Huskers Look to Knock Off No. 10 Wisconsin Sunday Afternoon

The Nebraska men’s basketball team looks to close the regular season with its third straight road win, as the Huskers travel to Madison, Wis., to take on Big Ten regular-season champion Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon.  Tipoff between the Huskers and No. 10 Badgers at the Kohl Center is set for 1 p.m. (central) and the game will be carried on the Big Ten Network and the Huskers Radio Network. 

The Huskers (9-21, 3-16 Big Ten) return to the road after their most impressive outing of the season, knocking off No. 23 Ohio State, 78-70, in Columbus on Tuesday. NU, which was playing its third game in five days, shot nearly 50 percent from the field, committed just four turnovers and held the Buckeyes to 39 percent shooting. Bryce McGowens continued to make his case of Big Ten Freshman of the Year with a game-high 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while Alonzo Verge (15 points/11 assists) and C.J. Wilcher (15 points) joined McGowens in double figures. NU held Ohio State to 2-of-13 shooting in a 13-minute stretch spanning both halves that saw NU turn a three-point deficit to a 10-point lead it would not relinquish.

 

McGowens has played some of his best basketball down the stretch, as he is averaging 20.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over his last five contests and now leads all true freshmen nationally in scoring at 17.2 points per game. He averaged 25.5 points per game on 57 percent shooting during the Huskers’ two-game road trip. Another key to NU’s improved play in recent games is senior Alonzo Verge Jr., who is averaging 15.0 points and 5.8 assists per game over the last five contests.

Wisconsin (24-5, 15-4 Big Ten) can earn the outright Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament with a win over NU on Sunday or with an Iowa win over Illinois Sunday evening. Wisconsin, which is 10th in both national polls this week, comes off an emotional 70-67 win over No. 8 Purdue. Chucky Hepburn had 17 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation. Tyler Wahl led the Badgers with 19 points, while National Player of the Year candidate Johnny Davis had 16 points and eight rebounds. Davis leads the Badgers in scoring (20.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and assists (2.3 apg). 

B1G Numbers

.829 – As a team, the Huskers are shooting 82.9 percent from the foul line (92-of-111) over the last six games, and have shot at least 80 percent in all six games. On the year, NU is up to 72.6 percent from the foul line. 

4 – Bryce McGowens is only the fourth Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) to post at least 10 double-figure games. He joins James Palmer Jr. (18, 2018-19), Terran Petteway (13, 2004-05; 12, 2013-14) and Shavon Shields (10, 2015-16).  

19.8 – Nine of Bryce McGowens’ freshmen record 11 20-point games this season have come with his brother Trey in the lineup. In the 15 games they have played together this season, Bryce is averaging 19.8 ppg on 43 percent shooting.

20 – Nebraska has gotten 20 double-figure efforts from its bench this season, the most recent being a 15-point effort from C.J. Wilcher at No. 23 Ohio State on March 1. Wilcher now has 11 of NU’s 20 double-figure games off the bench this season.

93- Nebraska’s 93 points at Penn State on Feb. 27 marked the Huskers’ highest road total in conference play since scoring 96 at Oklahoma on Jan. 20, 1999. It was only the third time NU scored 90+ points on the road in Big Ten play.

Worth Noting

• Nebraska will be either the No. 13 or No. 14 seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament. NU can move into the No. 13 seed with a win at Wisconsin and a win by Northwestern over Minnesota Sunday evening. 

• Nebraska will be seeking its third straight win on the road on Sunday at Wisconsin. The last time NU won three straight road tilts was from Jan. 24-Feb. 6, 2018 (at Rutgers, at Wisconsin, at Minnesota). 

• Nebraska snapped one losing streak against ranked teams with Tuesday’s win at No. 23 Ohio State, and the Huskers will look for its first win over a top-10 opponent since a 77-68 win over No. 9 Wisconsin in the 2014 regular-season finale in Lincoln. A win on Sunday at No. 10 Wisconsin would mark NU’s fourth ever top-10 win on the road and first since a 60-51 win over No. 9 Michigan State in East Lansing on Feb. 16, 2014. 

• Bryce McGowens enters Sunday’s Big Ten regular-season finale with Wisconsin averaging 17.3 points per game in conference action. Over the last decade, only three freshmen – D’Angelo Russell (20.3, 2014-15); Corey Sanders (18.0, 2015-16) and Jared Sullinger (17.1 ppg, 2010-11) – have averaged at least 17.0 per game in Big Ten play. McGowens could be the first since the conference went to 20 games in 2018-19. 

• McGowens 17.2 ppg is on pace to be one of the highest scoring freshmen averages by a Big Ten freshman in recent seasons. His average is the highest since Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell averaged 19.3 ppg in 2014-15.  Since 1992-93, only seven Big Ten freshmen have averaged at least 16.5 points per game. 

• Bryce McGowens enters the final stretch of the regular season as one of the frontrunners for Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as he leads all conference freshmen in scoring and is second in rebounding at 5.3 caroms per game as of March 4. 

• Following his 11-assist performance at No. 23 Ohio State, Alonzo Verge Jr. climbed from 10th to sixth on NU’s single-season assist chart. Verge is now 10 assists away from the No. 5 spot (Brian Carr, 166) and is only the fifth Husker player to record at least 150 assists in a season. Verge has four games with 10+ assists, which leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally. Verge, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler are the only three power conference players with at least four games of 10+ assists in 2021-22. 

• Nebraska has been clicking on offense over the last three games, averaging 83.0 ppg on 53 percent shooting, including 49 percent from 3-point range. NU has shot over 50 percent in five of the last six halves dating back to the loss against No. 25 Iowa on Feb. 25. NU shot a season-high 58.2 percent at Penn State on Feb. 27, the program’s best shooting night since the 2014-15 season, including 13-of-20 from 3-point range.

 

• Following a pair of 25-point games at Penn State and at No. 23 Ohio State, Bryce McGowens now leads all true freshmen nationally in scoring at 17.2 points per game as of March 3. McGowens is one of only five 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 shatter NU’s freshman single-season scoring mark (15.5, Joe McCray, 2004-05). McGowens will be the first Husker freshman to average double figures since Ryan Anderson in 2006-07 and just the seventh in school history. 
 

• Bryce McGowens took ownership of another school mark on Tuesday, as he posted his 11th 20-point game of the year. It broke the mark he shared with Joe McCray (2004-05).  Earlier this season, McGowens became the first Husker freshman to have four straight 20-point games, accomplishing the feat between Jan. 17-Feb. 1. That broke the previous mark of three set by Dave Hoppen during the 1982-83 season.  McGowens’ 11 20-point games this season leads all Big Ten freshmen – Ohio State’s Malaki Branham is second with seven – and is tied sixth among all conference players as of March 4.

• With his 15-point, 10-rebound effort at Northwestern on Feb. 22, McGowens became only the sixth Husker freshman to record multiple double-doubles in a season. The school record for a freshman is three, which has been done three previous times, most recently by Yvan Ouedraogo in 2019-20. 

• While McGowens is putting up a record-setting season, second-year freshman C.J. Wilcher is quietly putting up a solid campaign as NU’s sixth man. The 6-foot-5 guard is fourth on the team in scoring at 8.3 points per game, while hitting a team-high 50 3-pointers. He became the second Husker freshman to have 50 3-pointers in a season and the first since 2004-05. Wilcher, who had 15 points in Tuesday’s win over Ohio State, has averaged 9.9 points per game since Feb. 1, while shooting 53 percent from the floor and 51 percent from 3-point range. 

• Nebraska players have now combined for 18 games with at least 20 points this season (Bryce McGowens-11; Alonzo Verge Jr.-5; Kobe Webster-1; Keisei Tominaga-1) which exceeds NU’s season total last year (12). 

• As a team, the Huskers are shooting 72.6 percent from the line, a significant jump after shooting 63.9 percent in 2020-21. The percentage would rank 10th on NU’s single-season chart, and be the Huskers’ best since shooting 73.0 percent in 2015-16

The increase of 8.7 percent this season is the biggest by any power conference school and is the eighth-biggest improvement by any Division I program. 

NU has been even better of late, hitting 82.9 percent from the foul line (92-of-111) over the last six games, hitting 80 percent or better from the line in each of the last six contests.

• Alonzo Verge Jr. has become more of a playmaker during his time at NU. He leads the Big Ten with 5.3 assists per game  after averaging 2.9 assists per game during his two-year career at Arizona State.  Verge ranks 30th nationally in assists per game as of Feb. 28. Hoiberg has coached five other guards who have ranked in the top 40 nationally in assists in his seven previous college seasons. 

• 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. 

• Bryce McGowens has been a seven-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season, and is just the eighth confernece freshman to receive at least seven honors in a season since the freshman weekly award started in 2010-11. Prior to this season, no Husker had won the award more than twice (Shavon Shields, 2012-13.) McGowens will now look to become only the second Husker player to be a conference freshman of the year, joining Erick Strickland, who was Big Eight Freshman of the Year in 1992-93.

• Eight members of the Nebraska men’s basketball program were honored, as they earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. The group was led by Jace Piatkowski, who earned his fifth spot on the honor roll. He is one of three multiple-time honorees, and is joined by Kobe Webster, who made his second appearance, and Chris McGraw, who is being honored for the third time. Five Huskers – Wilhelm Breidenbach, Sam Hoiberg, Oleg Kojenets, Keisei Tominaga and C.J. Wilcher – are all first-time honorees, earning at least a 3.0 GPA for the fall semester.

Last Time Out

The Huskers had an answer for everything No. 23 Ohio State tried, as Nebraska led for the entire second half to upset the Buckeyes 78-70 and give Fred Hoiberg his first win over a ranked opponent at NU. Nebraska trailed by five late in the first half before scoring eight straight points. The 8-0 run gave the Huskers a 33-30 lead with 4:34 left in the opening half and Nebraska led the rest of the way. NU held OSU to two field goals in a 13-minute stretch, turning an early deficit into a double-figure lead. 

In a battle of the Big Ten’s top two freshmen, Bryce McGowens was outstanding for the Big Red. He scored 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting while knocking down 8-of-9 free throws. McGowens scored 14 second-half points to help the Huskers hold the lead. While McGowens was scoring, Alonzo Verge Jr. was outstanding running the Husker offense. Verge had a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists while adding five rebounds. He had nine assists in the first half and then scored nine points in the second half. C.J. Wilcher scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. 

Nebraska shot 49.1 percent in the game and knocked down nine 3-pointers. The Huskers were also solid at the free throw line, going 15-of-18 at the charity stripe. The Huskers turned the ball over only four times and outscored the Buckeyes 30-24 in the paint. Ohio State was limited to 39 percent shooting, but the Buckeyes stayed in the game thanks to 14 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points. E.J. Liddell led Ohio State with 27 points, while freshman Malaki Branham added 16 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 9.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting nearly 70 percent from the field. 

• He has 16 double-figure games, including nine in Big Ten play after posting just four in his first three collegiate seasons. Walker’s most recent one was a 10-point, seven-rebound effort at Penn State on Feb. 27. 
• In eight games against ranked opponents this season, Walker is averaging 10.1 points on 66 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
• 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. 
• 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.
• 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 is second on the team with 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. Against 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. 

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 since Jan. 29. 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 17.2 ppg while grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game as of March 3. He ranks among the B1G leaders in scoring, free throw percentage and minutes played.
• A seven-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, he leads all conference rookies in scoring, is second in rebounding and sixth in assists. He is the only Big Ten freshman averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game as of March 4.
• He is the only Husker freshman in either the Big 12 (1996-97 to 2010-11) or Big Ten (2011-12 to present) eras with more than two weekly freshman honors (Shavon Shields, 2012-13). 
• McGowens became just the fourth NU freshman or sophomore to score more than 500 points in a season, joining (Tyronn Lue in 1996-97; Dave Hoppen in 1983-84 and Terran Petteway in 2013-14). Lue, Hoppen and Petteway all accomplished it during their sophomore seasons. 
• McGowens has reached double figures a team-high 25 times, including 11 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 fifth nationally in free throws made (160) as of March 4. He is one of only two freshmen in the top-50 nationally in free throws made.
• He has a pair of double doubles, including a 15-point, 10-rebound effort against Northwestern on Feb. 22, and 18 points and 11 caroms against Southern on Nov. 21. 
• In addition to holding the NU freshman scoring mark, he is now in the top-10 in free throws made (158, first), free throws attempted (191, first), field goals (158, second), rebounds (158, sixth) and 3-pointers (40, sixth). 
• 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.

Trey has been a proven performer throughout his career, as he has started 105 of 108 games at the college level for Pittsburgh and Nebraska and scored over 1,000 career points. He has started 41 of the 42 games he has played at Nebraska (all but his return against Indiana on Jan. 17). He is averaging 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

• He comes into the final weekend of the season playing his best basketball, averaging 9.0 points on 63 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals over the last four games. McGowens is also 5-of-8 from 3-point range in that span. 
• Trey has been a force on the defensive end, recording four steals in each of the two games (at PSU, at OSU).
• He played a major role in the Huskers’ win at Ohio State with seven points, six rebounds and four steals while limiting the Buckeyes to 39 percent shooting. 
•  Trey posted a season-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in the win over Penn State.
• His other double-figure game came against Rutgers when he had 11 points and seven rebounds against Rutgers on Jan. 29.
• 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 Feb. 9.
• 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 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago ranks among conference leaders in both assists (first) and steals (fourth) as of March 4.

• Since his return to Chicago to take on Northwestern on Feb. 22, Verge is averaging 15.3 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while posting a 2.4-to-1 assist-to turnover ratio. 
• His 5.31 assists per game would rank fifth in school history, while only three players in school history have averaged at least 5.00 assists in a season. 
• On the year, he has a 1.60-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio after posting a 1.29-to-1 ratio in his two seasons at Arizona State.
• 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. 
• He comes off his fifth double-double of the year with 15 points and 11 assists in the win over No. 23 Ohio State. Verge set a school record with nine assists in the first half, the most ever by a Husker in a conference game. 
• Verge now has a conference-high four games with 10+ assists this season. It also matches the most by any power conference player in 2021-22.  His other assist/points double-doubles came against Kennesaw State (16 points, 12 assists), at NC State (25 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds) and Tennessee State (18 points, 10 assists). 
• He shined against No. 25 Iowa on Feb. 25, finishing with a game-high 18 points, along with seven assists and four steals. His four steals tied a career high and marked the second straight game he had four steals.
• Verge posted 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. 
• 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.
• 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.

Webster Earns Academic All-District for Third Time
Nebraska senior guard Kobe Webster was honored Feb. 17, as he was named to the 2021-22 Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Team, selected by CoSIDA. Webster was a first-team honoree as he carries a 3.75 GPA while pursuing a masters degree in educational administration. He graduated with a degree in management from Western Illinois in 2020.   Webster, a third-team selection in 2021, will look to become only the third Husker basketball player to be a two-time Academic All-American, joining Shavon Shields (2015-16) and Beau Reid (1989-91). 

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.