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August 5th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Nebraska
Cornhuskers
Overall Rank:
#101
Conference
Rank: #9 Big 12
2005-06:
19-14, 7-9, 6th
2005-06
postseason: NIT
 Coach Barry
Collier left Nebraska to become the AD at his old stomping
grounds of Butler. That leaves nobody to coach at the moment.
And with the coaching change could come some roster changes. It
will take a little time for that to sort itself out, but the
Husker faithful hope the core of the team will remain and, in
the long run, welcome the change.
Who’s Out:
We
know that Wes Wilkinson, Jason Dourisseau, Bronsen Schliep and
Tony Wilbrand have run out of eligibility. Wilkinson led last
years squad with 11.9 points and the forward tacked on 6.2
boards. Dourisseau averaged 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Schliep and Wilbrand saw limited minutes off the bench backing
up the frontcourt. The transfers of Joe McCray, Marcus Walker
and B.J. Walker leave even less experience in Lincoln.
Who’s In:
Assuming
they all stick around, this is a good class for Nebraska.
Redshirt freshman Chris Balham will be forced into action if
Nebraska wants to run multiple post players. The 6-8 power
forward is still a raw talent, but his strength and defensive
presence are very good and his potential is through the roof.
Small forward Kris Douse is a great athlete and has enough reach
to play the four if the new coach opts for a four guard lineup.
Jay-R Stowbridge, Roburt Sallie and Ryan Anderson will battle
for minutes at the one and two spots. Stowbridge, a 6-0 point
guard, averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 assists as a senior at
Sparkman High School in Ardmore, Alabama. Before spending some
time at prep school, Sallie averaged 21.5 points per game at
Sacramento Valley in California. The 6-5 combo guard has a
solid all-around game and is the incoming freshman that is
expected to make the biggest impact immediately. Shooting guard
Ryan Anderson has amazing range and will help replace the loss
of Wilkinson and McCray, the team’s top two long range threats a
year ago.
Who to Watch:
Aleks
Maric is the man in the paint…partly because he’s good and
partly because there is no other big man that is expected to
make a large contribution. Maric averaged 10.9 points and a
team high 8.1 boards as a sophomore and the 6-11 Australian
should have even better numbers this season. Kyle Marks, along
with Balham, won’t have many expectations on them, but it would
be quite helpful if one or both could at least fill in some
minutes so the Huskers aren’t forced to run four guards all the
time.
Final
Projection:
There is some
returning talent in the backcourt with Jamel White, Charles
Richardson, Jr. and Marcus Perry. White averaged 8.7 points as
a freshman in 13 starts and, if he can develop a little more
consistency on the long ball, will be a solid guard for the
Huskers. Richardson has been dishing out assists since he
stepped foot in Nebraska as a freshman during the 2003-2004
campaign. As a senior, the pass first point guard will be asked
to increase his leadership role for the young squad. Perry
averaged 4.2 points per game his first season with Nebraska
after spending a couple years at the juco level. His
three-point shooting can provide a spark off the bench and it is
hoped that Perry will be more effective when given the
opportunity. With all the questions surrounding the team
without a coach, a postseason invite does not look too likely.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Charles
Richardson, Senior, Guard, 4.4 points per game
Jamel White,
Sophomore, Guard, 8.7 points per game
Roburt Sallie,
Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Kyle Marks,
Sophomore, Forward, 1.0 points per game
Aleks Maric,
Junior, Center, 10.9 points per game
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