[Husker] Big XII Basketball -- Iowa State at Nebraska

[NUStLNorris at aol.com]

Tip-off is tonight at 6:30 p.m. (televised on Fox Sports Net -- Time Warner  
Cable channel 37 in Lincoln and Cox Cable channel 47 in Omaha).  Plenty of  
decent seats remain, I'm sure.
 
Nebraska (12-3, 2-0) attempts to start 3 and 0 in Big XII play for the  first 
time EVER ... also attempting to start 3 and 0 in conference play for the  
first time since 1976 (when they started 4 and 0 in the Big 8).  And here I  
just THOUGHT it had been a while since a 3-zip conference start.
 
Iowa State (11-5, 1-2) will give NU a big test.  Guards Curtis Stinson  and 
Will Blalock are the strength of their team.  Very good players.   Last year, 
NU won in Ames, ISU won in Lincoln.  ISU's last seven games in  the Devaney 
Center have been decided by six points or fewer.  And here I  just THOUGHT they 
always played us tough here.
 
Iowa State starts Hubilek and Marsden on the baseline, listed at 6-11 and  
6-10, respectively.  Still, Nebraska should have an advantage on the two  
youngsters down low (they are also a sophomore and freshman, respectively) when  it 
comes to physical and experienced play with Aleks Maric, B.J. Walker and Wes  
Wilkinsen.
 
It'll be interesting to see what the attendance will be like tonight.   You'd 
hope they could draw at least 10,000 for this one, but ...
 
Big XII note from last night (and FYI, the only other conference game  
tonight is Texas Tech at conference-leading Texas) ... Mizzou some how came back  
and beat Kansas in overtime in Columbia 89-86 behind Thomas Gardner's 40 points  
(very good outside shooter; quick release).  Gardner hit a three-pointer  
with about five seconds left to send it to OT.  Mizzou reached OT following  two 
late KU misses from the charity stripe (I hope NU's 62 percent season  
percentage fromthe line doesn't come back to drill them anytime soon).   These two 
teams are not-to-be-confused with vintage Roy Williams or Norm  Stewart-led 
squads of the past.  Mizzou climbs to 3 and 1 in conference ...  KU falls to 1 and 
2.
 
Dave Norris