Huskers Look to Knock Off No. 23 Ohio State

The Nebraska men’s basketball team wraps up a two-game road trip, as they take on No. 23 (AP/Coaches) Ohio State Tuesday evening in Columbus, Ohio. Tipoff at Value City Arena is set 6 p.m. (central) and the game will be carried on the Big Ten Network and the Huskers Radio Network.  Tuesday’s game was originally scheduled for Jan. 22, but was rescheduled because of the Huskers’ COVID pause. 

The Huskers (8-21, 2-16 Big Ten) put together their most complete effort in a 93-70 win over Penn State on Sunday night. The Huskers shot 58 percent from the floor, including 13-of-20 from 3-point range, and placed five in double figures. Bryce McGowens led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while NU also got season highs from both Lat Mayen (13) and Trey McGowens (12). NU took control with an 18-2 first-half run and led by double figures for the final 25 minutes. 

 

Nebraska’s 93 points was the most points Penn State allowed this season, as the Nittany Lions were allowing a Big Ten best 64.6 ppg in conference play entering Sunday. The Huskers have now shot 50 percent from the field in each of the last two games, while NU’s 58.2 percent shooting was its best effort since Feb. 3, 2015. 

Alonzo Verge Jr. continued his strong finishing kick with 15 points and five assists at Penn State. The senior now ranked in the top three in both steals (1.6, third) and assists (5.1, third) while averaging 14.8 points per game on 52 percent shooting over the last six games. In addition to Verge, freshman Bryce McGowens leads Nebraska at 16.9 points per game while ranking in the top three of Big Ten rookies in scoring (first), rebounding (5.3, second) and assists (1.5, third). His 25-point effort marked his fourth 25-point game this season, while he has reached double figures in 18 of the last 19 contests dating back to Dec. 11.

Ohio State (18-8, 11-6 Big Ten) saw its bid for a Big Ten regular-season title take a hit with a 75-60 loss at Maryland. The Buckeyes, who will close the season with four games in an eight-day stretch, shot just 36 percent, including 8-of-28 from 3-point range. Maryland limited E.J. Liddell to just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting. For Maryland, Fatts Russell and Eric Ayala combined for 50 points, as the Terps shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range. 

B1G Numbers

93 – Nebraska’s 93 points at Penn State 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.

152 – Bryce McGowens leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally in free throws made as of Feb. 28. McGowens is one of only two freshmen in the top 50 nationally in free throws made as of Feb. 28.

19 -Nebraska has gotten 19 double-figure efforts from its bench this season, the most recent being a 14-point effort from C.J. Wilcher against No. 25 Iowa on Friday night. Wilcher now has 10 of NU’s 19 double-figure games off the bench this season.

19.4 – Seven of Bryce McGowens’ nine 20-point games this season have come with his brother Trey in the lineup. In the 14 games they have played together this season, Bryce is averaging 19.4 ppg on 43 percent shooting.

About Ohio State

Under the direction of fifth-year coach Chris Holtmann, Ohio State is 18-8 on the season and 11-6 in Big Ten play following Sunday’s loss at Maryland.  He has guided OSU to four straight 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournaments since taking over the program in 2017-18. Holtmann led Butler to three straight NCAA Tournaments in his three years at the school.

The Buckeyes returned four starters from a team that went 21-10 and reached the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Ohio State had won eight of 12 since a loss at Wisconsin on Jan. 13 and are bidding to earn one of the double-byes in the Big Ten Tournament. OSU’s last three games, including Tuesday’s game with NU are at home, as the Buckeyes host Michigan State and Michigan later this week. The Buckeyes are 12-1 at Value City Arena. 

The Buckeyes feature one of the Big Ten’s top players in junior forward E.J. Liddell, who returned after earning first-team All-Big Ten honors last season. Liddell is fourth in the conference in scoring at 19.3 ppg while shooting 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward also paces OSU in rebounds (7.5 rpg) and blocked shots (2.5 bpg). Freshman Malaki Branham has emerged as a solid second option, as he averages 12.6 points per game and is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. OSU has seven players averaging at least 5.2 points per game.  

Series History: Ohio State leads the all-time series, 20-4, in a series that dates back to 1936. The Buckeyes are 16-2 against the Huskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten with Nebraska’s wins coming in 2014 (Lincoln) and 2017 (Columbus). Nebraska looks to snap a six-game losing streak to the Buckeyes, while Tuesday’s game is the 14th time in the 19 meetings that OSU has been ranked since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011-12.

Last Meeting: Nebraska fought back from an eight-point second-half deficit and had a chance to win in regulation, but No. 13 Ohio State took control in overtime to earn an 87-79 win over the Huskers on Jan. 2. Nebraska trailed 59-51 with just over 10 minutes remaining before mounting a comeback. The Huskers used a 15-3 spurt to take a 66-62 lead after five straight points from Derrick Walker, who finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. The Huskers eventually led 72-67 with 36 seconds left after a Lat Mayen dunk, but the Buckeyes came back. Jamari Wheeler’s 3-pointer made it a two-point game. Mayen than missed a pair of free throws to give OSU a final chance in regulation. E.J. Liddell hit a pair of free throws with 8.9 seconds left to tie the game. The Buckeyes took control early in OT, as 3-pointers from Wheeler and Meechie Johnson Jr. pushed the Buckeye lead to 78-72 with 3:36 left.  NU cut the deficit to 78-75 on a Bryce McGowens 3-pointer, but could not cut into the Buckeyes’ lead.  Malaki Branham led Ohio State with a career-high 35 points including six 3-pointers, while Wheeler added 16 points, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Bryce McGowens’ 18 points led three Huskers in double figures

Worth Noting

• Tuesday’s game features the two highest-scoring freshmen in the Big Ten in Bryce McGowens (16.9 ppg) and Ohio State’s Malaki Branham (12.6 ppg), as only three Big Ten freshmen are averaging double figures heading into the final week of the regular season.

• Bryce McGowens enters the final stretch of the regular season as one of the frontrunners for Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as he ranks among conference freshmen leaders in several categories. The 6-foot-7 guard leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring at 16.9 points per game and is in the top three in both rebounds (5.3, second) and assists (1.5, third). He is the only Big Ten freshmen averaging at least 10 points and five rebounds per game as of Feb. 28.

• McGowens 16.9 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 Michigan State’s Miles Bridges in 2016-17. Since 1992-93, only seven Big Ten freshmen have averaged at least 15.5 points per game. McGowens is also averaging 16.8 ppg in Big Ten play which is the highest average by any Big Ten freshman since 2016-17. 

• Alonzo Verge Jr. enters the Ohio State game in 10th place on NU’s single-season top-10 assists list with 143. Verge could move up the chart quickly, as he is one assists away from tying Tyronn Lue (144, 1995-96) for ninth place and two assists from seventh place (145 by Lance Jeter, 2010-11; Jack Moore, 1979-80). He is on track to become just the fifth Husker player to dish out at least 150 assists in a season. 

• Nebraska’s 93-point effort at Penn State marked the Huskers’ highest road output in a conference game since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12, and NU’s highest conference road total since 1999. 

• With Derrick Walker and Bryce McGowens each grabbing 10 rebounds at Northwestern on Feb. 22, it marked the first time that multiple Huskers had 10+ rebounds in the same game since Dalano Banton and Yvan Ouedraogo accomplished the feat against Doane on Dec. 17, 2020. Walker has now grabbed six-or-more rebounds in the last seven games dating back to Feb. 5, as he had seven in the win at Penn State

 
• Since changing the offense in late December, the Huskers have improved their offensive numbers. NU is shooting nearly 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range over the last 17 contests dating back to Dec. 22.  
The Huskers have shot 50 percent in each of the past two games (vs. Iowa, at Penn State), including a season-high 58.2 percent at Penn State on Sunday, the program’s best shooting night since the 2014-15 season.  NU also went 13-of-30 from 3-point range in the win over the Nittany Lions. Over the last two games, NU is 21-of-38 from 3-point range. 
 

• Following his 25-point game at Penn State, Bryce McGowens now leads all true freshmen nationally in scoring at 16.9 points per game as of Feb. 28. 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 track to break NU’s freshman single-season scoring mark (15.5, Joe McCray, 2004-05). Only six Husker freshmen in school history finished the season averaging double figures, the most recent was Ryan Anderson in 2006-07. 

• With his 15-point, 10-rebound effort at Northwestern, 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. 

• Bryce McGowens tied a school record, as he recorded his 10th 20-point game of the season. He matched Joe McCray’s school freshman mark of 10 set in 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’ 10 20-point games this season leads all Big Ten freshmen – Ohio State’s Malaki Branham is second with six – and is sixth among all conference players as of Feb. 28.

• 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 8.0 points per game, while hitting a team-high 47 3-pointers. Since NU revamped its offense in late December, Wilcher has found his stride, shooting 50 percent from the floor, including 47 percent from 3-point range. 

• Nebraska has a total of 17 20-point efforts this season (Bryce McGowens-10; Alonzo Verge Jr.-5; Kobe Webster-1; Keisei Tominaga-1) which exceeds NU’s season total last year (12). 

• 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 72.0 percent this season. 

• As a team, the Huskers are shooting 72.3 percent from the line, a significant jump after shooting 63.9 percent in 2020-21. Over the last five games, the Huskers are shooting 82.8 percent from the foul line (77-of-93). 

• Nebraska players have combined for nine double-doubles (Verge-4; Walker-3; B. McGowens-2) in 2021-22 following Bryce McGowens’ effort at Northwestern. As a team, NU combined for just three in 2020-21. The last time NU had 10 double-doubles as a team in a season was 2007-08 (17). 

• Alonzo Verge Jr. has become more of a playmaker during his time at NU. He is third in the Big Ten with 5.1 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. 

• Eight members of the Nebraska men’s basketball program were honored this week, 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.

• Bryce McGowens has been a seven-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season, including each of the past four weeks. He became the eighth Big Ten 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.)

Last Time Out

Bryce McGowens’ 25 points led five Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska put together its most complete performance of the season in a 93-70 win over Penn State on Feb. 27. 

McGowens was efficient, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, as Nebraska shot 58.2 percent from the field, including 13-of-20 from 3-point range, against a Penn State team that was leading the Big Ten in scoring defense at 64.6 points per game.  Alonzo Verge Jr. had 15 points and five assists, while Lat Mayen (13), Trey McGowens (12) and Derrick Walker (10) all cracked double figures, as Trey McGowens, who also had four steals and Mayen both enjoyed season highs. 

The McGowens brothers keyed an 18-2 first-half run over a span of 4:26, combining for 12 points as the Huskers turned a 13-10 deficit into a 13-point lead at 28-15 after a Bryce McGowens putback.  The Huskers, who shot 61 percent in the first half, including 7-of-12 from 3-point range, kept building the lead and closed the half on an 8-2 spurt to take a 49-31 lead into the locker room after Verge’s 3-pointer. Nebraska quickly stretched the lead to 23, at 54-31 after a Mayen jumper just 1:35 into the second half, and Penn State was never able to cut the deficit to less than 20 the rest of the way, as Nebraska snapped a 13-game road losing streak. Sam Sessoms, Seth Lundy and Jalen Pickett had 12 points apiece for Penn State, which shot 46 percent, but was rebounded 34-22

Webster Earns Academic All-District

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). Webster was one of three Big Ten players recognized, including Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson and Michigan State’s Malik Hall.

“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 9.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting nearly 68 percent from the field. 

• He has 16 double-figure games, including nine in Big Ten play. His most recent one was a 10-point, seven-rebound effort at Penn State on Feb. 27. 
• In seven games against ranked opponents this season, Walker is averaging 11.0 points on 65 percent shooting, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
• He was a major reason why NU defeated Minnesota on Feb.9, finishing with 11 points along with team highs in both rebounds (seven) and blocked shots (two). 
• 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. 

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 eighth in the Big Ten in scoring at 16.9 ppg while grabbing 5.3 rebounds per game as of Feb. 25. 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 third in assists. He is the only Big Ten freshman averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game as of Feb. 24.
• 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 has reached double figures a team-high 24 times, including 10 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 sixth nationally in free throws made (152) as of Feb. 28. 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 rebounds (154, sixth), 3-pointers (38, eighth) and field goals (150, third).
• 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 104 of 107 games at the college level for Pittsburgh and Nebraska and scored over 1,000 career points. He has started 40 of the 41 games he has played at Nebraska (all but his return against Indiana on Jan. 17). He is averaging 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

• Trey comes off his best game of the year at Penn State with a season-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. 
• His other double-figure game came against Rutgers when he had 11 points and seven rebounds against Rutgers on Jan. 29.
• He played a solid all-around game against Minnesota on Feb. 9, 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 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, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago ranks among conference leaders in both assists (third) and steals (third) as of Feb. 28. 

• He has a 1.51-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio after posting a 1.29-to-1 ratio in his two seasons at Arizona State.
• His 5.11 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. 
• 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 played well in Friday’s loss to No. 25 Iowa, 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. 
• He nearly collected another double-double with 14 points and nine assists vs. No. 25 Illinois on Jan. 11.
• Verge 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 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.

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.