2011-2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers Basketball Preview

Nebraska Cornhuskers - Big Ten Conference

2010-11: 19-13, 7-9

2010-11 postseason: NIT

Coach: Doc Sadler (89-71 at Nebraska, 137-89 overall)

Coach Doc Sadler has done a superb job turning Nebraska into a relatively consistent program. Their level of consistency is not yet where they hope, but consistently making the NIT is not a bad thing. The Cornhuskers have gone to the NIT in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Making the move to the Big Ten will not make it any easier to earn an NCAA berth, but another postseason berth is certainly obtainable.

Who’s Out:

The big loss for the Cornhuskers is point guard Lance Jeter. He was a physical point guard who could fight his way to the basket. Not only was Jeter the best scorer on the team, averaging a team high 11.7 points, he also was one of the better outside shooters and rebounders. He was also the catalyst on the defensive end of the floor. Replacing everything he did for Nebraska will not be easy. The backcourt also losses Drake Beranek, Eshaunte Jones and Christian Standhardinger, who played in just six games last season.

Who’s In:

The newcomers are led by a couple transfers who are expected to make an immediate impact. Bo Spencer, a transfer from LSU, is an experienced point guard who can also help out in the scoring department. Spencer should be able to step into a starting role, although the year off has slowed him down some. Spencer started for LSU as a sophomore and junior and averaged 14.5 points per game during the 2009-2010 campaign. He is a good shooter and a proven ball handler. Replacing Jeter will not be easy, but getting a player like Spencer certainly helps. Dylan Talley started his collegiate career at Binghamton, where he earned the America East Newcomer of the Year accolades. Last season he was at Blinn Community College. He has the ability to be a big time scorer in the Big Ten, but a thigh injury has really slowed down his conditioning and it remains a question when we are going to see what Talley can do. Corey Hilliard will vie for playing time at the point and fellow freshmen Trevor Menke, Josiah Moore, David Rivers and Jordan Tyrance will add more depth on the perimeter. Moore and Rivers are the most likely candidates to see playing time as freshmen. Kye Kurkowski may be forced into more action than he is ready for early in the year while the returning players are trying to get healthy.

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Who to Watch:

Senior guard Brandon Richardson started beside Jeter last year and could take over the starting point guard duties this time around. If Nebraska wants to play a little small, they could start both Richardson and Spencer. Richardson does have more experience in the system and is a capable ball handler and scorer around the basket. The problem the Cornhuskers had last season was a lack of a shooter in the backcourt. Spencer could be that guy, but this group needs a shooter on the wing too. Toney McCray is a pretty consistent shooter and a returning starter, but the 6-6 wing just does not shoot that much from long range. That may change now that McCray will be asked to take over more of a scoring load. Caleb Walker is yet another returning starter at guard, but that is what happens when a team starts four guards for much of the year. Walker is a superb athlete and was a nice fit at the small forward spot when McCray was forced into action at the power forward position. Walker’s ability to help out on the glass was a huge asset for a team that rebounded amazingly well despite their undersized lineup.

Final Projection:

Nebraska may not want to run a four guard offense again, but they may not have a choice if injuries remain a problem. If healthy, this team is very deep. There are five guards and four big men who could be battling for starting jobs. Eventually, hopefully, Nebraska will have all of that depth available to them. When, and if, that happens, this will be a good team that can at least keep games close in the Big Ten. They have steady ball handlers and enough big men to keep games close and they have some explosive scorers who can win those close games.

Projected Postseason Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Bo Spencer, Senior, Guard, DNP last season
Brandon Richardson, Senior, Guard, 6.4 points per game
Toney McCray, Senior, Guard, 8.5 points per game
Brandon Ubel, Junior, Forward, 6.1 points per game
Jorge Brian Diaz, Junior, Center, 10.5 points per game

By Joel Welser courtesy of www.CollegeSportsMadness.com
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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