Lexi Rodriguez earned the final Big Ten Freshman of the Week award of the 2021 season, the conference office announced Monday.
 
Rodriguez's Freshman of the Week distinction is the fourth of her career and the most of any Husker freshman in a single season. She has collected six total weekly awards from the conference this season, having been tabbed Defensive Player of the Week twice and Freshman of the Week four times.
 
The Sterling, Ill., native averaged a team-leading 5.13 digs per set with 1.13 assists per set last week as No. 11 Nebraska split on the road. Friday at No. 5 Wisconsin, Rodriguez finished with a team-best 13 digs and five assists. She followed by tying her career high of 28 digs and added four assists in a win at No. 6 Purdue on Saturday.
 
NU concluded the regular season as Big Ten runner-up. In Rodriguez's inaugural campaign, she ranked third among Big Ten players with 4.71 digs per set in conference play.
 
Nebraska has counted 12 Big Ten weekly award winners this season.
 
NEBRASKA'S 2021 BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Aug. 30 -- Lexi Rodriguez - Freshman of the Week
Sept. 6 -- Kayla Caffey - Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 27 -- Lindsay Krause - Freshman of the Week
Oct. 11 -- Madi Kubik - Player of the Week
Oct. 11 -- Nicklin Hames - Setter of the Week
Oct. 11 -- Lexi Rodriguez - Freshman of the Week
Oct. 18 -- Madi Kubik - Player of the Week
Oct. 25 -- Nicklin Hames - Co-Setter of the Week
Oct. 25 -- Lexi Rodriguez - Defensive Player of the Week
Oct. 25 -- Lexi Rodriguez - Freshman of the Week
Nov. 15 -- Lexi Rodriguez - Defensive Player of the Week
Nov. 29 -- Lexi Rodriguez - Freshman of the Week

Markowski Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Alexis Markowski was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the first time in her career, and sophomore Jaz Shelley claimed a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll for the second consecutive week when the conference announced its weekly women's basketball awards on Monday, Nov. 29.

Markowski, a 6-3 forward/center out of Lincoln Pius X High School, averaged 6.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per game off the bench for the Big Red in a pair of wins at The Dana on Mission Bay Holiday Tournament in San Diego (Nov. 26-27). She closed the tournament with seven points and seven rebounds to go with her first career assist and a blocked shot in 14 minutes in a championship game win over the host Toreros. 

Markowski opened the tournament with five points on 2-of-2 shooting to go along with a career-high nine rebounds and a block in a 65-53 win over 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifier Drexel.

Through the first seven games of her college career, the 2021 Nebraska High School Player of the Year has averaged 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. Her production equates to 23.4 points and 17.2 rebounds per 40 minutes.

Markowski is Nebraska's first Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honoree since Sam Haiby captured the award on Feb. 4, 2019.

Shelley, a 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia, averaged 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in a pair of tournament wins in San Diego. For the season, she leads the Huskers in scoring (14.6 ppg), assists (4.6 apg), steals (1.6 spg) and blocks (1.7 bpg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (7.4 rpg).

Shelley erupted for 30 points on 8-of-9 shooting (6-7 3FG) against Drexel (Nov. 26). She added seven rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots in the 65-53 win over the Dragons. Shelley followed with 15 points and a career-high four steals in a 64-56 win over San Diego (Nov. 27). She hit 5-of-8 three-point attempts against the Toreros.

Shelley earned her first Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll spot (Nov. 22) after producing just the fourth triple-double in Nebraska history with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over North Carolina Central (Nov. 20).

Shelley, Markowski and the unbeaten Huskers (7-0) head to Winston-Salem, N.C., Wednesday to battle unbeaten Wake Forest (7-0) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Tip-off in the first-ever meeting between the Huskers and Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with live video available through the Watch ESPN App.

Big Ten Women's Basketball Weekly Awards (Nov. 29)
Player of the Week: Naz Hillmon, Sr., F, Michigan
Freshman of the Week: Alexis Markowski, Fr., F/C, Nebraska

Honor Roll
Jaz Shelley, So., G, Nebraska
Nia Clouden, Sr., G, Michigan State
Jacy Sheldon, Jr., G, Ohio State

Huskers Take on Wake in B1G/ACC

Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-0)
at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-0)
Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, 6 p.m. (CT)
LJVM Coliseum - Winston-Salem, N.C.
Live Video: Watch ESPN (Tom Werme, Tabitha Turner-Wilkins)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (5:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (105.9 FM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Head to Wake Forest for B1G/ACC Challenge
The Nebraska women's basketball team continues its four-game non-conference road swing when it travels to Wake Forest Wednesday for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Tip-off between the Huskers (7-0) and Demon Deacons (7-0) is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Live video is available through the Watch ESPN App with Tom Werme and Tabitha Turner-Wilkins on the call. The Huskers Radio Network call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch can be heard on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and CD 105.9 FM in Omaha, along with free live audio on Huskers.com and the Huskers App. 

Wednesday's battle of unbeatens in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will be the first-ever meeting between Nebraska and Wake Forest in women's basketball.

The Huskers head to Winston-Salem, N.C., after working their way to a title at The Dana on Mission Bay Holiday Tournament in San Diego (Nov. 26-27). The Big Red beat 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifier and Colonial Athletic Association champion Drexel (65-53) before knocking off the hosts from San Diego (64-56) on Saturday at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Sophomore transfer Jaz Shelley (Moe, Australia) continued an outstanding start to her Husker career by erupting for 30 points on 8-of-9 shooting (6-7 3FG) in the win over Drexel. She added 16 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting in the win over San Diego. The 5-9 guard is shooting a sizzling 62.2 percent (23-37) from long range while leading the Huskers in scoring (14.6 ppg), assists (4.6 apg), steals (11) and blocked shots (12). She also ranks second on the squad in rebounding (7.4 rpg).

Fellow Australian Isabelle Bourne ranks second among the Huskers in scoring with 11.4 points while adding 5.0 rebounds per game. The 6-2 forward from Canberra, Australia was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten choice as a sophomore last season. 

Sam Haiby (Moorhead, Minn.) has played big in Nebraska's toughest wins against Creighton and San Diego. The 2021 second-team All-Big Ten choice had 15 points and five assists in Saturday's win over the Toreros. She also had 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in NU's victory over in-state rival Creighton (Nov. 17).

Returning starters Ashley Scoggin (10.1 ppg, 16-32 3FG) and Bella Cravens (7.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg) continue to play major roles for NU at both ends of the court. The Big Red also features a deep bench, including 2021 Nebraska High School Player of the Year Alexis Markowski (8.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who was the Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Nov. 29).

Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
14 - Bella Cravens - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 7.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - So. - F - 11.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg
0 - Ashley Scoggin - 5-7 - RSo. - G - 10.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg
1 -  Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - So. - G - 14.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Off the Bench
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 8.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg    
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 5.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 4.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg 
11 - Ruby Porter - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 3.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 2.9 ppg, 0.6 rpg
10 - Whitney Brown - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 2.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg
5 - MiCole Cayton - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 1.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Sixth Season at Nebraska (79-75); 15th Season Overall (272-184)

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-0, 0-0 ACC)
14 - Niyah Becker - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 6.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg 
20 - Olivia Summiel - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 6.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg
23 - Christina Morra - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 8.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg
24 - Jewell Spear - 5-10 - So. - G - 19.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg
21 - Elise Williams - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Off the Bench
32 - Alexandria Scruggs - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 9.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
25 - Demeara Hinds - 6-2 - So. - F - 4.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg
00 - Alyssa Andrews - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
11 - Raegyn Conley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 2.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg
2 - Kaia Harrison - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg
5 - Malaya Cowles - 6-3 - Fr. - G - 1.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg
3 - Mack Maier - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 0.8 ppg, 0.3 rpg
Head Coach: Jen Hoover (Wake Forest, 1991)
10th Season at Wake Forest (133-153); 11th Season Overall (153-166) 

Scouting The Wake Forest Demon Deacons
• Wake Forest brings a perfect 7-0 record into its Big Ten/ACC Challenge game against Nebraska on Wednesday in Winston-Salem, N.C.

• Last season, the Demon Deacons made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1987-88, when current head coach Jen Hoover was a freshman on the court for Wake Forest. Hoover, who scored 1,728 points and grabbed 1,006 rebounds during her playing career for the Deacs, was a three-time All-ACC selection from 1987 to 1991. She helped Wake Forest to its first NCAA Tournament bid in 1987-88. She ended the school's 22-year NCAA Tournament drought last season. 

• The 2020-21 Demon Deacons advanced to the Big Dance despite finishing with a losing record (12-13), after going 8-10 in the ACC. Close losses were normal for Wake Forest last season, with seven coming by single digits. However, they fell 84-61 to Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament first round, after losing 65-53 to No. 5 Louisville in the ACC Tournament. 

• Dynamic sophomore Jewell Spear leads Wake Forest on the court. A 2021 ACC All-Freshman and ACC All-Tournament selection, Spear is the only Demon Deacon averaging double figures (19.4 ppg). The 5-10 guard from The Colony, Texas, also leads Wake from long range (18-48, .375) and at the free throw line (34-40, .850) while playing 32 minutes per game early this season.

• Spear erupted for a career-high 32 points on 7-of-11 three-point shooting in a 64-42 win over Cornell (Nov. 12).

• Another 5-10 guard, junior Alexandria Scruggs, provides punch off the bench with 9.0 points and a team-leading 1.4 steals per game. Scruggs ranks second on the squad with six made threes.

• Elise Williams, a 5-9 freshman guard has solidified the starting backcourt with 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-best 2.9 assists per game. Williams also leads Wake with seven blocks.

• A trio of 6-2 forwards - Christina Morra (8.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Niyah Becker (6.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Olivia Summiel (6.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg) make Wake hard to guard and harder to keep off the glass.

• Although the Demon Deacons have hit just 42.7 percent of their field goal attempts, including just 29.9 percent from three, they own a plus-13.7 team rebound margin. They have allowed the opposition fewer than 30 rebounds per game, including less than eight offensive boards per contest. 

• Wake has held all seven of its opponents to 55 points or less, surrendering an average of just 48.7 points per game. The Demon Deacons have averaged 69.9 points per game.

Nebraska vs. Wake Forest Series History
• Wednesday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Nebraska and Wake Forest in women's basketball. The only other current member of the ACC that the Huskers have never faced is Pittsburgh.

• Nebraska posted a win in its last game in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge with an 83-79 victory over Duke (Dec. 4, 2019) at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

• The Huskers are 3-6 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge since joining the Big Ten Conference for the 2011-12 season. Nebraska's first win came with a 60-54 win over Duke (Dec. 3, 2014), before the Huskers added an 88-67 win over NC State (Dec. 3, 2015). 

• Nebraska is 0-4 on the road in Big Ten/ACC Challenge games, including losses at Georgia Tech (73-57, Nov. 30, 2011), at North Carolina (75-62, Dec. 4, 2013), at Virginia Tech (76-67, Dec. 1, 2016) and at Louisville (85-68, Nov. 29, 2018).

• No Big Ten/ACC Challenge was held in 2020-21 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

• Nebraska is 13-17 all-time against current ACC members. The Huskers own four all-time road wins against current ACC schools with the last coming at Florida State on Nov. 27, 2011 (66-63).

Markowski Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week
• Alexis Markowski was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for her performances in helping Nebraska capture The Dana on Mission Bay Holiday Tournament title in San Diego (Nov. 26-27). 

• The 6-3 forward/center out of Lincoln Pius X High School averaged 6.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per game off the bench for the Big Red.

• She closed the tournament with seven points and seven rebounds to go with her first career assist and a blocked shot in 14 minutes in a championship game win over San Diego. 

• Markowski opened with five points on 2-of-2 shooting to go along with a career-high nine rebounds and a block in a 65-53 win over 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifier Drexel.

• Through the first seven games of her college career, the 2021 Nebraska High School Player of the Year has averaged 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. Her production equates to 23.4 points and 17.2 rebounds per 40 minutes.

Shelley Earns Second Big Ten Weekly Honor Spot
• Jaz Shelley earned her second straight appearance on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll after leading Nebraska to The Dana on Mission Bay Holiday Tournament championship in San Diego (Nov. 26-27). 

• Shelley averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in a pair of tournament wins. For the season, the 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia, leads the Huskers in scoring (14.6 ppg), assists (4.6 apg), steals (1.6 spg) and blocks (1.7 bpg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (7.4 rpg).

• She erupted for 30 points on 8-of-9 shooting (6-7 3FG) against Drexel (Nov. 26). Shelley added seven rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots in the 65-53 win over the Dragons.

• Shelley followed with 16 points and a career-high four steals in a 64-56 win over San Diego (Nov. 27). She hit 5-of-8 three-point attempts against the Toreros.

• Shelley earned her first Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll spot (Nov. 22) after producing just the fourth triple-double in Nebraska history with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over North Carolina Central (Nov. 20).

Nebraska Numbers to Watch
• Through seven games, Nebraska has put itself among the national leaders up and down the NCAA statistical rankings. Through games Nov. 28, the Huskers ranked among the top five teams nationally in defensive rebounds per game (1st, 36.3 rpg), rebounds (2nd, 348), rebounds per game (49.7 rpg), three-point field goal percentage (2nd, .436), assists (3rd, 142), assists per game (20.3 apg), scoring margin (4th, +35.4 ppg), field goal percentage defense (4th, .295), rebound margin (4th, 15.7 rpg) and scoring offense (5th, 86.7 ppg). 

• Nebraska adds more top 10 rankings in free throw attempts (6th, 174), free throws made (7th, 120), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.41), while ranking in the top 25 in three-point field goals made (12th, 65), and blocked shots (12th, 41), three-point field goals made per game (17th, 9.3 pg), blocked shots per game (19th, 5.9 bpg) and scoring defense (21st, 51.3 ppg).

• Through games Nov. 28, Nebraska leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense (51.3 ppg), rebound margin (+15.7 rpg), total rebounds (49.7 rpg), defensive rebounds (36.3 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.295), three-point field goal percentage (.436) and three-point field goals made (9.3 pg), while ranking second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+35.4 ppg), assists (20.3 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.41), blocked shots (5.9 bpg) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.242).

• Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley ranks among the top 15 players in the Big Ten in scoring (15th, 14.6 ppg), rebounding (10th, 7.4 rpg), assists (8th, 4.6 apg) and blocked shots (2nd, 1.7 bpg), while leading the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.622). She also ranks 17th in steals (1.6 spg).

• Husker shooters Jaz Shelley (2nd, 3.3 pg) and Ashley Scoggin (8th, 2.3 pg) both rank among the top 10 players in the Big Ten in three-point field goals made per game.

• Nebraska's backcourt has been strong taking care of the ball while creating opportunities for their teammates, as Jaz Shelley (5th, 2.7), Sam Haiby (8th, 2.5) and reserve guard Allison Weidner (1st, 5.8) all rank among the top 10 players in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio. Reserve guard Ruby Porter also owns a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (12-3) but does not meet the league minimum in assists.

• Through seven games, Nebraska ranks fifth nationally in scoring offense with 86.7 points per game. The only time in the last 25 years that Nebraska has averaged more than 75 points per game in a season came in 2009-10 (77.4 ppg). That Husker team went unbeaten in the regular season, won the Big 12 regular-season title and advanced to Nebraska's first NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• Point guard Jaz Shelley has pulled down 52 total rebounds in 180 minutes this season. In two seasons (971 minutes) at Oregon (2019-20, 2020-21), the 5-9 Shelley totaled 70 rebounds.

• Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 12 blocked shots through seven games, doubling her two-year total at Oregon (6) in 55 games with 12 starts. 

Nebraska Streaks
• Nebraska heads into the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on a seven-game winning streak, marking the first time the Huskers have opened a season 7-0 since 2014-15. NU has not opened a season 8-0 since 2009-10, when the Huskers started 30-0.

• Nebraska's last eight-game winning streak came from Jan. 20-Feb. 28, 2013, when the Huskers reeled off 10 consecutive Big Ten Conference victories.

• Sam Haiby has scored in 89 of 92 games in her Husker career. She had scored at least two points in 53 consecutive games for Nebraska before being held scoreless without a field goal attempt against Drexel (Nov. 27). The last time she had been held scoreless also came at a Thanksgiving Tournament against USC at the South Point Shootout on Nov. 29, 2019. The Huskers won that game 67-54. She was also held scoreless in a 70-69 loss at Wisconsin on Jan. 27, 2018. 

• The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 405 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 284 consecutive games.

Marginal Differences
• Nebraska enters the game against Wake Forest with a combined seven-game victory margin of 248 points - the largest of any seven-game stretch in school history by 35 points, surpassing the 213-point combined victory margin in NU's first seven games of 2009-10.

Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (51.3 ppg), rebound margin (+15.7 rpg), total rebounds (49.7 rpg), defensive rebounds (36.3 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.295), three-point field goal percentage (.436), and three-point field goals made per game (9.3 pg). 

• Nebraska's 113 points in the win over North Carolina Central tied for the fourth-most points in NU history and gave the Huskers their third 100-point game of 2021-22 - the first time NU has reached 100 three times in the same season.

• Nebraska's 58-point margin of victory over Maine matched the largest margin ever by the Huskers in a season opener, tying a 58-point win (104-46) over Wofford (Nov. 21, 2003).

• The Huskers have scored 30 or more in a quarter four times in 2021-22. In the previous six years combined, NU produced nine 30-point periods.

• Sam Haiby is the 35th 1,000-point scorer in Husker history and has increased her career total to 1,093 to rank No. 27 all time at NU. She needs just eight points to climb into the top 25 on Nebraska's all-time scoring list.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes six times in the last 14 games, including three times in the first seven contests of 2021-22. NU buried 14-of-28 threes against North Carolina Central (Nov. 20), 11-of-22 against Prairie View A&M (Nov. 11) and 10-of-19 in the win over San Diego (Nov. 27).  

• Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women's basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (312 games).

Huskers Travel to NC State

The Nebraska men's basketball team hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Raleigh, N.C., for a matchup with NC State as part of the 2021 Men's Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The first meeting between the Huskers and Wolfpack will take place Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 6:15 p.m. (central) at PNC Arena.

The Huskers (5-2) are looking for their fifth straight win following an 83-70 win over South Dakota on Saturday. In that game, the Huskers got a career-high 23 points off the bench from Keisei Tominaga. The junior college transfer hit 8-of-11 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, and keyed a 20-4 first-half run that erased an early deficit. Freshman Bryce McGowens (22 points, eight rebounds) and Derrick Walker (13 points) joined Tominaga in double figures, as the Huskers shot 46 percent from the field, including 9-of-23 from 3-point range.
  

Game 8: Nebraska at NC State Date: Wednesday, Dec. 1 Tipoff:  6:15 p.m. (CT) Location:  Raleigh, N.C. Arena: PNC Arena (19,722) Nebraska 2021-22 Record: 5-2 (0-0 Big Ten) Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg Record at Nebraska: 19-47 (3rd year) Career Record:  134-103 (8th year) NC State 2021-22 Record: 5-1 (0-0 ACC) Head Coach: Kevin Keatts Record at NC State: 84-48 (5th year) Career Record: 156-76 (8th year) On the Air Radio: Wednesday's game will be carried on the Huskers Radio Network, including KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln, KXSP (590 AM) in Omaha and KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington and will also be available on Huskers.com and the Huskers app.  Huskers Radio Network Play-by-Play: Kent Pavelka Analyst: Jake Muhleisen TV/Online: Wednesday's game will be televised on ESPNU with Mike Couzens and Cory Alexander on the call. It is also available on the web, mobile devices and connected TVs via the ESPN app. ESPNU Play-by-Play: Mike Couzens Analyst: Cory Alexander Also available on ESPN app

Nebraska has found an offensive rhythm during its four-game win streak, averaging 80.5 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor in that stretch. Two of the biggest reasons are expanded roles for both Walker and McGowens. Walker has become more of a focal point in NU's attack and is averaging 14.5 points per game in that stretch while hitting 25-of-27 shots from the field.  McGowens, a former five-star recruit, has continued to expand his all-around game and is averaging 16.0 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during NU's win streak. As a team, NU is averaging 18.0 assists per game over the last four games after averaging just 10.3 assists per game in the first three games of the year.  All this has been done without Trey McGowens, Nebraska's leading returning scorer who has been out since suffering a foot injury against Creighton on Nov. 16 and is not expected back until January.

NC State is 5-1 on the season following a 90-81 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday. In that game, the Wolfpack got a career-high 31 points from Jericole Hellems, as he hit 10-of-19 shots, including six 3-pointers, to pace five players in double figures. NC State averages 77.8 points per game and has four players averaging double figures, led by Dereon Seabron's 18.8 points per game. Both teams do a good job of limiting turnovers, as the Huskers and Wolfpack both rank in the top 25 nationally in turnover rate.

Big Number
82.4 - Derrick Walker's field goal percentage this season would lead the nation, but he is below the national minimum (5.0 FG/game). Walker has been in double figures in his last four games. Prior to this stretch, he had four career double-figure efforts.

About NC State
Under fifth-year coach Kevin Keatts, NC State is 5-1 on the season with the only blemish being a 74-68 loss to Oklahoma State at the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase. NC State had won at least 20 games in the previous three seasons (2018, 2019, 2020) and has reached postseason play in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Last year, NC State finished ninth in the ACC with a 9-8 mark, but won its final five regular-season games, including a 68-61 win at No. 15 Virginia, before reaching the second round of the NIT to finish with a 14-11 mark.

The Wolfpack, who returned four of their top six scorers, lost big man Manny Bates to a season-ending injury in the opener. Bates averaged 9.8 points on 64 percent shooting while leading the ACC in blocks in each of the past two seasons. Sophomore Dereon Seabron, who averaged just 5.2 points per game last year has emerged as one of the top all-around players in the ACC. He is fourth in the conference in scoring (18.8 ppg), second in rebounding (9.8 rpg), fourth in field goal percentage (.603) and second in steals (2.7 spg). Senior forward Jericole Hellems was NC State's top returning scorer (12.9 ppg) and is second on the team averaging 14.8 points per game with a team-high 13 3-pointers. Four of the Wolfpack's five starters average double figures, while Terquavion Smith provides offensive punch off the bench at 9.8 ppg, including 11 3-pointers.  Cam Hayes runs the attack, as he is at 11.7 points per game and has a nearly 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

One player that Husker fans are familiar with is Thomas Allen, who spent two seasons at Nebraska before transferring in April of 2019. Allen, who originally committed to NC State out of high school, has played in four games and is averaging 2.5 ppg in 14.6 minutes per game.  Wednesday's matchup is the first between the schools, while Nebraska is 15-18 all-time against current ACC members.

Men's Big Ten/ACC Challenge Primer
The 2021-22 season marks the 23rd edition of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Big Ten is 7-12-3 all-time in the challenge, but 7-2-3 over the past 12 years. In case of a tie, the Cup remains with the conference that won the event most recently. Last year, the Big Ten went 7-5, as two matchups were not played.

• Nebraska is 5-5 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and looks to snap a two-game losing streak in the event. Among Big Ten teams, only Purdue (11-9) and Penn State (11-9) have better records in the event than Nebraska,
• The Huskers are 3-2 in road games in the challenge, the only program above .500 in challenge road games.

Last Time Out
Keisei Tominaga had a career-high 23 points to lead three Huskers in doubles figures, as Nebraska posted an 83-70 win over South Dakota.

Tominaga sparked the Huskers off the bench, hitting 8-of-11 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, in 23 minutes of work. Bryce McGowens had 22 points, while Derrick Walker had 13 markers on 6-of-7 shooting, as Nebraska shot 46 percent and used a 15-0 second-half run to build a 22-point lead and cruise to its fourth straight win.

USD was within 60-53 before C.J. Wilcher's 3-pointer and Tominaga's steal and layup on the inbound pass pushed the lead to 12 and forced a South Dakota timeout.  NU would continue the run, while holding USD scoreless for nearly six minutes as the hosts stretched the lead to 75-53 with 6:25 left after a Wilcher layup.

Twice is Nice for Bryce
Bryce McGowens was honored as the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week for the second time in three weeks on Monday (Nov. 29). The 6-foot-7 guard averaged 20.0 points on 50 percent shooting, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in helping the Huskers to a perfect 2-0 week. He is the first Husker men's basketball player to earn multiple weekly freshman honors since Shavon Shields in 2012-13.

Worth Noting

• Bryce McGowens leads all Big Ten freshmen at 17.7 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor. He ranks second nationally among all true freshmen in scoring as of Nov. 28. In Big Ten rankings, he leads all conference freshmen in scoring and assists and ranks second in rebounding. He is the only freshman in the Big Ten leading his team in both scoring and rebounding.  McGowens is bidding to become only the seventh freshman in school history to average double figures and the first since 2007.
• Nebraska has been opportunistic on the defensive end, ranking third in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+5.8) and fifth in steals per game (7.6) as of Nov. 19. NU is second in the conference in forcing 16.3 turnovers per game and is averaging 22.6 points per game off opponent turnovers.
• One area where Nebraska has made significant strides from last season is reducing turnovers. The Huskers are currently fifth in the Big Ten at 10.5 turnovers per game as of Nov. 29. Last season, NU was last in the conference with 14.1 turnovers per game. The Huskers have jumped from 205th to 25th in turnover rate, as Fred Hoiberg's teams have traditionally been among the nation's best in that category.
• Keisei Tominaga's 23-point game against South Dakota keyed a Husker bench which combined for a season-high 43 points in the win. Over the past five games, NU is averaging 35.0 points per game from its bench, while scoring 30+ points four times. The Husker bench combined for just 20 points in the first two contests.  NU has gotten eight double-figure efforts from its bench this season, including a pair of 20-point efforts (Webster-Creighton; Tominaga-USD).
• Nebraska has produced six 20-point efforts in the first seven games of the season (Bryce McGowens-3; Alonzo Verge Jr.-1; Kobe Webster-1; Keisei Tominaga-1). McGowens' three 20-point games this season already ranks fourth all-time among Husker freshmen.
• Nebraska comes into Wednesday's game ranking fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense at 77.0 points per game despite shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range. NU has made up for it at the foul line, ranking 24th nationally in free throw rate as of Nov. 28. The Huskers are shooting 72.4 percent this season after converting just 63.9 percent in 2020-21. On Saturday, NU held South Dakota, which leads the nation in free throw rate to just 16 attempts from the line in the 83-70 win.
• Keisei Tominaga and C.J. Wilcher have provided scoring punch off the bench during the four-game win streak, combining for more than 20 points per game. Tominaga is averaging 11.8 ppg, and reached double figures three times and is shooting 57 percent from the floor and 47 percent from the line, while Wilcher is chipping in 8.3 points per game in that span while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 44 percent from long range.
• Alonzo Verge Jr. has become more of a playmaker during his time at NU. He is second in the Big Ten with 5.6 assists per game and has a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Both numbers are significantly improved from his time at Arizona State. His 10 assists against Tennessee State were the second-highest total in the Big Ten this season. Verge is 24th nationally in assists per game as of Nov. 28.
• Alonzo Verge Jr. is tied for second in the Big Ten with two double-doubles and is one of two Big Ten guards with a double-double of points and assists as of Nov. 29. Verge had 26 points and 13 rebounds against Western Illinois and 18 points and 10 dimes against Tennessee State. Only Ron Harper Jr. (four) has more double-doubles than Verge in the Big Ten so far in 2021-22.
• Derrick Walker tied a school record last week, as he connected on 15 straight field goals from Nov. 21-27. He tied the mark originally set by Ade Dagunduro in 2008-09. Walker is shooting 67 percent from the floor in the 23 games he has played at Nebraska since becoming eligible last January.
• The return of fifth-year senior Kobe Webster has stabilized the Husker backcourt, especially following the injury to Trey McGowens on Nov. 16. Webster is averaging 8.8 ppg on 50 percent shooting, including 46 percent from 3-point range, while also dishing out 12 assists with only one turnover in 111 minutes.
• Bryce McGowens joined rare company on Nov. 12 against Sam Houston with his 29-point effort. It tied for the second-highest performance by a freshman in school history and was the most since Shavon Shields also had 29 at Penn State in 2013. The season opener against Western Illinois featured two of the highest-scoring debuts by any Husker in the last 50 years. Alonzo Verge Jr. (26) and Bryce McGowens (25) became just the third and fourth Huskers in the last five decades to score 20+ points in a Husker debut.
• The season opener against WIU marked only the third time since 2007 that Nebraska had two players score 25-or-more points in a game. It also marked the fourth time that NU had multiple 20-point scorers in a game in Fred Hoiberg's tenure.
• Nebraska's 2021-22 roster features a trio of college graduates in Derrick Walker, Alonzo Verge Jr. and Kobe Webster. 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.

A Look at the Huskers
Head Coach Fred Hoiberg begins his third season at the helm of the Husker program with a strong returning corps back for the first time in his tenure. The Huskers return three starters and seven letterwinners while welcoming a consensus top-20 recruiting class which features five-star recruit Bryce McGowens.

The backcourt returnees are led by fourth-year junior Trey McGowens, who averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 2020-21. McGowens suffered a foot injury against Creighton and will be out 6-to-8 weeks. Arizona State transfer Alonzo Verge Jr. has provided an immediate impact in the Husker backcourt, ranking second in the Big Ten in assists (5.6 apg) while adding 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. McGowens has lived up to his five-star label early on, as he averages team bests in both scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg). Kobe Webster (8.8 ppg, 2.4 apg) has shared ball-handling duties since returning to action on Nov. 16, while newcomers C.J. Wilcher (8.3 ppg) and Keisei Tominaga (7.1 ppg) have provided shooting and scoring punch.

The Huskers' frontcourt has been anchored by Derrick Walker, as he is averaging 9.9 points on 82 percent shooting, 5.6 rebounds and a team-high 1.3 blocks per game. Lat Mayen, who started all 27 games last season, has been playing his way back into shape following an ankle injury suffered against Colorado on Oct. 31. He missed the opener against Western Illinois, but has started NU's last six games. DePaul transfer Keon Edwards has moved into the lineup following Trey McGowens' injury and has started the last four games, giving NU a bigger and athletic lineup. True freshman Wilhelm Breidenbach, a top-100 recruit, and Eduardo Andre have been NU's primary bigs off the bench, as both players average double figure minutes.

Super McGowens Brothers
The high-flying duo of Trey and Bryce McGowens will be sidelined for a bit, as Trey recovers from a broken foot suffered on Nov. 16. This season marked the first time the brothers were on the same court together since they were kids and provided a number of early highlights.

• Bryce is sixth in the Big Ten in scoring at 17.7 ppg while grabbing a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game as of Nov. 28. He ranks among the B1G leaders in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
• A two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, he leads all conference rookies in both scoring and assists per game (2.3) while ranking second in rebounding.
• He is the only Big Ten freshman who leads his team in both scoring and rebounding.
• McGowens has reached double figures in scoring five times, including a trio of 20-point efforts. His most recent 20-point game was a 22-point, eight-rebounds, four-assist effort against South Dakota on Nov. 27.
• 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.
• McGowens became the first Husker since 2016 to earn Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week accolades on Nov. 15, as he averaged 27.0 ppg on 52 percent shooting in a pair of contests to open the season.
• 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 25 in the win over Sam Houston. 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. 
• Trey has been a proven performer throughout his career, as he has started 94 of 96 games at the college level for Pittsburgh and Nebraska and scored over 1,000 career points.
• Trey started the first three games and was averaging 6.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game before suffering his injury midway through the first half against Creighton on Nov. 16. McGowens also drew the opponent's top perimeter defender and shared point guard duties. He helped limit Sam Houston's Demarkus Lampley, a returning first-team all-conference performer, to 2-of-14 shooting on Nov. 12.
• Last season, Trey averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assist per game, while starting all 27 games. He reached double figures 17 times in 2020-21, including a season-high 20 points against No. 17 Michigan State.
• The McGowens brothers are one of 15 brother combos on the same college roster this season.

"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.  Walker, who is in his third year at NU, has provided the Huskers a much-needed inside threat since becoming eligible last January.

The 6-foot-9 center is enjoying a career year in 2021-22, averaging 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 82 percent from the field. Walker is playing the best basketball of his career over the last four games, averaging 16.0 points while connecting on 25 of his last 27 shots from the floor. He tied or set career highs in three straight games, culminating in a 16-point effort on 8-of-8 shooting vs. Tennessee State on Nov. 23.

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 13.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago is second in the Big Ten in assists, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio and eighth in steals as of Nov. 27.

• He has a 2.44-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio after posting a 1.29-to-1 ratio in his two seasons at Arizona State.
• Verge ranks second in the Big Ten with a pair of double-doubles (vs. Western Illinois; vs. Tennessee State).
• He led NU with 18 points and a career-high 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.

Huskers Look to Take Advantage of Experience
Nebraska's 2021-22 roster has plenty of college experience, as Derrick Walker, Kobe Webster, Alonzo Verge, Lat Mayen and Trevor Lakes all begin their fifth season of college eligibility. Lakes and Webster are "Super Seniors" who took advantage of their free year of eligibility.  Nebraska returns three players who have scored at least 1,000 points at the college level. Walker, who turned 24 on opening night, and third-year walk-on Jace Piatkowski are the only players remaining from Fred Hoiberg's first team at Nebraska.

Husker Recruiting Class Seeing Stars
The Huskers brought one of the nation's top recruiting classes to campus this fall. The class is ranked as high as 13th by ESPN as well as 18th by 247Sports and 21st by Rivals and is the third-highest ranked class in the Big Ten.
 Nebraska's five signees are headlined by five-star Bryce McGowens and four-star recruit Wilheim Breidenbach, both of whom were top-100 recruits. McGowens was a consensus top-25 recruit who played in the Iverson Classic and was selected to the Jordan Brand team. NU rounded out the class with junior college All-American Keisei Tominaga and freshmen Oleg Kojenets and Quaran McPherson.

The Huskers three incoming transfers, who do not count in recruiting rankings included a pair of former top-100 recruits in C.J. Wilcher (Xavier) and Keon Edwards (DePaul), while Alonzo Verge spent the last two seasons at Arizona State, where he was the Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year in 2020.

Up-Tempo Basketball
One trait of any Fred Hoiberg-coached team is to play at a fast pace. The Huskers have led the Big Ten in pace in each of the last two seasons, ranking 16th nationally by KenPom in 2019-20 and 35th in 2020-21. NU has been the only Big Ten team to rank in the top-50 nationally in each of the past two seasons. In seven full seasons as a college head coach (five at Iowa State and two at NU), Hoiberg's teams have ranked in the top-50 in tempo five times, including three times in the top-20.  Prior to Hoiberg's arrival, the last time a Husker team was in the top-100 nationally in tempo according to KenPom was in 1999-2000 under Danny Nee.

Men's Basketball Big Ten and Holiday Break Tickets on Sale Tomorrow

Lincoln – Catch all of the action at Pinnacle Bank Arena this winter, as single-game men's basketball tickets for all Big Ten games and the holiday break games go on sale this Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 10 a.m.

Tickets for all of Nebraska's Big Ten matchups against Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Northwestern, Minnesota, Maryland and Iowa will be available, as well as additional tickets for the non-conference games against Kansas State and Kennesaw State which fall during UNL's Holiday Break.

Prices range from $7-$25, with 100 Level student seating available for select games. There is a limit of six tickets per game. To purchase tickets, visit Huskers.com/tickets or call the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).