Who wants to know more about Nebrasky?
For the one kid in the corner from Omaha who raised his hand, I'll spend my afternoon researching the Cornhuskers.
As I always do, I will link you to all of the game previews that you should read. Well, maybe you could just pick one or two to read, game time is in an hour and a half.
Phog Blog
KU Sports
Worldwide Leader in Sports
KU Athletics
Huskers.com
KC Star
Husker Extra
One thing that will never cease to amaze me is how much more Nebrasky fans like football more than basketball. It is January 29th, 2007 which is about 31 weeks (give or take a couple) until the season opener, yet the first page of Huskers Extra is all football. Even right now, at the peak of basketball season and before their second favorite sport (baseball) starts basketball doesn't get their due. I mean sure, we are definately a basketball school but we aren't as bad as they are...are we?
Doc Sadler is in his first season at the helm of the Huskers after most recently being the coach of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He is one of 6 new coaches in the Big 12 this season joining Greg McDermott (Iowa State), Bobby Huggins (K-State), Mike Anderson (Missouri), Shawn Sutton (Okie State) as well as Jason Capel (Boomer Sooner).
They are led by Aleks Maric who is averaging 18 points, 7.9 blocks while shooting nearly 64 percent from the field. After him, Ryan Anderson averages 11.2 a game, Jamel White 10.6 and both Charles Henderson and Sek Henry score 7.9 per contest. For everything statistical click here.
They started off the year with 5 wins, including one over then #20 Creighton. They lost 2 straight after including losing by 10 @ Oregon (that loss looks pretty darn good now doesn't it) before snapping out of the losing streak by winning 6 out of their next 7 including one W @ Miami (FL). Since then they haven't played well going 1-4 in conference play with their one victory coming at home against the Buffaloes.
Lastly, if you have a strange urge to go watch the Huskers practice here are the practice times. Imagine if they posted practice times for the Jayhawks and made them open to the public. No, I'm serious, imagine it.
Three Keys to the Game
1. Shutdown Maric
Their offense lives and dies with one of the most underrated players in all of college basketball, if we can shut him down by playing a zone or doubling down when he gets the ball we should be successful.
2. Get Julian going
We need someone to step up and this seems like a Julian night. Just a weird feeling that I have, although to "get Julian going" is more on Julian because he creates his shot more than anyone else on our team. Of course, most of the time he tries to create his own shot it is a turnover so maybe we don't want to get him going.
3. Pretend you went south
For some reason we always seem to struggle mightily in the Devaney Center (I looked it up this time, I was right it is the Devaney Center) and lose in either Ames or Lincoln annualy. As I mentioned in my preview to this preview yesterday, I have a really weird feeling about this one so hopefully we will be able to chase off the Devaney Center demons inside of us and come out strong.
RCT Prediction: Nebraska 59 Kansas 57
Sorry, I just have a weird feeling about tonight's game. Maybe it is because I'm cynical and maybe it's because we lose one of the games up north and we already beat the Cyclones. This is the first time I've picked the 'Hawks to lose since Florida so hoepfully they will prove me wrong. Hopefully.
48 minutes to tipoff and I'm all done here.
I will post an open thread shortly, put all pre game, during game and post game comments there.
Everybody's doing it.