Huskers Clash with Hawkeyes on Super Bowl Sunday

The Nebraska men’s basketball team hits the road this weekend, as the Huskers head to Iowa City for a matchup with the Iowa Hawkeyes this Sunday afternoon. Tipoff from Carver-Hawkeye Arena is set for 1 p.m. (central) and will be carried on FS1 and the Huskers Radio Network. 

The Huskers (7-17, 1-12 Big Ten) played one of their best games of the season in leading wire to wire in a 78-65 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night to earn their first Big Ten win of the season. Alonzo Verge Jr. scored 20 of his team-high 22 points in the second half to lead three Huskers in double figures and keyed a game-breaking 12-0 second-half run that turned a 40-32 lead into a 20-point cushion.  Nebraska’s defense set the tone from the start, as the Huskers totaled 12 steals and forced 18 turnovers against a Gopher team that was fifth nationally in fewest turnovers per game. 

 

Freshman Bryce McGowens has been one of the Big Ten’s top freshmen as he leads the Huskers in scoring at 16.7 points per game, while also grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 freshman has been in double figures in each of the last six games, a stretch where he is averaging 20.3 ppg on 45 percent shooting. He has earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week in each of the past two weeks and had 16 points in the Huskers’ win over Minnesota on Wednesday. That surge has coincided with the return of his older brother Trey, who missed 15 games with a broken foot. The elder McGowens showed off his all-round game against Minnesota as he led NU in both assists (five) and rebounds (seven) while limiting Payton Willis to just eight field goal attempts. 

Iowa (16-7, 6-6 Big Ten) comes into Sunday’s game riding a two-game win streak following a 110-87 rout at Maryland on Thursday.  Keegan Murray and Jordan Bohannon had 30 points apiece, as the Hawkeyes shot 60 percent from the floor, including 19-of-34 from 3-point range. Bohannon set a school record with 10 3-pointers and also dished out five assists, while Murray went 12-of-14 from the field and added seven rebounds. 

B1G Numbers

12 – Number of steals the Huskers had against Minnesota, which tied a season high. It marked the sixth time this year NU has had at least 10 steals in a game. 

 

40 – C.J. Wilcher hit a trio of 3-pointers against Minnesota and is the sixth Husker freshman to connect on 40 3-pointers in a season. Wilcher is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range over NU’s last 14 games.

15 – Nebraska has gotten 15 double-figure efforts from its bench this season, the most recent being a 15-point effort from C.J. Wilcher against Northwestern on Feb. 5. Wilcher has been in double figures nine times this season while coming off the bench. 

20.2 – Five of Bryce McGowens’ eight 20-point games this season have come with his brother Trey in the lineup. In the nine games they have played together this season, Bryce is averaging 20.2 ppg on 45 percent shooting.

About Iowa

Iowa comes into Sunday’s game with a 16-7 record following Thursday’s win over Maryland. Despite losing 2021 National Player of the Year Luka Garza and NBA draftee Joe Wieskamp, Fran McCaffery’s squad features one of the Big Ten’s highest scoring attacks. The Hawkeyes rank second in the Big Ten in scoring (83.4 ppg), assists (16.3 apg) and fewest turnovers (8.8), while pacing the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.85-to-1) and turnover margin (+5.8).

Sophomore Keegan Murray has been one of the breakout stars in college hoops, as he is averaging 22.7 points per game to lead the Big Ten on 56 percent shooting. The 6-foot-8 forward also ranks among conference leaders in both rebounding (8.5 rpg, third) and blocked shots (2.0 bpg, fourth). Patrick McCaffery chips in 11.2 points per game while Jordan Bohannon is at 10.7 points per game and has hit a tem-high 57 3-pointers. Kris Murray is the fourth Hawkeye in double figures, as he averages 10.0 ppg and shoots over 40 percent from 3-point range. 

Series History: The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 22-13 in a series that dates back to 1907. It is NU’s third-oldest series against a Big Ten foe, as only NU’s series with Minnesota and Wisconsin have been around longer.  The teams had not met since 1976 before NU joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. Nebraska is 6-10 against the Hawkeyes since joining the Big Ten and the home team has won the last nine meetings dating back to 2016. The Huskers are just 2-18 all-time in Iowa City. Nebraska’s last road win in the series was on Jan. 26, 2012, a 79-73 win in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which was its first Big Ten road win. Sunday’s matchup is the first of two meetings over the next two weeks, as NU will host the Hawkeyes on Feb. 25.

Last meeting: Lat Mayen posted his first career double-double, but No. 5 Iowa took control early and posted a 102-64 victory on March 4, 2021.  Iowa shot 51 percent from the field and hit 16 3-pointers in snapping Nebraska’s two-game winning streak.  Jordan Bohannon finished with 26 points, including eight 3-pointers, to pace four Iowa players in double figures. Patrick McCaffery added 19 off the bench while Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp added 14 and 11 markers, respectively.  Mayen finished with 14 points, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and 13 rebounds while Kobe Webster led NU with 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

McGowens 5X B1g Freshman of Week

Nebraska’s Bryce McGowens was honored on Feb. 7, as he was named Big Ten Freshmen of the Week for the fifth time this season.  McGowens, a 6-foot-7 guard, averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in two games last week. 

In a loss at Michigan, McGowens finished with a team-high 24 points, marking his fourth consecutive 20-point outing while also posting team highs in both rebounds (six) and steals (three). The four consecutive 20-point outings set a school record for a Husker freshman. 

Worth Noting

• Sunday’s matchup features the top two teams in the Big Ten in forcing turnovers NU leads the conference by forcing 14.63 turnovers per game while Iowa is second at 14.61 per contest.

• Bryce McGowens is averaging 16.5 ppg in conference play entering Sunday’s game at Iowa. Over the last decade, only six freshmen have averaged at least 16.0 ppg in conference play with the last being Romeo Langford of Indiana in 2018-19 (16.5). McGowen’s total is on pace to be the highest since Miles Bridges of Michigan State averaged 16.6 ppg in 2016-17.

• Bryce McGowens saw his string of 20-point games end against Northwestern on Feb. 5. McGowens became the first Husker freshman to record four straight 20-point games, breaking the freshman mark of three set by Dave Hoppen during the 1982-83 season.  McGowens’ eight 20-point games this season leads all Big Ten freshmen – Ohio State’s Malaki Branham is second with three – and is fifth among all conference players. 

20-Pt. Games by NU Freshmen

• Since changing the offense in late December, the Huskers have improved their offensive numbers. NU is shooting nearly 45 percent from the field and over 38 percent from 3-point range over the last 12 contests dating back to Dec. 22.  As a team, the Huskers have shot 45 percent or better in eight of the last 10 games dating back to Jan. 8.

NU’S Improved Shooting

• Trey McGowens’ return to the lineup has helped the Husker defensive efforts. NU has held its last four opponents to a combined 41.9 percent shooting. In the seven games he has completed (only played 10 minutes vs. Creighton before his injury), NU is holding opponents to 42.1 percent shooting, including 31 percent from 3-point range. 

• Bryce McGowens ranks second nationally among all true freshmen in scoring at 16.7 points per game as of Feb. 10. McGowens is one of only four true freshmen nationally averaging at least 15 points per game.  McGowens, who leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring and is second in rebounding, is on pace to break NU’s freshman single-season scoring mark (15.5, Joe McCray, 2004-05). Only six freshmen in school history finished the season averaging double figures, the most recent was Ryan Anderson in 2006-07. 

• Nebraska finished the month of January playing five ranked teams, which tied a single-season school record. NU also played five ranked teams four other times (Feb. 2010, Jan. 2002, Feb. 1995 and Feb. 1992). The Huskers would have played a sixth ranked team in January, but the Jan. 22 game at No. 19 Ohio State was postponed because of NU’s pause. That game as

• Nebraska has a total of 15 20-point efforts this season (Bryce McGowens-8; Alonzo Verge Jr.-5; Kobe Webster-1; Keisei Tominaga-1) which already exceeds NU’s season total last year (12). Bryce McGowens’ eight 20-point games this season is the second most by a Husker freshman, trailing only Joe McCray, who had a school-record 10 in 2004-05.

• While Derrick Walker is threatening the single-season school field goal percentage mark, he has also made significant strides from the foul line. A career 38 percent shooter from the foul line entering the season, he has jumped up to 69.8 percent this season. 

• Alonzo Verge Jr. reached the 1,000-point plateau following a 19-point effort against Indiana on Jan. 17. Verge became the fourth current Husker to go over 1,000 career points, joining Kobe Webster, Trey McGowens and Trevor Lakes.  Verge has averaged 14.2 points per game during his collegiate career, which also included two seasons at Arizona State. He also scored over 1,600 points in his two years at Moberly (Ill.) Junior College. 

• Nebraska players have combined for eight double-doubles (Verge-4; Walker-3; B. McGowens-1) this season after just having three in 2020-21. The last time NU had 10 double-doubles as a team in a season was 2007-08 (17). In all, NU has six players who have had at least one double-double in their respective careers (Trevor Lakes-2; Kobe Webster-1; Lat Mayen-1).

• Nebraska’s 15 3-pointers against Kennesaw State on Dec. 22, were not only a season high, but marked just the sixth time since 1990 that Nebraska hit at least 15 3-pointers in a game. It was NU’s highest total since Nov. 6, 2018.

• Alonzo Verge Jr.’s 16-point, 12-assist performance against Kennesaw State on Dec. 22 marked the eighth points-assist double-double by a Husker in Fred Hoiberg‘s two-plus seasons at Nebraska (Cam Mack-4; Dalano Banton-1; Alonzo Verge Jr.-3). Over the previous 30 years (1989-90 to 2018-19), it occurred just five times. Verge is only the second Husker to have multiple points-assists double-doubles in the same season since 1990.

• Alonzo Verge Jr. has become more of a playmaker during his time at NU. He is second in the Big Ten with 5.2 assists per game after averaging 2.9 assists per game during his two-year career at Arizona State.  Verge has three games with 10+ assists this season and currently ranks 28th nationally in assists per game as of Feb. 10. Hoiberg has coached five other guards who have ranked in the top 40 nationally in assists in seven previous college seasons. 

Single-Season Assists/Gm

 
• Nebraska added a player over the break as Denim Dawson enrolled for the start of the spring semester. Dawson is a 6-foot-6 wing who attended Southern California Academy as a postgrad. He played at Orange Lutheran in 2020-21, averaging 16 points and five rebounds per game as the school reached the California Division 2AA CIF-SS quarterfinals last spring. Dawson, who started practicing on Dec. 29, is expected to redshirt this season.

• Nebraska’s 2021-22 roster features a trio of college graduates in Derrick Walker, Alonzo Verge Jr. and Kobe Webster, and there is a patch on the Husker jersey to recognize that accomplishment. Walker became the first member of his family to get a degree when he graduated in May of 2021, while Webster (2020, Western Illinois) and Verge (2021, Arizona State) came to Nebraska as graduate transfers. 

 

Last Time Out
Alonzo Verge Jr. netted 20 of his 22 points in the second half, as Nebraska put together one of its best performances of the season in a 78-65 win over Minnesota Wednesday evening.  

Verge keyed NU’s decisive second-half run, with five points and a pair of assists as the Huskers broke open a 40-32 lead with 12 unanswered points to take a 52-32 lead after basket from Derrick Walker with 11:43 remaining. Following that run, the Huskers, who shot 58 percent after halftime, kept Minnesota at bay the rest of the way.  

In addition to Verge’s fifth 20-point game of the season, Bryce McGowens had 16 points, while Walker added 11 points and seven rebounds. All nine Huskers who played scored in the first half, as Nebraska never trailed.  

Nebraska won the game on the defensive end, holding Minnesota to 39 percent shooting and forcing 18 turnovers against a Gopher team which entered the contest averaging fewer than 10 turnover per game. NU converted those miscues into 25 points.  

“Good things happen when we play through Derrick”

Fred Hoiberg understands the importance of having Derrick Walker on the floor for the Big Red, and Walker’s play has been a focal point for the Huskers, especially after adjusting the offensive attack in December.  The 6-foot-9 center is enjoying his best year in 2021-22, averaging 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting nearly 70 percent from the field. 

• He was a major reason why NU defeated Minnesota, finishing with 11 points along with team highs in both rebounds (seven) and blocked shots (two). 
• Walker has played his best against NU’s ranked opponents, averaging 11.6 points on 63 percent shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game in six contests against ranked foes.
• In the Huskers’ loss to No. 25 Illinois on Jan. 11, he finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while helping to limit Kofi Cockburn to 8-of-18 shooting.
• He turned in a strong performance at No. 10 Michigan State on Jan. 5 with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting to match his career high in points. 
• Walker tied or set a career best in scoring in three straight games during non-conference action, including 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting against Tennessee State on Nov. 23. 
• He matched a school record with 15 consecutive made field goals from Nov. 21 to Nov. 27.
• Walker has three double-doubles this season, including 12 points and 13 rebounds in a career-high 50 minutes in the four OT loss at NC State. In the loss at No. 18 Auburn, he had 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Walker’s most recent double-double came against No. 13 Ohio State on Jan. 2 when he had 15 points, 10 rebounds and four steals against the Buckeyes. 

Walker Making Big Jumps

McGowens Brothers Reunited on Court
After a two-month hiatus, the McGowens brothers were reunited on the court on Jan. 17, and back together in the starting lineup for the last four games. Before the first three games of the season, the pair had not played together in a competitive environment since they were kids. 

• Bryce is ninth in the Big Ten in scoring at 16.7 ppg while grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game as of Feb. 10. He ranks among the B1G leaders in scoring, free throw percentage and minutes played.
• A five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, he leads all conference rookies in scoring and is second in rebounding. He is the only Big Ten freshman averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game as of Feb. 10.
• He is the only Husker freshmen in either the Big 12 (1996-97 to 2010-11) or Big Ten (2011-12 to present) eras more than two weekly freshman honors (Shavon Shields, 2012-13). 
• McGowens has reached double figures in scoring 19 times, including eight 20-point efforts. He had a season-high 29 points against Sam Houston (Nov. 12) and Rutgers (Jan. 29). 
• McGowens leads the Big Ten and ranks 11th nationally in free throws made (118) as of Feb. 10. He is the only freshman nationally to rank in the top 30 of free throws made.
• Bryce enters Sunday’s game with Iowa with 401 points, which is third on NU’s all-time freshmen list. He is 31 points shy of Joe McCray (432, 2004-05) for second and just 44 points behind Dave Hoppen’s school record of 445 set in 1982-83. 
• He collected his first career double-double on Nov. 21 against Southern with 18 points and 11 rebounds. McGowens also had four assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
• He is just the second Husker freshman to ever put up multiple 25-point games, as he had 25 in the opener against Western Illinois and 29 against both Sam Houston and Rutgers. He joins Dave Hoppen, who accomplished the feat during the 1982-83 season (27 vs. K-State; 25 vs. Iowa State).
• As a high schooler, he totaled 2,341 points, including 285 3-pointers and was selected for the 2021 Iverson Classic. He was also selected to the Jordan Brand Classic, but the event was not held.
• Last season, he was the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year, averaging 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest for Legacy Early College and Coach BJ Jackson.

NU Freshman Points/Game

 
Trey has been a proven performer throughout his career, as he has started 99 of 102 games at the college level for Pittsburgh and Nebraska and scored over 1,000 career points. He has started 35 of the 36 games he has played at Nebraska (all but his return against Indiana on Jan. 17). He is averaging 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game in seven contests.

• After being on a minute restriction in his first two games, McGowens had a season-high 11 points and seven rebounds against Rutgers on Jan. 29 and eight points against Northwestern.
• He played his best all-around game against Minnesota as he finished with six points, seven rebounds and a season-high five assists in 34 minutes. 
• Considered NU’s best defender, McGowens usually is assigned to the opponent’s top perimeter scorer.  Against No. 11 Wisconsin on Jan. 27, he limited Johnny Davis to a season-low 13 points, including none in the first half and followed up holding Ron Harper Jr. to 1-of-9 shooting on Jan. 29. He limited Minnesota’s Payton Willis to 3-of-8 shooting on Wednesday.
• Last season, Trey averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while starting all 27 games. He reached double figures 17 times, including a season-high 20 points against No. 17 Michigan State.
• Trey has ranked among the conference leaders in steals in each of his first three seasons in college. He is one of only two active power conference players who ranked in the top five in steals in each of the past three seasons (Jamari Wheeler, PSU/OSU). 
• In his final season at Pittsburgh (2019-20), he averaged 11.5 ppg, while ranking in the top 15 of the ACC in steals (fourth), assists (3.6, 10th), assist-to-turnover ratio (15th) and minutes played.
• The McGowens brothers are one of 15 brother combos on the same college roster this season.

Zo Takes the Point
Alonzo Verge took over the point guard duties from 2021 NBA Draft pick Dalano Banton, and Verge has provided an immediate impact, averaging 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago ranks among conference leaders in both assists (second) and steals (fifth) as of Feb. 10. 

• Verge is the only player in the Big Ten ranked in the top five in both assists and steals as of Feb. 10. 
• He has a 1.47-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio after posting a 1.29-to-1 ratio in his two seasons at Arizona State.
• His 5.17 assists per game would rank fifth in school history, while only four players in school history have averaged at least 5.00 assists in a season. 
• Verge is one of two Big Ten players (also Minnesota’s Payton Willis) with both a points/assist double-double and a points/rebound double-double. Verge is 10 in the Big Ten with four double-doubles (vs. Western Illinois, vs. Tennessee State, at NC State and Kennesaw State). 
• Verge comes off a 22-point, four-assist, three-steal effort against Minnesota on Feb. 9. He scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half while helping NU shoot 58 percent from the floor after halftime. 
• He nearly collected another double-double with 14 points and nine assists vs. No. 25 Illinois on Jan. 11.
• He posted his fourth double-double of the year with 16 points and a career-high 12 assists in the win over Kennesaw State on Dec. 22.
• He had his fourth 20-point effort of the season with 21 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals in the loss to Kansas State on Dec. 19. 
• Verge posted his second career 30-point game against Michigan on Dec. 7, as he had 31 points and eight boards. It was his first 30-point game since the 2019-20 season when he was at Arizona State.
• Verge nearly had a triple-double in the Huskers’ epic game at NC State on Dec. 1 with 25 points, a career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds before fouling out in the fourth OT.
• He led NU with 18 points and 10 assists in the Huskers’ win over Tennessee State on Nov. 23.
• He posted his first collegiate double-double in the opener with 26 points – the most points ever in a Husker debut – a career-high 13 rebounds and five assists.
• Verge was a combo guard during his two seasons at Arizona State, where he teamed with current Kansas guard Remy Martin in one of the highest scoring backcourts in the Pac-12. 
• He averaged 14.0 points, 3.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in 2020-21, ranking among the Pac-12 leaders in scoring (15th), assists (seventh), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.55-to-1, sixth), steals (1.2, 13th) and free throw percentage (.809, 13th). 
• In his first season at ASU, he was the 2020 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year and an honorable-mention all-conference pick after averaging 14.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
• A two-time NJCAA All-American at Moberly Area (Ill.) CC, he ranked in the top three nationally in both scoring and assists in 2018-19. He tallied 1,086 points (30.9 ppg in 35 games), but also dished out 8.2 assists per game en route to first-team accolades.

Keisei for 3
The addition of Keisei Tominaga has helped the Huskers’ 3-point shooting. The 6-foot-2 guard is fifth on the team in scoring at 6.7 points per game while connecting on 35 3-pointers to rank second on the team heading into the Iowa contest.  He is shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and has also committed just 10 turnovers in 447 minutes this season. Tominaga has posted seven double-figure games this season, including a career-high 23 points against South Dakota on Nov. 27 and 18 points in the win over Kennesaw State on Dec. 22. 

Last summer, Tominaga represented Japan in 3×3 basketball in the Tokyo Olympics, helping Japan reach the medal round. He finished third among all players in scoring (6.9 ppg), fourth in 1-point shooting (74 percent) and seventh in 2-point shooting (36 percent).  He was one of only two active NCAA players to play in the Olympics, joining Virginia’s Francisco Caffaro, who played for Argentina in men’s basketball.  

Husker Injury Update

The Huskers have a pair of scholarship players currently out with injuries. Trevor Lakes is out indefinitely because of a lingering shoulder injury and has not played since Jan. 8. Wilhelm Breidenbach underwent season-ending leg surgery on Dec. 22 for an injury suffered in Nebraska’s game against Michigan.  Breidenbach, a 6-foot-10, 227-pound freshman forward from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., had played in each of Nebraska’s first 10 games, averaging 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

NU Graduation Success Rate Hits All-Time High of 95 Percent

Nebraska student-athletes have posted a 95 percent NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR), continuing the Huskers’ long tradition of being a national leader in the classroom. The NCAA released its GSR scores on Dec. 2, with Nebraska improving its GSR for the 11th straight year. 

• The 95 percent GSR rate for all student-athletes ranks third among 14 Big Ten schools. On the national scale, Nebraska’s GSR is tied for 10th out of 130 FBS institutions. The 95 percent GSR rate marks the 11th straight year Nebraska has increased its GSR.
• The Husker men’s basketball program achieved a 100 percent GSR for the second straight season and was one of 13 Husker programs to post a 100 GSR in the latest rankings. NU was one of five Big Ten teams with a perfect GSR this year.