Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
Nebraska (13-11, 5-6) at Wisconsin (14-9, 6-4)
When: Wednesday, February 10 | 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Where: Kohl Center | Madison, Wisconsin
Television: Big Ten Network (Jeff Levering and Stephen Bardo)
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison)
Satellite Radio (Wisconsin feed): Sirius (Ch. 83) | XM (Ch. 195)
Internet Stream: Huskers.com (free audio) | BTN2GO (video, subscription required)
The Huskers (13-11, 5-6 Big Ten) posted an 87-63 win over Rutgers Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak. Nebraska took control of the game with an 18-1 spurt and led by double digits throughout the second half. Nebraska finished with 22 assists - the most by NU since the 2011-12 season - including a career-best nine by Glynn Watson Jr. Andrew White III led the Huskers with 21 points and eight rebounds to pace four Huskers in double figures. Shavon Shields added 17 points before leaving the game with an injury in the second half, while freshmen posts Michael Jacobson and Ed Morrow Jr. finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Jacobson comes off one of his best weeks as a Husker, as the freshman from Waukee, Iowa, averaged 11.5 points on 56 percent shooting and 6.0 rebounds against No. 4 Maryland and Rutgers.
The Huskers, who have won three of their last four road games in Big Ten play, will need another strong outing Wednesday to pick up their first win in Madison since 1990.
Wisconsin (14-9-17, 6-4 Big Ten) has been off since a 79-68 win over Ohio State on Thursday. In that game, Nigel Hayes had 21 points and four rebounds to pace four Badgers in double figures. The Badgers have won five straight since opening Big Ten play with a 1-4 mark.
Numbers to Know
5 - Number of Huskers in program history with 1,500 career points and 600 rebounds (Dave Hoppen, Eric Piatkowski, Andre Smith, Aleks Maric and Shavon Shields) after Shields reached that plateau on Saturday against Rutgers
9.6 - Nebraska is currently second in the Big Ten committing 9.6 turnovers per game in conference play. The Huskers have committed 10 or fewer turnovers in each of the last six games
63 - Three pointers by Andrew White III this season, which is two away from 10th place on NU's single-season list
12.8 - Nebraska's scoring average is 12.8 points higher than last year's total. It is on pace to be the largest single-season increase in school history.
64 - Following his career high nine assists on Saturday, freshman Glynn Watson Jr. is now two assists away from 10th place on NU's freshman assist list. Watson is also one steal away from fifth place on NU's freshman steals chart
Scouting Wisconsin
Under interim coach Greg Gard, Wisconsin is playing its best basketball of the season. The Badgers have won five straight games after a 1-4 Big Ten start. Gard, who took over for Bo Ryan following Wisconsin’s win over Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on Dec. 13, has guided the Badgers to a pair of wins over ranked teams, including a one-point win over then-No. 5 Michigan State.
The Badgers returned just two starters from a team that went 36-4 and lost to Duke in the national title game. Junior Nigel Hayes has been one of the Big Ten’s best frontcourt players, averaging a team-high 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman Ethan Happ (12.3 ppg; 8.1 rpg) and junior Bronson Koenig (13.4 ppg; 2.2 apg) supplement Hayes’ offensive production.
Series History
Wednesday's matchup is the 24th meeting between the two programs, and Wisconsin holds a 12-11 all-time lead. The series dates back to the 1903-04 season, as Nebraska won the first meeting, 25-22 over the Badgers in Lincoln before Wisconsin took five of the next six from 1907 to 1955. Nebraska then won eight straight games before the Badgers won the next five meetings, including the first four in Big Ten play. Last season, the Badgers swept both meetings with the Huskers, including a 10-point win in Lincoln in the last meeting. NU is 1-6 against Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten with the one win being a 77-68 upset over the ninth-ranked Badgers in the 2014 regular season finale. Wisconsin has been ranked in five of the previous seven meetings.
Last Meeting (Wisconsin 65, Nebraska 55, Feb. 10, 2015): Nebraska’s second-half rally came up just short, as the Huskers fell to No. 5 Wisconsin, 65-55. The Huskers trailed 52-37 with 3:37 left before charging back behind the play of Tai Webster, as the sophomore scored all five of his points in a 10-2 spurt to pull NU within 52-45 after a Shavon Shields jumper with 2:37 left. Nebraska kept the pressure on, as All-Big Ten guard Terran Petteway scored 18 of his 23 points after halftime to help the charge. The junior scored six straight points for the Huskers to cut the Wisconsin lead to 58-53 with 1:04 left. Unfortunately, Nebraska would get no closer, as Wisconsin went 7-of-8 from the foul line in the final minute to stifle the Huskers’ comeback hopes. Wisconsin went 24-of-31 from the foul line, including 22-of-27 in the second half to keep Nebraska at bay. Sam Dekker led Wisconsin with 21 point and eight rebounds, while Frank Kaminsky and Bronson Koenig added 13 apiece for the winners. Petteway finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Shavon Shields added 12 in a losing effort.
Probable Starters
Nebraska
G - #32 Benny Parker (5-9, 175, SR | 4.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)
G - #5 Glynn Watson Jr. (6-0, 160, FR | 8.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 spg)
G/F - #3 Andrew White III (6-7, 216, JR | 17.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.0 spg)
F - #12 Michael Jacobson (6-8, 222, FR | 4.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
G/F - #10 Jack McVeigh (6-8, 210, FR | 4.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Wisconsin
G - #3 Zak Showalter (6-2, 184, JR | 7.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F - #10 Nigel Hayes (6-8, 240, JR | 17.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg)
F - #22 Ethan Happ (6-9, 235, r-FR | 12.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
G - #24 Bronson Koenig (6-4, 193, JR | 13.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F - #30 Vitto Brown (6-8, 230, JR | 8.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.5 apg)
Worth Noting
- Senior Shavon Shields will not make the trip to Wisconsin after suffering an injury in the game against Rutgers. Shields had made 106 consecutive starts, which was five shy of the school record of 111 starts set by Dave Hoppen, the school's all-time leading scorer, from 1983-86.
- The Huskers feature one player from Wisconsin in sophomore guard/forward Nick Fuller (Sun Prairie). Fuller, who has appeared in 18 games, had two points and three rebounds in a season-high 18 minutes against Rutgers on Saturday, his first action since Jan. 12.
- Nine of the Huskers' 11 losses have come to teams currently rated in the top 50 in the KenPom rankings, including four to teams in the top 15. In fact, five of NU's losses are to teams in the top 12 of this week's AP Poll.
- Nebraska's 75.0 ppg in Big Ten play is not only a 18-point improvement on NU's conference scoring average from last year (57.1 ppg), but is the first time NU has averaged at least 70 points in conference action since 2001-02. Nebraska is the only team in the conference to raise its scoring average in Big Ten play compared to non-conference action.
- The Huskers have been much better handling the ball in Big Ten play. In conference action, NU is second in the Big Ten with 9.6 turnovers per game. In non-conference action, NU averaged 14.5 turnovers per game.
- Nebraska has scored 70+ points seven times in Big Ten play, which is already the best since joining the Big Ten (six in 2013-14)
- One of the biggest differences between the Huskers' wins and losses in Big Ten play has been defending the 3-point line. In the Huskers' five wins, opponents are shooting 31 percent from long distance, while that number jumps to 48 percent in the Huskers' six Big Ten losses
- Since moving Glynn Watson Jr. into the starting lineup and shortening the rotation on Dec. 22, Nebraska has been efficient, averaging 75.5 ppg while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor. Watson has flourished as well, averaging 9.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game
- Glynn Watson Jr. has been one of the Big Ten's best newcomers at point guard this season. The Bellwood, Illinois native is averaging 8.6 ppg and 2.7 apg while his 2.78 assist-to-turnover ratio is the best by a Husker since Brian Carr had a 3.04 assist-to-turnover ratio in 1985-86
- Nebraska is one of three programs in the nation (joining Washington and Tulsa) with multiple players averaging at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, as both Andrew White and Shavon Shields have reached that plateau. Entering this week, only 61 players in Division I have reached those averages
- NU enters the Wisconsin game sixth in the conference in rebounding margin at +3.9 per game. NU has not finished with a positive rebounding margin since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12.
- Much of Nebraska's inconsistency can be attributed to youth, as freshmen account for 37 percent of the Huskers' minutes in 2015-16. The 37 percent is the most in the Big Ten. In conference action, the number jumps to 40 percent of the Huskers' total playing time and 34 percent of NU's offense.
- Nebraska's 3-point shooting has jumped from 28.4 percent to 35.3 percent this season, which is on track to be the second-highest increase for the Huskers since the 3-point line was instituted in the 1986-87 season. NU jumped from 27.6 percent to 38.9 percent between the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons
Nebraska (13-11, 5-6) at Wisconsin (14-9, 6-4)
When: Wednesday, February 10 | 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Where: Kohl Center | Madison, Wisconsin
Television: Big Ten Network (Jeff Levering and Stephen Bardo)
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison)
Satellite Radio (Wisconsin feed): Sirius (Ch. 83) | XM (Ch. 195)
Internet Stream: Huskers.com (free audio) | BTN2GO (video, subscription required)
The Huskers (13-11, 5-6 Big Ten) posted an 87-63 win over Rutgers Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak. Nebraska took control of the game with an 18-1 spurt and led by double digits throughout the second half. Nebraska finished with 22 assists - the most by NU since the 2011-12 season - including a career-best nine by Glynn Watson Jr. Andrew White III led the Huskers with 21 points and eight rebounds to pace four Huskers in double figures. Shavon Shields added 17 points before leaving the game with an injury in the second half, while freshmen posts Michael Jacobson and Ed Morrow Jr. finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Jacobson comes off one of his best weeks as a Husker, as the freshman from Waukee, Iowa, averaged 11.5 points on 56 percent shooting and 6.0 rebounds against No. 4 Maryland and Rutgers.
The Huskers, who have won three of their last four road games in Big Ten play, will need another strong outing Wednesday to pick up their first win in Madison since 1990.
Wisconsin (14-9-17, 6-4 Big Ten) has been off since a 79-68 win over Ohio State on Thursday. In that game, Nigel Hayes had 21 points and four rebounds to pace four Badgers in double figures. The Badgers have won five straight since opening Big Ten play with a 1-4 mark.
Numbers to Know
5 - Number of Huskers in program history with 1,500 career points and 600 rebounds (Dave Hoppen, Eric Piatkowski, Andre Smith, Aleks Maric and Shavon Shields) after Shields reached that plateau on Saturday against Rutgers
9.6 - Nebraska is currently second in the Big Ten committing 9.6 turnovers per game in conference play. The Huskers have committed 10 or fewer turnovers in each of the last six games
63 - Three pointers by Andrew White III this season, which is two away from 10th place on NU's single-season list
12.8 - Nebraska's scoring average is 12.8 points higher than last year's total. It is on pace to be the largest single-season increase in school history.
64 - Following his career high nine assists on Saturday, freshman Glynn Watson Jr. is now two assists away from 10th place on NU's freshman assist list. Watson is also one steal away from fifth place on NU's freshman steals chart
Scouting Wisconsin
Under interim coach Greg Gard, Wisconsin is playing its best basketball of the season. The Badgers have won five straight games after a 1-4 Big Ten start. Gard, who took over for Bo Ryan following Wisconsin’s win over Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on Dec. 13, has guided the Badgers to a pair of wins over ranked teams, including a one-point win over then-No. 5 Michigan State.
The Badgers returned just two starters from a team that went 36-4 and lost to Duke in the national title game. Junior Nigel Hayes has been one of the Big Ten’s best frontcourt players, averaging a team-high 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman Ethan Happ (12.3 ppg; 8.1 rpg) and junior Bronson Koenig (13.4 ppg; 2.2 apg) supplement Hayes’ offensive production.
Series History
Wednesday's matchup is the 24th meeting between the two programs, and Wisconsin holds a 12-11 all-time lead. The series dates back to the 1903-04 season, as Nebraska won the first meeting, 25-22 over the Badgers in Lincoln before Wisconsin took five of the next six from 1907 to 1955. Nebraska then won eight straight games before the Badgers won the next five meetings, including the first four in Big Ten play. Last season, the Badgers swept both meetings with the Huskers, including a 10-point win in Lincoln in the last meeting. NU is 1-6 against Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten with the one win being a 77-68 upset over the ninth-ranked Badgers in the 2014 regular season finale. Wisconsin has been ranked in five of the previous seven meetings.
Last Meeting (Wisconsin 65, Nebraska 55, Feb. 10, 2015): Nebraska’s second-half rally came up just short, as the Huskers fell to No. 5 Wisconsin, 65-55. The Huskers trailed 52-37 with 3:37 left before charging back behind the play of Tai Webster, as the sophomore scored all five of his points in a 10-2 spurt to pull NU within 52-45 after a Shavon Shields jumper with 2:37 left. Nebraska kept the pressure on, as All-Big Ten guard Terran Petteway scored 18 of his 23 points after halftime to help the charge. The junior scored six straight points for the Huskers to cut the Wisconsin lead to 58-53 with 1:04 left. Unfortunately, Nebraska would get no closer, as Wisconsin went 7-of-8 from the foul line in the final minute to stifle the Huskers’ comeback hopes. Wisconsin went 24-of-31 from the foul line, including 22-of-27 in the second half to keep Nebraska at bay. Sam Dekker led Wisconsin with 21 point and eight rebounds, while Frank Kaminsky and Bronson Koenig added 13 apiece for the winners. Petteway finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Shavon Shields added 12 in a losing effort.
Probable Starters
Nebraska
G - #32 Benny Parker (5-9, 175, SR | 4.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)
G - #5 Glynn Watson Jr. (6-0, 160, FR | 8.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 spg)
G/F - #3 Andrew White III (6-7, 216, JR | 17.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.0 spg)
F - #12 Michael Jacobson (6-8, 222, FR | 4.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
G/F - #10 Jack McVeigh (6-8, 210, FR | 4.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Wisconsin
G - #3 Zak Showalter (6-2, 184, JR | 7.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F - #10 Nigel Hayes (6-8, 240, JR | 17.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg)
F - #22 Ethan Happ (6-9, 235, r-FR | 12.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
G - #24 Bronson Koenig (6-4, 193, JR | 13.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F - #30 Vitto Brown (6-8, 230, JR | 8.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.5 apg)
Worth Noting
- Senior Shavon Shields will not make the trip to Wisconsin after suffering an injury in the game against Rutgers. Shields had made 106 consecutive starts, which was five shy of the school record of 111 starts set by Dave Hoppen, the school's all-time leading scorer, from 1983-86.
- The Huskers feature one player from Wisconsin in sophomore guard/forward Nick Fuller (Sun Prairie). Fuller, who has appeared in 18 games, had two points and three rebounds in a season-high 18 minutes against Rutgers on Saturday, his first action since Jan. 12.
- Nine of the Huskers' 11 losses have come to teams currently rated in the top 50 in the KenPom rankings, including four to teams in the top 15. In fact, five of NU's losses are to teams in the top 12 of this week's AP Poll.
- Nebraska's 75.0 ppg in Big Ten play is not only a 18-point improvement on NU's conference scoring average from last year (57.1 ppg), but is the first time NU has averaged at least 70 points in conference action since 2001-02. Nebraska is the only team in the conference to raise its scoring average in Big Ten play compared to non-conference action.
- The Huskers have been much better handling the ball in Big Ten play. In conference action, NU is second in the Big Ten with 9.6 turnovers per game. In non-conference action, NU averaged 14.5 turnovers per game.
- Nebraska has scored 70+ points seven times in Big Ten play, which is already the best since joining the Big Ten (six in 2013-14)
- One of the biggest differences between the Huskers' wins and losses in Big Ten play has been defending the 3-point line. In the Huskers' five wins, opponents are shooting 31 percent from long distance, while that number jumps to 48 percent in the Huskers' six Big Ten losses
- Since moving Glynn Watson Jr. into the starting lineup and shortening the rotation on Dec. 22, Nebraska has been efficient, averaging 75.5 ppg while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor. Watson has flourished as well, averaging 9.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game
- Glynn Watson Jr. has been one of the Big Ten's best newcomers at point guard this season. The Bellwood, Illinois native is averaging 8.6 ppg and 2.7 apg while his 2.78 assist-to-turnover ratio is the best by a Husker since Brian Carr had a 3.04 assist-to-turnover ratio in 1985-86
- Nebraska is one of three programs in the nation (joining Washington and Tulsa) with multiple players averaging at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, as both Andrew White and Shavon Shields have reached that plateau. Entering this week, only 61 players in Division I have reached those averages
- NU enters the Wisconsin game sixth in the conference in rebounding margin at +3.9 per game. NU has not finished with a positive rebounding margin since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12.
- Much of Nebraska's inconsistency can be attributed to youth, as freshmen account for 37 percent of the Huskers' minutes in 2015-16. The 37 percent is the most in the Big Ten. In conference action, the number jumps to 40 percent of the Huskers' total playing time and 34 percent of NU's offense.
- Nebraska's 3-point shooting has jumped from 28.4 percent to 35.3 percent this season, which is on track to be the second-highest increase for the Huskers since the 3-point line was instituted in the 1986-87 season. NU jumped from 27.6 percent to 38.9 percent between the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons
