Huskers Begin Three-Game Homestand Sunday vs. Maryland

The Nebraska men’s basketball team returns home to begin a three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon, as the Huskers host Maryland on Alumni weekend.

Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 4 p.m. and tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets, calling the NU Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.) and at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Ticket Office 90 minutes before tipoff.  Sunday’s game will be carried on FS1 and the Huskers Radio Network and will also be available online on the Fox Sports app. 

Nebraska (13-14, 6-10 Big Ten) comes into the contest having won three of its last four games following an 82-72 win at Rutgers on Tuesday. Nebraska shot 58 percent at Rutgers, the first opponent to shoot over 50 percent against Rutgers this season, while the 82 points were the most Rutgers allowed at home since 2020. Rutgers came into Tuesday’s contest ranked in the top 10 nationally in both field goal defense (.382, sixth) and scoring defense (59.1 ppg, seventh). NU’s 82 points marked its highest total in Big Ten play since scoring 93 at Penn State on Feb. 27, 2022. 

 

Keisei Tominaga led four Huskers in double figures at Rutgers with 22 points, while C.J. Wilcher gave NU a boost with 17 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers. In all, Nebraska matched its season high with 12 3-pointers on Tuesday. 

Tominaga has been one of the hottest players in the country over the last two weeks. The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 24.5 points per game while shooting 59 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3-point range. His 98 points over the last four games are the most by anyone in the Big Ten in their last four contests. He is bidding to become the first Husker to post five straight 20-point games since Tyronn Lue had seven straight games with 20+ points during the 1997-98 season. 

Maryland (18-8, 9-6 Big Ten) comes to Lincoln as winners of six of its last seven games following an impressive 68-54 win over No. 3 Purdue on Thursday. The Terrapins erased an eight-point second-half deficit by shooting 63 percent from the floor in the second half. Jahmir Young had 20 to lead four players in double figures.

Worth Noting

• Nebraska’s offensive outburst at Rutgers on Tuesday was impressive considering that Rutgers came into the contest second nationally in adjusted defense by KenPom and in the top 10 nationally in both field goal defense and scoring defense. The 82 points were the most Rutgers allowed at home since 2020, while NU became the first team to shoot 50 percent against the Scarlet Knights this season (.491 by Miami). The Huskers’ 69.1 effective field goal percentage was the best against Rutgers since Jan 23, 2010, when the Scarlet Knights were in the Big East. 

 

 
 • Nebraska’s offensive outburst at Rutgers on Tuesday continued an improvement which began last month. Over the past seven games, NU is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field (.495) and 39 percent from 3-point range (.388). In that span, NU has played five teams – Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Maryland – currently in the top 30 nationally in defensive efficiency. 
 

• Keisei Tominaga has been one of the Big Ten’s top scorers in recent weeks. Over the past five games, he is averaging 21.8 points per game while shooting 59 percent from the field. Here’s how his numbers compare to the top five scorers in the Big Ten entering this weekend. 

Last 5 Contests (Keisei + B1G Scoring Leaders)

 
• Tominaga comes into the Maryland game with four straight 20-point games, including a career high 30-point game against Penn State on Feb. 5. He is just the third Husker in the Big Ten era (2012-present) with four straight 20-point games, joining Bryce McGowens (Jan. 17-Feb. 1, 2022) and James Palmer Jr. (March 5-14, 2019).  Tominaga had just three career 20-point games (1 in 2021-22; 2 in 2022-23) before this current stretch. 

• 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 the loss to Nebraska, Wisconsin had 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). 

• 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. 

• Since Jan. 24, Nebraska’s freshmen have accounted for 32.9 percent of the team’s minutes.

• Nebraska has faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2022-23. As of Feb. 16, Nebraska’s NET strength of schedule is seventh nationally.  Michigan State (fourth), and Wisconsin (10th) 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. 16, 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 picked up its second current Quad 1 win on Tuesday with the win at Rutgers. NU also beat Creighton,  63-53, in Omaha on Dec. 4. It is still Creighton’s only home loss of the season, as the Bluejays are 13th in the NET.

• 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 Maryland game, NU players have missed a combined 57 games this season: Quaran McPherson (27); Juwan Gary (10); Emmanuel Bandoumel (7); Derrick Walker (5); Blaise Keita (6) and Sam Griesel (2). McPherson had season-ending knee surgery in September.

• Injuries have forced the Huskers to shuffle their lineup for the last month. NU used its ninth different starting lineup – and seventh in the last 11 contests – at Rutgers with C.J. Wilcher moving back into the lineup fro the first time since Jan. 18. 

• 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 1-10 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 5.6 rebounds per game.

• Derrick Walker is averaging a team-high 7.2 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.  

• 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. 

• 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. The win at Minnesota on Jan. 7 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. 

Number to Know 

99 – Nebraska is looking for its 100th win inside Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday. NU is 99-64 (.607) since moving into the building at the start of the 2013-14 season. 

74.8 – Nebraska is averaging 74.8 points per game during its four games this month. In January, NU averaged 61.3 ppg in nine contests and topped 70 points just once. 

12 – Nebraska matched its season high with 12 3-pointers in the win at Rutgers on Tuesday. It was NU’s highest total in a conference game since hitting 13 3-pointers at Penn State on Feb. 27, 2022. The Huskers have shot .350 or better from 3-point range in seven straight games dating back to Jan. 25.

13.7 – Nebraska ranks ninth nationally and second in the Big Ten with 13.7 fouls per game as of Feb. 16. NU matched its season low by committing six fouls against Penn State on Feb. 5. 

Husker Hoops Reunion Set for Sunday

Sunday’s game against Maryland is the annual Husker Hoops Reunion. More than 40 former players are expected back for the weekend festivities, including a banquet on Saturday night and Sunday’s game. Players from eight decades of Husker basketball (1950s-2020s) are scheduled to be back, including current Charlotte Hornets rookie Bryce McGowens.  The former players will be recognized during halftime ceremonies.

Red Cross Game Set for Sunday

Sunday’s game will be Red Cross Day at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Members of the Red Cross and volunteers will be located at the North and South entrances of the arena and throughout the concourse collecting donations on game day.

About Maryland

Kevin Willard is in his first season in charge of the Maryland program after spending the last 12 seasons at Seton Hall. The Pirates posted seven 20-win seasons in Willard’s tenure, made five NCAA Tournaments and shared the Big East regular-season title in 2019-20. 

This season Maryland jumped out to an 8-0 record, including wins over Miami (Fla.) and Saint Louis before the Terps went 4-7 in an 11-game stretch. The Terrapins have rebounded from that stretch and have won six of seven since Jan. 25, including wins over Indiana and Purdue. The only loss was a five-point setback at Michigan State. 

Maryland has a balanced attack with four players averaging double figures. Charlotte transfer Jahmir Young has been a catalyst, averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest.  Veterans Donta Scott (11.8 ppg), Hakim Hart (11.7 ppg) and Julian Reese (10.6 ppg) also average double figures, while both Hart and Reese shoot at least 50 percent from the field. As a team, Maryland averages 70.7 points per game and shoots 45 percent from the floor, while holding foes to 43 percent shooting. 

Series History: Sunday’s meeting is the 15th between the two teams, all since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten in 2014-15. Maryland leads the series, 11-3, with seven of the 14 meetings decided by five points or less.  Maryland won the first four meetings before Nebraska snapped the string with a win in College Park on Jan. 1, 2017. Maryland has been ranked in seven of the previous 14 meetings, including three times in the top 10. In 2021, the teams played on consecutive days in College Park with Maryland winning both meetings. Nebraska looks to snap a five-game losing streak to Maryland and pick up their first win in Lincoln against the Terrapins since 2018. 

Last meeting:Nebraska shot 53.3 percent from the field, but Maryland was nearly perfect from the free throw line in an 82-63 win over Nebraska on Jan. 28. The Huskers shot 53 percent from the field, its best shooting night since Nov. 30, and got strong performances from Derrick Walker and Sam Hoiberg in a losing effort.  Walker finished with a team-high 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting and eight rebounds, while Hoiberg posted a career-high 15 points, eclipsing his entire season total entering the contest. Hoiberg went 6-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and kept the Huskers within striking distance until Maryland took control with a 12-2 run after NU pulled to within 59-50 after Wilhelm Breidenbach’s 3-pointer with just over nine minutes remaining. Maryland was held to 44 percent shooting but went 24-of-26 from the foul line and turned 15 Nebraska turnovers into 20 points. Jamhir Young led the hosts with 18 points, including 9-of-9 from the charity stripe, while Donald Carey chipped in 16 points, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range.

Last Time Out

Keisei Tominaga had a team-high 22 points to pace four Huskers in double figures as Nebraska put together one of its best offensive performances of the season in a 82-72 win over Rutgers on Feb. 14.

The Huskers shot 58.2 percent from the floor against a Rutgers team which was sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense while NU’s 82 points were the most Rutgers allowed at home since December of 2020.

Tominaga scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half, as Nebraska took the lead in the final minute of the first half and never trailed the rest of the way. C.J. Wilcher added 17 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, while

Derrick Walker and Sam Griesel added 16 and 12 points, respectively.  Nebraska matched a season-high with 12 3-pointers and shot 43 percent from beyond the arc against the Big Ten’s top 3-point defense.

Nebraska led by seven after a Griesel basket in the opening minute of the second half, before Rutgers ran off six straight points to pull to within 42-41 after a Clifford Omoruyi free throw with 17 minutes left. Rutgers was within 44-43 before 3-pointers from Tominaga and Wilcher helped push the advantage to 50-45 with 14:48 left.

From there, the Huskers kept expanding the lead, using an 8-2 run to stretch the lead to 66-54 after a Sam Hoiberg 3-pointer with just under eight minutes left and led by as much as 13 before cruising to the 10-point win.

Griesel posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as Nebraska had 16 assists en route to its third win in the last four games.

 

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. 63 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 11 games against teams currently in the top 50 nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 17.
• NU’s 9.3 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. 10 nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 12.
• Nebraska held Iowa, which is currently third 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 11.4 points, 4.0 assists, 5.6 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 comes off his third double-double of the year with 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists at Rutgers.
• He ranks eighth in the Big Ten in assists and in the top 15 in steals, minutes and assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Griesel had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes in the Feb. 11 win over Wisconsin
• He has 14 double-figure games this season, including seven straight games from Dec. 20 to Jan. 21.
• Griesel had 21 points at Illinois on Jan. 31, his second 20-point game of 2022-23.
• 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. 

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 15 double-figure efforts following his 16-point game at Rutgers on Tuesday. 

• He is one of just 16 players nationally averaging at least 13 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as of Feb. 17. Of those players, Walker and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme are the only ones shooting at least 60 percent from the field.
• Walker is second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.600), a total which ranks 27th nationally as of Feb. 16. 
• 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 12.4 points per game while averaging 23 minutes per contest. 

• Tominaga leads the Huskers in both 3-pointers (56) and 3-point percentage (.406), as he ranks eighth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game
• Since moving into the starting lineup on Jan. 18, he is averaging 17.6 points per game on 53 percent shooting, including 42 percent from 3-point range. Tominaga has five 20-point games in that span, including a 30-point effort against Penn State on Feb. 5.
• He has a team-high 17 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 comes off a 22-point effort in the win over Rutgers on Tuesday night, as Nebraska posted 82 points against a Rutgers defense which led the Big Ten in scoring defense. 
• 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 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. 

A Change of Pace
One typical trait of a Fred Hoiberg team is to play at a fast pace. The Huskers led the Big Ten in pace in each of the last three seasons according to KenPom, including top-20 rankings in 2019-20 (16th) and 2021-22 (19th). NU has been the only Big Ten team to rank in the top 50 in any of the past three seasons. 

• • The 2022-23 team has been completely different, as NU is 227th nationally in pace as of Feb. 17. NU has had just 10 games with 70+ possessions this season and only two of those opponents (at Indiana, at Michigan) averaged 1.0 points per possession in those games.

Playing with Pace (Adjusted Tempo per KenPom)

Gary, Bandoumel to Miss Remainder of 2022-23 season
January was tough on the injury front, as NU lost two starters to season-ending injuries. 

• On Jan. 25, Juwan Gary had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. He is expected to return to action in 5-6 months.  Gary had started NU’s first 17 games before suffering the injury against Illinois on Jan. 10. He was averaging 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 1.4 steals per game.  He ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in steals (seventh) and rebounding (15th) at the time of his injury and totaled nine double-figure games. He had a season-high 18 points in Nebraska’s win at Minnesota on Jan. 7.
• Senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel joined Gary on the sideline, as he suffered a knee injury in the first half of Nebraska’s game at Penn State on Jan. 21 and had surgery on Jan. 26th.  Bandoumel started NU’s first 20 games and averaged 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He was second on the team in minutes per game (31.1) and ranked third on the team in both assists and steals. He totaled nine double figure games, including 18 points apiece against Memphis and Omaha.