew White is sitting out the season after transferring from Kansas. White, who was a top-50 recruit coming out of high school, played two seasons at Kansas, playing behind NBA lottery picks Andrew Wiggins (2014) and Ben McLemore (2013). White was the state player of the year in Virginia in 2012, averaging 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
