Huskers Take on Northwestern in B1G Tourney Opener

The Nebraska men’s basketball team looks to extend its 2021-22 season Wednesday night as the Huskers take on Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Presented by TIAA. Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis between the Huskers and Wildcats is set for 5 p.m. and the matchup will be televised on BTN and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.

Nebraska (10-21, 4-16) comes into the Big Ten Tournament on a three-game win streak, matching Big Ten co-champ Illinois for the Big Ten’s longest winning streak entering the postseason. In fact, only seven power conference teams (UNC, Baylor, Seton Hall, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Clemson) enter this week with longer win streaks than Nebraska’s current win streak.

 

The Huskers come in off the heels of its most impressive win in recent years, a 74-73 win at No. 10 Wisconsin on Sunday. The Huskers overcame a 10-point second-half deficit by holding the Badgers, who tied Illinois for the regular-season crown, without a field goal for the final 5:47 to come back. Alonzo Verge Jr. scored nine straight points as part of a 12-0 spurt that turned a 71-62 deficit into a 74-71 lead with 37 seconds remaining. Verge finished with a game-high 26 points to lead three Huskers in double figures, as NU was without leading scorer Bryce McGowens, who did not play on Sunday because of an injury. 

Verge may be playing his best basketball of the season down the stretch, averaging 16.0 points on 51 percent shooting and 5.6 assists per game over the Huskers’ last eight contests. In NU’s three-game win streak, he’s at 18.0 points per game on 50 percent shooting and 7.3 assists per game.

Northwestern (14-15, 7-12 Big Ten) comes off a 75-62 win over Minnesota on Sunday evening. The Wildcats, who swept the season series with Nebraska, got 19 points and 13 rebounds from Pete Nance, while Robbie Beran came off the bench for 15 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. 

The winner of Wednesday’s game will face No. 5 seed Iowa Thursday at 1 p.m.

B1G Numbers

1 – Nebraska’s consecutive road wins at No. 23 Ohio State and No. 10 Wisconsin last week marked the first time in school history that the Huskers knocked off ranked teams in consecutive road games.

2 – Nebraska’s 10-point second-half comeback at No. 10 Wisconsin marked the Huskers’ second double-digit comeback this season. NU also trailed Sam Houston by 10 before rallying for a 74-65 victory.  In addition, NU’s other win in the Kohl Center, which came in 2017-18 featured NU overcoming an 11-point deficit.

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).  

11 – Alonzo Verge Jr. is one of 11 players nationally – and three power conference players – averaging at least 14.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game this season. 

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.

About Northwestern

Chris Collins is in his ninth season in charge at Northwestern, and the Wildcats have battled in nearly every conference game this season. Northwestern went 14-15 during the regular season and tied for 10th with a 7-13 mark in the Big Ten. The Wildcats had won one of their final six games before posting a 13-point win over Minnesota on Sunday.

The Wildcats feature a trio of double-figure scorers. Pete Nance leads Northwestern in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg) and blocked shots (1.2 bpg), while shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. Boo Buie averages 14.1 points per game and is seventh in the Big Ten with 4.0 assists per game. Chase Audige is the third Wildcat in double figures as he averages 10.3 points and is second in the Big Ten with 1.8 steals per game. Northwestern commits just 9.8 turnovers per game.

Series History: Nebraska and Northwestern meet for the 21st time on Wednesday, as the Wildcats lead 11-9. Nebraska is 6-10 against Northwestern since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12 with the Wildcats winning the last five meetings dating back to the 2019-20 season. This will be the first matchup in the Big Ten Tournament. 

 Last meeting: Bryce McGowens set Nebraska’s freshman scoring record, but the Wildcats defeated the Huskers 77-65 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Feb. 22. McGowens, who also had 10 boards, scored 15 points to give him 452 points, breaking the mark of 445 points held by Dave Hoppen in 1982-83. Chicago native Alonzo Verge Jr. matched McGowens with 15 points, while adding four steals. Kobe Webster added 13 points, while Derrick Walker had 10 rebounds and five assists. Pete Nance scored 20 points to lead Northwestern players in double figures.

What a Week

Nebraska closed the regular season with one of its most impressive weeks in school history, winning three straight road games, including a pair of wins against ranked teams. According to the Big Ten Network, Nebraska is only the seventh power conference team over the last two decades to conclude the regular season with three straight road wins.

• The swing began with a 93-70 win at Penn State, a game where the Huskers posted their highest offensive road total since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12 and highest conference road output since scoring 96 at Oklahoma on Jan. 20, 1999. NU shot 58 percent from the floor and 65 percent from 3-point range against a Nittany Lion defense which led the Big Ten in scoring defense. The win also snapped NU’s 13-game road losing streak.
• NU went straight to Columbus and beat No. 23 Ohio State, 78-70 to hand OSU just its second home loss of the season. Bryce McGowens had 26 points, while Alonzo Verge Jr. had 13 points and 11 assists as Nebraska snapped a 24-game losing streak to ranked opponents dating back to the 2019 Big Ten Tournament.
• The Huskers closed the stretch posting a 74-73 win at No. 10 Wisconsin, rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit and using a 12-0 run in the final five minutes to take the lead. Alonzo Verge Jr. had nine of his 26 points in the spurt as NU held the Badgers without a field goal for the final 5:47. The win over Wisconsin was NU’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2014. 
• It marked the first time NU had beaten ranked teams in consecutive games since the 2007-08 season and the first time NU had knocked off two ranked teams on the road for the first time since 1998-99. It also marked the first time NU had ever won consecutive road game against ranked opponents. 

Worth Noting
• Nebraska’s offense has been in high gear over the past four games. Beginning with an 88-78 loss to No. 25 Iowa on Feb. 25 – the only time Iowa has allowed more than 75 points in the past six games – NU is averaging 80.8 points per game on 52 percent shooting. The Huskers have shot 50 percent or better in seven of the last eight halves.  The Huskers 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.

• Bryce 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.  McGowens missed the regular-season finale at Wisconsin because of an injury, but is expected to return to action for Wednesday’s tournament opener.

• Bryce McGowens finished Big Ten play averaging 17.3 points per game. He became just the fourth freshman to average at least 17 points per game, joining D’Angelo Russell (20.3, 2014-15), Corey Sanders (18.0, 2015-16) and Jared Sullinger (17.1 ppg, 2010-11).

• McGowens leads all true freshmen nationally in scoring at 17.2 points per game as of March 7.  He is one of only five freshmen nationally averaging at least 15 points per game heading into this week’s action.

 

• The Big Ten Tournament is a homecoming for Indianapolis native Kobe Webster, who played at Park Tudor School and helped the program to a pair of state titles. Webster has played in 29 games and is averaging 6.1 ppg. Senior Trevor Lakes (Lebanon) has not played since Jan. 8 because of a shoulder injury. 

• Nebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg returns to Indianapolis, the city where his NBA career began. He was a second-round pick of the Indiana Pacers in 1995 and spent the first four seasons of his career in Indianapolis (1995-96 to 1998-99).

• As a team, the Huskers are shooting 72.7 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 8.8 percent this season is the second-biggest jump by any power conference school and is the eighth-biggest improvement in Division I. 

NU has been even better of late, hitting 82.4 percent from the foul line (103-of-125) over the last seven games. The Huskers went 11-of-14 (.786) at Wisconsin, snapping a streak of six straight games above 80 percent from the line. 

 

• 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 for sixth among all conference players as of March 7.

• With his award on Monday, Bryce McGowens is just the second Big Ten player to be named conference freshman of the week more than seven times in a season. He joins Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, who was a 12-time honoree in 2010-11, on that list. Prior to this season, no Husker had won the award more than twice (Shavon Shields, 2012-13.)

 

• Alonzo Verge Jr. is making a strong charge on Nebraska’s single-season assist chart. Following his six-assist game at No. 10 Wisconsin, Verge is six assists away from matching Brian Carr (1986-87) for sixth place on NU’s single-season list. Verge is already just the fifth Husker player to total at least 150 assists in a season.  Verge, who was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Monday, has four games with 10+ assists, which leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh nationally. Verge and Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler are the only two power conference players (Power 5 +Big East) with at least four games of 10+ assists in 2021-22. 
 

• 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 52 3-pointers. He became the second Husker freshman to have 50 3-pointers in a season and the first since 2004-05. Wilcher has averaged 9.9 points per game since Feb. 1, while shooting 54 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range. 

• Alonzo Verge Jr. is on pace to become the sixth guard in Fred Hoiberg‘s eight NCAA seasons to rank in the top 35 nationally in assists. Verge leads the Big Ten with 5.3 assists per game entering the conference tournament. He averaged just 2.9 assists per game in two seasons at Arizona State. Verge is 24th nationally as of March 7.  The other two seasons featured NBA Draft picks Royce White (2011-12) and Dalano Banton (2020-21).

• Nebraska players have now combined for 19 games with at least 20 points this season (Bryce McGowens-11; Alonzo Verge Jr.-6; Kobe Webster-1; Keisei Tominaga-1) which exceeds NU’s season total last year (12). 

• 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, 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.

Verge, McGowens Earn Big Ten Weekly Honors

Alonzo Verge Jr. and Bryce McGowens were honored Monday (March 7), as the Big Ten Conference announced its weekly honors. Verge shared Big Ten Player of the Week honors with Iowa’s Keegan Murray, while McGowens was named Freshman of the Week. 

Verge averaged 19.5 points on 50 percent shooting, 8.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in two wins to post his first weekly honor. The senior posted his team-best fifth double-double at Ohio State with 13 points and 11 assists and keyed NU’s win at Wisconsin with a game-high 26 points and six assists. He scored nine of his 26 points in Nebraska’s decisive 12-0 run en route to its first top-10 road win since 2014. Verge is the first Husker to be named Big Ten Player of the Week since Jan. 22, 2018 (James Palmer Jr.).

McGowens starred in the Huskers’ 78-70 win at Ohio State, with a game-high 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the foul line. It was his 11th 20-point game of the season, breaking NU’s freshman record, while he became just the fifth Husker freshman or sophomore to score 500 points in a season. McGowens  won the weekly award in five of the final six weeks of the season.

Last Time Out

Alonzo Verge Jr. had nine of his game-high 26 points in an 11-0 run, as Nebraska stunned No. 10 Wisconsin with a 74-73 win on Sunday afternoon in the Kohl Center.

The Huskers trailed 71-62 after Brad Davison’s three-pointer with 5:48 remaining, but NU held the Big Ten champion Badgers without a field goal the remainder of the game and to just 40 percent on the day.  Trailing 71-65, Verge Jr. took over and scored nine straight points, as his three-pointer with 1:48 left gave the Huskers the lead for good. 

Wisconsin trailed 74-71 and had a pair of chances to tie in the final 20 seconds. Chucky Hepburn was fouled on a three-point attempt with 19.8 seconds left, but he missed the first one before sinking the next two to make it a one-point game. On the next possession, NU forced Hepburn into another miss, snapping the Badgers streak of 15 games won by two possessions or less. 

Derrick Walker had 15 points and seven rebounds while Wilcher added 10, as Nebraska shot 54 percent from the floor in the win, including 57 percent in building a 40-36 halftime lead. Brad Davison led four Badgers in double-figures with 20 points but went 5-of-15 from the floor.

“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 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting nearly 70 percent from the field. 

• He has 17 double-figure games, including 10 in Big Ten play after posting just four in his first three collegiate seasons. Walker’s most recent one was a 15-point, seven-rebound performance in the Huskers’ win at No. 10 Wisconsin.
• In nine games against ranked opponents this season, Walker is averaging 10.7 points on 66 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 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. 
• 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 eighth in the Big Ten in scoring at 17.2 ppg while grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game as of March 7. He ranks among the B1G leaders in scoring, free throw percentage and minutes played.
• An eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, he leads all conference rookies in scoring, is second in rebounding and sixth in assists. He was the only freshman to average 10 points and five rebounds per game during the regular season. 
• 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 sixth nationally in free throws made (160) as of March 7. 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. He is one shy from matching the school record for double-doubles by a freshman. 
• 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 106 of 109 games at the college level for Pittsburgh and Nebraska and scored over 1,000 career points. He has started 42 of the 43 games he has played at Nebraska (all but his return against Indiana on Jan. 17). He is averaging 6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

• He comes into the Big Ten Tournament playing his best basketball, averaging 8.0 points on 63 percent shooting and 2.4 steals over the last five games. McGowens is also 5-of-8 from 3-point range in that span. 
• He has been a force on the defensive end, recording four steals in two of the past three 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 Jr. took the mantle from NBA draftee Dalano Banton and has made a significant impact in 2021-22. Verge enters the Big Ten Tourney averaging 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago leads the Big Ten in assists per game and is third in steals per game as of March 7. 

• Beginning with his return home to Chicago for the Northwestern game on Feb. 22, Verge is averaging 17.4 points, 6.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while posting a 2-to-1 assist-to turnover ratio. 
• He was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Monday, averaging 19.5 point and 8.5 assists per game in wins at No. 23 Ohio State and No. 10 Wisconsin. 
• His 5.33 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 1.58-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. 
• In the win over No. 10 Wisconsin, Verge rallied Nebraska from a 10-point deficit, scoring nine of his game-high 26 points in a 12-2 run to close the game. It marked Verge’s sixth 20-point game of 2021-22. 
• He had 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.

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.