Huskers Face Racers in Tourney Opener Sunday Night

The Nebraska men's basketball team will open action at the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Sunday evening, as the Huskers will take on Murray State. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. (central) and will be carried nationally on ESPN and on the Huskers Radio Network. The radio feed will also be available on Huskers.com and the Huskers app, while the TV feed will be available on ESPN.com. 

After playing three times in the first 21 days of December, the Huskers (7-2) will have three games in four days beginning with Sunday's matchup with the Racers. Nebraska will face either host Hawai'i or Charlotte on Monday, depending on Sunday's results, while the College of Charleston, Loyola (Chicago), Oakland and Oregon State comprise the remainder of the eight-team field. 

NU has been off for finals since an 85-68 win over Indiana on Dec. 13. In that game, Brice Williams had a game-high 30 points along with six rebounds and five assists to lead four Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska shot 61.2 percent from the field, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range. Nebraska imposed its will down the stretch, outscoring Indiana, 17-1 in the final 6:27, as Indiana missed its last 12 shots from the field. In all, the

Huskers held Indiana to its second-lowest totals in both points (68) and field goal percentage (.354). 

Williams was named Big Ten Player of the Week and one of five USBWA Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for his efforts, as he became only the second Husker in the Big Ten era to have at least 30 points and five assists in a game, joining Teddy Allen in 2021. Williams became the first Husker to capture the Big Ten weekly honor since Alonzo Verge Jr. in 2022.

 

Diamond Head Classic Schedule
Dec. 22	Oregon St. vs. Col. of Charleston	2 p.m.
	Loyola Chicago vs. Oakland	4 p.m.
	Nebraska vs. Murray State	8 p.m.
	Charlotte vs. Hawai'i	10:30 p.m.
Dec. 23	Consolation #1	4:30 p.m.
	Semifinal #1	7:00 p.m.
	Semifinal #2	9:30 p.m.
	Consolation #2	11:30 p.m.
Dec. 25	Seventh Place Game	12:30 p.m./2:30 p.m.
	Fifth Place Game	12:30 p.m./2:30 p.m.
	Third Place Game	5:30 p.m.
	Championship Game	7:30 p.m.
times listed are central

Numbers to Know
3 - Nebraska shot a season-high 61.2 percent against Indiana, marking only the third time in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) that the Huskers have shot 60 percent from the field. Seven of the eight highest single-game shooting percentages in that span have been in the last two-plus seasons.

28.1 - Nebraska has gotten great production from its bench in the early going, averaging 28.1 points per game over the first nine games. The Huskers led the Big Ten in bench production last season, averaging 21.4 points per game.

70 - Over the last two-plus seasons, Nebraska has been exceptional when holding opponents to 70 points or less. The Huskers are 36-4 (.900) when holding opponents to 70 points, including 31 straight wins, since a 65-62 overtime loss to No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10, 2022.

3809 - Career points scored between Brice and his father, Henry, who played at Charlotte from 1988 to 1992. Entering the Diamond Head Classic, Brice (.8252) is just above Henry (.8222) in career free throw percentage, as the pair have nearly 1,000 combined free throw attempts during their college careers (Henry-585; Brice-389).

103 - Nebraska's 103 points against North Florida on Dec. 1 marked the program's first 100-point game since 2021 and 45th in school history.  NU is now 9-2 under Fred Hoiberg when scoring at least 90 points with both losses coming in overtime.

About Murray State
Murray State comes to Hawaii with a 6-4 record after falling at Indiana State, 84-74, on Wednesday night. The Racers, who were picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley, returned three starters from a year ago and feature five seniors in their starting lineup, four of whom average double figures. As a team, MSU is averaging 78.8 ppg and shooting .477 from the field and .386 from 3-point range.  

Steve Prohm is in his seventh season at Murray State overall and third since taking over the program prior to the 2023-24 season. In his first stint with the Racers, he guided Murray State to four straight Ohio Valley Conference titles and a second-round appearance in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. He then took over for Fred Hoiberg at Iowa State after Hoiberg took the Chicago Bulls job and guided Iowa State to three NCAA appearances in his six-year tenure, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2015-16.  

The Racers are led by senior JaCobi Wood, who was a first-team All-MVC preseason pick after averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game a year ago. A three-year starter who originally began his career at Belmont, Wood has upped his numbers across the board this season and is at 15.0 points, 5.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while also shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range. Senior Nick Ellington was a second-team preseason All-MVC pick following a junior year where he averaged 11.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 59 percent from the field.  Ellington is shooting a team-high 58.5 percent and from the field and is at 9.7 ppg. MSU has seven players averaging at least 17 minutes per game and average at least 6.5 points per game. 

Series History: Murray State has won both meetings in the series history, an 81-79 win in the title game of the 1990 San Juan Shootout and a 79-71 win in Lincoln on Dec. 30, 2000. Nebraska is 66-23 (.742) all-time against current Missouri Valley members, as Murray State joined the conference prior to the 2022-23 season after a long stint in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Williams Honored 
Senior guard Brice Williams was honored on Dec. 16, as he was tabbed as the Big Ten Player of the Week following the Huskers’ win over Indiana. Williams paced Nebraska with a season-high 30 points, along with a season-high six rebounds and five assists in NU’s 85-68 win over the Hoosiers. He was 10-of-15 from the field and 8-of-11 from the foul line en route to posting his fourth career 30-point game and first as a Husker.  Williams scored nine of his 30 points in the final 6:30 after Indiana closed to within 68-67. He became just the second Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) to have 30 points and five assists in a game.

Diamond Head Notes
• This marks the Huskers’ seventh trip to the islands for a tournament and the first since the 2014 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. 

• The field has a combined record of 53-24 (.688) heading into the weekend. Four of the eight teams have two or fewer losses.

• Nebraska is the only Big Ten Conference school to participate in the Diamond Head Classic’s 15-year history.  USC (2009, 2017), Washington (2009) had both participated in the event when they were in the Pac-12 Conference, as both schools joined the Big Ten this season.

• Nebraska is 10-16 all-time against the 2024 tournament field. Other than Oregon State, which Nebraska defeated in Sioux Falls., S.D, last season, NU has not faced any of the other teams in a decade, dating back to the loss to Hawai'i in the opening round of the 2014 Diamond Head Classic.

• Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg guided Iowa State to the Diamond Head Classic title in 2013.

Worth Noting
• Nebraska has made significant strides offensively in recent weeks. NU is averaging 82.0 ppg over its last five games on nearly 50 percent shooting and averaging just 10.0 turnovers per game in that stretch. During the first four games, NU averaged 13.5 turnovers per game. 

• Over the last 13 games dating back to last season, Brice Williams is averaging 19.2 points per game on .497 shooting and has seven 20-point efforts in that span. He has reached double figures in 13 straight games, the longest stretch of his career.

• With his 30-point outburst vs. Indiana, Williams became the 12th Husker to have at least one 30-point game in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present). The last Husker with consecutive 30-point games was Aleks Maric from Feb. 24-28, 2007 (31 vs. Missouri; 36 vs. Iowa State).

• NU has relied on its depth during the early going, with six players averaging at least 8.0 points per game over the first nine games. Eight different players have posted double-figure efforts while only Brice Williams has been in double figures in all nine contests. Williams is the only Husker in the top 30 of the Big Ten in scoring as of Dec. 18. In addition to the eight who have reached double figures at least once, two others have scored at least eight points at least once in a game this season. 

• Nebraska has been prolific at getting to the foul line during the early portion of the season. Nebraska ranks among the Big Ten leaders in free throws made and attempted per game and free throw percentage. NU ranks in the top 20 nationally in free throws made and attempted per game. 
Nebraska's 75.3 percent shooting from the foul line through the first nine contests is just shy of last year's percentage (76.0) which ranked third in school history.

• One area where Nebraska has excelled early on is converting on opponent turnovers. The Huskers are 40th nationally in forcing turnovers at 15.4 per game after ranking 217th in that category a year ago. Nebraska is averaging 19.2 points per game off opponent turnovers over the first nine games.

• With its 7-2 start in 2024-25, Nebraska is 36-16 over the last 52 games dating back to the start of February 2023. NU's .692 winning percentage trails only Purdue among Big Ten programs in that stretch. NU would still be second if you included the four new Big Ten schools (Oregon, UCLA, Washington and USC). NU went just 33-80 from the start of the 2019-20 season until Feb. 1, 2023.

• Nebraska is averaging 9.0 steals per game to rank third in the Big Ten and 47th nationally as of Dec. 18.   Sam Hoiberg is ninth in the conference in steals at 1.8 per game and is one of four Huskers averaging at least 1.0 steals per game. Hoiberg is the only player in the Big Ten averaging at least 1.5 steals per game while playing less than 20 minutes per contest. 

•  Berke Büyüktuncel has been a factor for the Huskers in the opening three weeks of the season. The 6-foot-10 sophomore leads NU in rebounding (5.8 rpg), blocked shots (0.8 bpg) while chipping in 8.1 ppg on 58 percent shooting.  Büyüktuncel has been easing back into the lineup after suffering an injury against South Dakota on Nov. 27. He returned to action against Michigan State on Dec. 7 and had five points, five boards and three assists in 20 minutes against Indiana. 

• Nebraska enters Sunday's game averaging 80 points per game to rank 10th in the Big Ten. NU has scored 70+ points in seven of the nine games, including four games with at least 80 points.  The Huskers had scored 80-or-more points in five straight games before the streak was snapped against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 9. It marked the first time NU had scored 80-or-more points in five consecutive games since a 10-game stretch between Nov. 25-Dec. 19, 1995. 

• Nebraska comes off one of its most successful seasons in program history. The Huskers went 23-11 in 2023-24 and tied for third in the Big Ten standings before reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013-14. The Huskers’ 23 wins were the most since setting a school-record with 26 wins in 1990-91, while NU’s 12 conference wins also ranked second in school history.

• Nebraska has increased its win total in each of the past three years, marking the first time NU has done that since the mid-1960s (1963-64 to 1965-66). If Nebraska can improve its win total this year, it would mark the first time since a four-year stretch from 1945-46 to 1948-49 that the Huskers improved their win total in four consecutive seasons. 

• Over the past two seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24), NU has won 21 conference games, the highest two-year total since the 1965-66 and 1966-67 teams won 22 conference tilts. The last two seasons under Fred Hoiberg mark just the fourth time in school history that Nebraska has won 20 or more conference games in a two-year span.

• Nebraska was one of 24 teams nationally that finished in the top 50 both in offensive and defensive efficiency in KenPom in 2023-24. NU was one of four Big Ten programs to accomplish that in 2023-24, joining Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan State.  It marked the first time that Nebraska has been ranked in the top 50 in both offensive and defensive efficiency in the KenPom era (1996-97). 

• The Huskers are 39-2 under Fred Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 3-0 this season. 

• The Huskers are 32-3 over the last two seasons when out-rebounding opponents. NU had won 27 straight games when out-rebounding opponents before the streak was snapped against Saint Mary's on Nov. 17. NU has been out-rebounded only once in nine games.

• Senior forward Rienk Mast will receive his master's degree in applied science this weekend. Mast earned his undergraduate degree from Bradley in May of 2023.

Last Time Out
Nebraska picked up its first Big Ten Conference win of the season with a decisive 85-68 victory against Indiana at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 13. 

Nebraska held Indiana to just 35 percent shooting from the field, including 8-of-35 from 3-point range. The Hoosiers were held to their second-lowest shooting total of the season. NU forced the Hoosiers to miss 17 of their final 18 shots over the final 9:30 of the game after the Hoosiers battled back to tie the game at 64 and closed the game on a 17-1 run.

Brice Williams led all scorers with a season-high 30 points, marking his first 30-point game as a Husker. The senior also grabbed a season-high six rebounds and dished out five assists as Nebraska extended its home win streak to 18 games. 

Williams was one of four Huskers in double figures, as Juwan Gary added 14 points and five rebounds, while Connor Essegian (13) and Andrew Morgan (10) helped Nebraska shoot a season high 61 percent from the field and 8-of-14 from 3-point range.

Williams Looks to Build on Postseason Success
Senior guard Brice Williams has built upon a strong finish in the early stages of the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-7 senior leads the Huskers in scoring at 18.9 points per game entering this weekend's Diamond Head Classic. He has reached double figures in all nine contests, including a trio of 25-point efforts.

• He has reached double figures in each of the last 13 games dating back to last year, the longest stretch of his college career.  

• His 18.9 ppg scoring average through nine games is the second-highest average by a Husker after nine games in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present).

• Williams comes off his first 30-point game of his career against Indiana when he had 30 points, six boards and five assists. It marked his first 30-point game at NU and fourth of his career. He has 11 career games of at least 25 points, including four at Nebraska.

• He is shooting a career-best 89.1 percent from the foul line to rank third in the Big Ten in free throw percentage. He is bidding to become the third player in school history to shoot 90 percent from the foul line (Jack Moore, 1980-81 and 1981-82; Cary Cochran, 2001-02).  As of Dec. 18, Williams is second in the Big Ten in free throws made (6.2/gm) and fourth in free throw attempts (7.1). 

• Williams had 28 points against Saint Mary's on Nov. 17 and 27 points in the season opener against UTRGV on Nov. 4. His 27-point night was one of the highest opening-night totals by a Husker in the last 30 years. 
Williams' emergence began during the Huskers' 2024 postseason run when he averaged 23.3 points per game during the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. He had more 20-point games in three postseason games (three) than in 31 regular-season games (two) during 2023-24. 

• His 23.3 ppg after the end of the regular season is the highest by a returning Big Ten player entering 2024-25. Of the seven players who averaged 20+ ppg in the postseason, he is the only one back at a Big Ten school this season. 

Gary Returns as Huskers' Glue Guy
One luxury Nebraska has is the return of senior forward Juwan Gary. The 6-foot-6 senior from Columbia, S.C, has shown the ability to stuff a stat sheet, but revels in doing the little things to help NU be successful.  

• Gary comes into the Murray State game averaging 11.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 assists per game, despite playing just two minutes against South Dakota because of an injury.  He is second on the team in blocked shots and third in scoring, rebounding and steals.

• He grabbed his 500th career rebound vs. Indiana and is now 12 points away from reaching 900 career points.

• Gary had a solid performance in the win over North Florida, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in just 23 minutes of action. 

• He keyed NU's win over No. 14 Creighton on Nov. 22 with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, seven boards and a pair of steals in the 74-63 win. 

• He had a 19-point, five-assist effort against FDU on Nov. 14. His five assists were a career high while he also went 7-of-8 from the foul line.

It continues a trend of Huskers making significant third-year jumps under Hoiberg, as Keisei Tominaga (2024) and Derrick Walker (2023) both earned All-Big Ten honors in their third year at Nebraska after transferring into the program.  Last season, Gary averaged a career-best 11.6 points per game on nearly 50 percent from the floor. He tallied 16 double-doubles after posting 20 during his first four collegiate seasons.

Essegian Enjoying Career Year
Connor Essegian has proved to be an impact transfer for the Huskers. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging a career-high 13.0 points per game on nearly 50 percent shooting while pacing the Huskers in 3-pointers with 22. 

• He ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 2.5 3-pointers per game and 3-point percentage (.440) while he is shooting a career best 49 percent from the field. 

• Essegian's numbers compare favorably to his freshman season at Wisconsin, when he was on the All-Big Freshmen team and set a school freshman record with 69 3-pointers. 

• He has a pair of 20-point nights among his five double-figure efforts this season.

• With six 3-pointers against both South Dakota and North Florida, Essegian joined Cary Cochran as the only Huskers in program history with consecutive games with at least six 3-pointers.

• He shined off the bench in Nebraska’s win over South Dakota on Nov. 27, establishing career highs in points (29), assists (five) and 3-pointers (six). 

• His 29-point performance is the highest-scoring effort by a Husker reserve in the last 50+ seasons. Over the last 30 years, only two Husker reserves (Jamel White vs. Missouri, 1/28/06; Erick Strickland vs. Missouri, 1/30/93) had scored 28 points off the bench. 

• According to CBB Reference, the only other Husker in the last 20+ seasons to have at least 29 points, along with five assists and five 3-pointers in a game was Teddy Allen against Penn State in 2021.

• Essegian followed up with a 22-point effort against North Florida on 8-of-10 shooting, as he matched his career high with six 3-pointers. 

• He was instrumental in NU's win at No. 14 Creighton on Nov. 22 with 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench and had 13 points in the win over Indiana on Dec. 13.