[Husker] Nebraska 82, Alabama A&M 55

[NUStLNorris at aol.com]

Freshman Ryan Anderson led the way with 19 points and a solid overall game  
as Nebraska beat Alabama A&M without junior 6-11 center Aleks Maric.  
 
According to Doc Sadler on his post game radio show, Maric had a good week  
of practice, was moving well ... then had his leg give way during this 
morning's  shoot-around.  The setback is related to his recently diagnosed stress  
fracture of the hip.
 
Nebraska raced to a 44-20 halftime lead over an outmanned A&M squad,  who 
made it a fast paced game with a lot of full-court pressing.  NU came  into the 
game with a 5-2 record and a #4 ranking in field goal percentage at  53.8 
percent (Sadler's offensive/shooting philosophy is showing immediate  dividends in 
a program that last year saw a 41 percent shooting  percentage).  They're not 
going to shoot 53.8 percent for the season, and I  doubt that they did today 
(Maric leads the conference at 68 percent).   Another outta' sight percentage 
today in the first half. I saw it was down  to 49 percent about mid-way through 
the second half.  
 
The things I'm seeing in watching Sadler's team play are really  promising.  
Anderson continues to show moxie beyond his young age.   Charles Richardson 
was the subject of a great article in the print edition of  the World-Herald 
this week.  He's averaging 7 assists a game (helped  tremendously by the 15 
against Rutgers in the two-point loss two weeks ago),  leading the league, and is 
someone NU depends on heavily.  It sounds like  he was a biggest asset off the 
court as the coaching transition was occurring  this summer.
 
Realistically, I just don't see how anyone could have hoped for a better  
hoops hire than Sadler.  I can't wait to see what this guy can do down the  road 
when he gets more players in here.  He's got some good ones now -- but  they 
CAN'T play short-handed and have a great degree of success.  They're  only 
going to be "so good" if Maric can't be depended upon -- 6-foot-11, 270  lbs., 
averaging about 20 per game just can't be written off.  Richardson  and Anderson 
HAVE to stay healthy if they are going to "go places" this  year.  Jamel White 
and Marcus Perry, too.
 
Doc said on his post-game show that Maric is having another MRI this  
afternoon.  It sounds like it'll be something he and the team have to deal  with 
throughout the season (unless the MRI shows more).  Sadler DIDN'T  sound like he 
was ruling the big man out of the games this week in Hawaii.
 
Someone told me about a week ago that they thought Sadler would win 11 or  12 
games and go 4 and 12 in the league this year.  If Maric is a constant  and 
stays healthy, I think that's setting the bar way to low.  But we are a  
different team without him.
 
Without him, Nebraska was impressive today against a not-so-good  team.  NU 
plays hard and they play together.  It's off to the Rainbow  Classic for a game 
with Wyoming on Wednesday, then against the winner of Hawaii  vs. San 
Francisco on Friday.  Another game follows in Hawaii on  Saturday.  
 
The schedule is brutal, the injuries have been plentiful, but I love the  
future of Husker hoops under Doc Sadler.
 
Dave Norris