Huskers Battle Scarlet Knights on Tuesday

The Nebraska men’s basketball team wraps up a stretch of four games in 10 days on Tuesday night as the Huskers travel to Rutgers. Tipoff for the Valentine’s Night matchup in Piscataway is slated for 7 p.m. (central) and the contest will be carried on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network. It will also be available online on the Fox Sports app. 

Nebraska (12-14, 5-10 Big Ten) overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to stun Wisconsin, 73-63, in overtime on Sunday. In that game, the Huskers outscored the Badgers 45-18 over the final 16:30 of regulation and in overtime. NU held Wisconsin to just 7-of-25 shooting after the Badgers built a 45-28 lead and the Badgers had just two field goals in the final five minutes of regulation and overtime. NU trailed 63-61 with 4:09 left in overtime, but closed the

game on a 12-0 run, including a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the extra session.  

 

Keisei Tominaga scored 17 of his game-high 22 points after halftime, including 12 points in a 20-2 second-half surge, while Derrick Walker had 18 points, including six straight in overtime, and eight boards. NU also got crucial minutes from Blaise Keita, who came off the bench and had 11 rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes after not playing at all in the first half. 

Tominaga has been on a tear in February, averaging 25.3 points per game on 60 percent shooting in three games this month. He has four 20-point efforts in Nebraska’s last six games, including a career-high 30-point effort against Penn State on Feb. 5. 

Rutgers (16-9, 8-6) entered last week in second place in the Big Ten race but comes into Tuesday’s game riding a two-game losing streak after a 69-60 loss at Illinois. Caleb McConnell and Clifford Omoruyi led the Scarlet Knights with 14 points apiece, but Illinois shot 56 percent in the second half to overcome a 34-30 halftime deficit. Rutgers has been tough at home, posting a 14-2 home mark, including a 13-2 mark inside Jersey Mike’s Arena.

About Rutgers

Rutgers comes into Tuesday’s game looking to snap a two-game losing streak following a 69-60 loss at Illinois on Saturday. Rutgers is 16-9 on the season, including 8-6 in Big Ten play. 

The Scarlet Knights are coached by Steve Pikiell, who is in his seventh season at the school. He guided Rutgers to NCAA Tournament berths in each of the last two seasons. Prior to 2021, Rutgers had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991. Prior to taking over at Rutgers, he guided Stony Brook to six postseason appearances in his final seven seasons. 

Rutgers returned three starters and 11 letterwinners from a team that won 18 games last year. Rutgers hangs its hat on the defensive end, leading the Big Ten in scoring defense (59.1) opponent field goal percentage (.382), 3-point percentage defense (.291) and steals per game (9.1 spg). Junior Clifford Omoruyi leads a balanced Rutgers attack with 13.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and nearly 2.0 blocks per game. Cam Spencer averages 12.7 ppg and shoots 42 percent from 3-point range. In all, Rutgers has five players averaging at least 9.0 ppg, including the experienced backcourt of Caleb McConnell (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Paul Mulcahy (9.1 ppg, 4.7 apg). 

Series History: Tuesday’s matchup will be the 18th all-time meeting with the Scarlet Knights. Nebraska leads the all-time series 9-8 and has won eight of the 14 meetings since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014-15. Rutgers won both meetings last season, including a 63-61 win in Lincoln on Jan. 29, 2022.  Prior to the Scarlet Knights joining the Big Ten, the two teams split a home-and-home series in 2006 and 2007. The only other meeting was a 19-point Rutgers win at the 1999 Hoop and Quill Classic in St. Charles, Mo.

Last Meeting: Bryce McGowens tied a season high with 29 points, but the Huskers could not hold on and fell to Rutgers, 63-61 on Jan. 29. McGowns kept NU ahead for most of the evening before Trey McGowens’ 3-pointer with 3:28 left gave the Huskers a 58-54 lead. Rutgers would have one last run, outscoring the Huskers’ 9-3 down the stretch to pull out the victory. NU had three chances to regain the lead in the final 1:30 and trailed 63-60 when Kobe Webster was fouled on a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left. Webster split the first two to make it a 2-point Rutgers lead but was called for a lane violation as he intentionally tried to miss the third free throw. 

In addition to Bryce McGowens’ 29-point effort, Trey McGowens added a season-high 11 points and seven rebounds as the Huskers had 44-39 advantage on the boards and held Rutgers to 38 percent shooting. Geo Baker led Rutgers with 14 points to pace three Rutgers players in double figures. Mawot Mag added 13 off the bench and Mulcahy added 10 points and four steals. 

Numbers to Know

72.3 – Nebraska is averaging 72.3 points per game during its three games this month. In January, NU averaged 61.3 ppg in nine contests and topped 70 points just once. 

3 – Derrick Walker ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in both rebounding (ninth) and assists (10th). As of Feb. 12, only three power conference players rank in the top 10 of their respective conferences in those categories: Walker; Jalen Pickett (Penn State) and Justyn Mutts (Virginia Tech).

12 – Tuesday’s game at Rutgers will be the Huskers’ 12th road game of the year which will be the most of any power conference team in the nation. As of Feb. 13, NU and DePaul have both played 11 road games. 

13.7 – Nebraska ranks eighth nationally and second in the Big Ten with 13.7 fouls per game as of Feb. 12. NU matched its season low by committing six fouls against Penn State on Feb. 5.

2 – Nebraska’s Sam Griesel is one of only two Big Ten players – and 23 players across all of Division I as of Feb. 3 – averaging at least 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as of Feb. 12. He joins Penn State’s Jalen Pickett among Big Ten players to achieve the combined numbers.

Worth Noting

• 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 Saturday, Wisconsin has 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). 

• While Lincoln is nearly 1,300 miles from Piscataway, Tuesday’s game at Rutgers will be a homecoming for a trio of Huskers from the tri-state area. Jamarques Lawrence (Plainfield, N.J.), C.J. Wilcher (Plainfield, N.J.) and Quaran McPherson (Queens, N.Y.) all hail from hometowns which are less than two hours away from the Rutgers campus. Plainfield is just 9.3 miles from Jersey Mike’s Arena. NU strength coach Kurt Joseph (Morganville, N.J.) also has ties to the area, as he is from Morganville, less than 20 miles from the Rutgers campus. 

• Keisei Tominaga comes into the Rutgers game with three straight 20-point games, including 22 points in Saturday’s OT win over Wisconsin. The last Husker to string together three straight 20-point games was Bryce McGowens from Jan. 17-Feb. 1, 2022.  Tominaga had just three 20-point games (1 in 2021-22; 2 in 2022-23) before this current stretch.  Since moving into the lineup on Jan. 18, he is averaging 17.0 ppg on 53 percent shooting, including 41 percent from 3-point range. 

• 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. 

• 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. 

• Over the last six games, Nebraska’s freshmen have accounted for 34.1 percent of the team’s minutes.

• Nebraska has improved its shooting in recent weeks. Over the last six games, NU is shooting 47.9 percent from the field, including 38 percent from 3-point range. NU was shooting under 30 percent from 3-point range over the first 20 contests. 

• Nebraska has faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2022-23. As of Feb. 12, Nebraska’s NET strength of schedule is seventh nationally.  Michigan State (third), and Wisconsin (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 fifth in KenPom as of Feb. 12, 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).

• Nebraska is now 2-1 in overtime games this year, marking the first time the Huskers have won multiple OT games in the same year since 2014-15. 

• 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 Rutgers game, NU players have missed a combined 54 games this season:  Quaran McPherson (26); Derrick Walker (5); Blaise Keita (6); Juwan Gary (9), Sam Griesel (2) and Emmanuel Bandoumel (6). McPherson had season-ending knee surgery in September.

•Nebraska used its eighth different starting lineup of the season against Wisconsin as Wilhelm Breidenbach started for Denim Dawson at forward. It marked the sixth different lineup Nebraska has used in the last 10 contests. 

• 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 winless 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 5.8 rebounds per game.

• Derrick Walker is averaging a team-high 7.4 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.  

• Derrick Walker is one of only two Big Ten players this year to have a game of at least 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as he did against Minnesota on Jan. 7.  Jalen Pickett has done it three times (most recently vs Michigan on Jan. 29). Over the last three seasons (2020-21 to 2022-23), it has happened just seven times, including twice by Husker players.

• 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. As of Feb. 2, it is Creighton’s only home loss of the season. 

• 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. 

• Nebraska’s win over Ohio State on Jan. 18 marked the Huskers’ first win over the Buckeyes in Lincoln since the 2014 campaign and marked the first time NU had beaten the Buckeyes in consecutive games. 

• The Huskers broke a couple of overtime losing streaks in the win at Minnesota on Jan. 7. The win snapped a six-game losing streak in overtime games dating back to the 2019-20 season and marked NU’s first road OT win in conference play since Feb. 17, 2001. 

 

Last Time Out

Derrick Walker had six of his 18 points in overtime, as Nebraska rallied from a 17-point second half deficit to defeat Wisconsin, 73-63, in overtime Saturday afternoon in Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Nebraska (12-14, 5-10 Big Ten) trailed 63-61 after a Tyler Wahl basket with 4:09 remaining in the extra period but it was all Nebraska the rest of the way. After Keisei Tominaga’s basket tied the game, Walker took over with two driving layups before hitting a pair of free throws to give the Huskers a 69-63 lead.

The Huskers sealed the game by going 6-of-6 from the line, while Wisconsin went 1-of-8 from the field in overtime. The Huskers held Wisconsin (14-10, 6-8) to two field goals in the final 5:30 of regulation and overtime.

Tominaga led the Huskers with 22 points, including five 3-pointers to match his career high from 3-point range. Sam Griesel added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Jamarques Lawrence added 11 points, as Nebraska’s 17-point comeback was its largest since the 2012-13 season.

The Huskers also got a big performance from Blaise Keita, who grabbed 11 rebounds and had two steals in 23 minutes off the bench. Keita had played just 22 minutes since Dec. 29 because of an ankle injury but was a big reason the Badgers shot just 29 percent after halftime. His effort helped Nebraska win the rebounding battle, 43-37, after being out-rebounded by five in the first half.

 

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. 59 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. 12.
• NU’s 9.4 points per game decrease from last season is sixth nationally.
• Nebraska has held 13 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 No. 7 nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 12.
• Nebraska held Iowa, which is currently sixth 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. 

Hometown Kid Making Good
Sam Griesel has enjoyed quite the homecoming, averaging 11.3 points, 4.0 assists, 5.4 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. 

• • Griesel had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes in Saturday’s win over Wisconsin.
• • He ranks eighth in the Big Ten in assists and in the top 15 in steals, minutes and assist-to-turnover ratio.
• • Griesel had 21 points at Illinois on Jan. 31, his second 20-point game of 2022-23.
• • He has 13 double-figure games this season, including seven straight games from Dec. 20 to Jan. 21.
• • 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. 

NU Athletics and Sam Griesel to Host Blood Drive This Friday
Nebraska Athletics and Sam Griesel will host a community blood drive with the American Red Cross this Friday, February 17, from Noon to 6 p.m. at the West Stadium Club in Memorial Stadium. As of Monday morning, less than 10 spots remain available for Friday’s blood drive.

While playing for North Dakota State in November of 2021, Griesel suffered a bleeding stomach ulcer that resulted in him needing a blood transfusion. Griesel returned to the starting lineup for the Bison just weeks later thanks to a successful four-hour transfusion. 

Donors with all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, A negative and B negative. 

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 13.5 points on 59 percent shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. The 6-foot-9 senior forward was NU’s only returning starter entering 2022-23 and has 14 double-figure efforts. 

• 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. 13.
• Walker is one of just three power conference players nationally who ranks in the top 10 of their respective conferences in both rebounds (ninth) and assists (10th) per game.
• He is second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.591), a total which ranks 27th nationally as of Feb. 12. 
• His playmaking ability has been evident in recent weeks. He has five or more assists on six 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 had his fourth career 20-point game at Penn State on Jan. 21 with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and six assists.
• 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 Moves into Starting Role
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 12.0 points per game while averaging 23 minutes per contest. 

• Tominaga leads the Huskers in both 3-pointers (52) and 3-point percentage (.403), as he ranks 10th in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game
• He has been on a tear as of late, averaging 18.7 points per game on 57 percent shooting in the last five contests dating back to Jan. 25. Tominaga has four 20-point games in that span, including a 30-point effort against Penn State.
• He is one of three Big Ten players averaging double figures while playing less than 25 minutes per game.
• 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 has a team-high 16 double figure games and was among the Big Ten’s leaders in bench scoring before he was inserted in the lineup on Jan. 18. 
• 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.