Beginning Monday, June 21st, 2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the opening day of the 2004-05 Season.

Bookmark the 144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back each day to see which team is previewed next.

 
#74 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Big 12

 2003-04: 18-13, 6-10, 9^th

2003-04 postseason: NIT

By Joel Welser

The Cornhusker’s 6-10 record in the Big 12 doesn’t sound too good.  Barry Collier’s squad did prove themselves in the NIT beating Creighton and Niagara before falling to Hawaii in a heartbreaker.  Three of the four leading scorers are gone, but a stable group of returnees can lead the Huskers back to the post season.  Add some able newcomers and Nebraska will be looking to improve on that 6-10 record.

Who’s Out: Nate Johnson led the squad with 13 points per game.  The 6-1 guard was also solid on the boards grabbing 4.5 rebounds per contest.  Forward Andrew Drevo scored 10.8 per game and added 4.3 boards in 26 starts.  Brian Conklin ranked fourth on the team in scoring with eight points per outing.  Little used Adam Bohac, James Reynolds and Bob Kempf are also not returning to Lincoln. 

Who’s In: This year’s class could step in and make an immediate impact.  Aleks Maric could continue the stream of talented big guys coming to college basketball from Australia.  The 6-11, 250 pound center helped the Aussie’s win a gold medal in the 2003 Under-19 World Championships.  Maric is experienced and has a nice touch under the basket.  Shooting guard Joe McCray averaged 16.4 points his senior year of high school.  He is a solid shooter from behind the arc and at the line and should see some quality minutes as a freshman.  Junior college transfer Marcus Perry will bring some more experience to the Husker backcourt.  Perry averaged 25.4 points per game last year at Southern Union State Community College.  Power forward Jim Ledsome was a late pick up for Barry Collier.  The 6-9, 210 pound, Maryland native shouldn’t see too many minutes as a freshman but will add more depth to the frontcourt.

Who to Watch: John Turek has been a staple for the Huskers over the last three seasons.  He has played in 86 of the 88 games in that span, but this year Nebraska will need Turek to be a consistent scorer and a senior leader.  The 6-9, 245 pound forward is a strong and determined post player who can match up with anybody in the Big 12.  As a junior he scored 9.8 points, grabbed 5.9 boards and blocked 1.2 shots per game.  Especially early in the year, his teammates will be looking to him to put points on the board. 

Projected Conference Rank: Nebraska has a lot of experienced, yet unproven, talent returning.  Players like Charles Richardson, Jr. and Wes Wilkinson could end up to be major players for the Cornhuskers, despite limited playing time last year.  An 8^th place finish and another trip to the NIT will be a good year for Nebraska.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

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