Kansas Men's Hoops Takes Five-Game Winning Streak to Nebraska
Feb. 7, 2006
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Kansas (15-6, 6-2) brings the Big 12’s longest winning streak at five games to the Bob Devaney Center to face a Nebraska team that has won three straight and is 15-6 and 5-3 in conference play. The Jayhawks and Huskers sit second and third, respectively, in the Big 12 race behind league-leading Texas at 8-1.
About Kansas
One of the hottest teams in the country, Kansas is 12-2 in its last 14 games. KU is coming off a 59-58 win against No. 19 Oklahoma Sunday. The Jayhawks overcame a 16-point deficit in the victory. Kansas’ five-game winning streak is the second longest of the season for KU. The Jayhawks continue to lead the nation in field goal percentage defense at 35.7 percent. KU also leads the Big 12 in assists at 18.24 per game. KU freshman Brandon Rush was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week and Rivals.com Rookie of the Week (Feb. 6) after averaging 21 points and seven rebounds in two KU wins last week. Rush continues to lead the Big 12 freshman class in scoring at 14.8 points per game. He also leads the team and is 13th in the Big 12 in rebounding at 5.9 boards per contest. Freshman Mario Chalmers paces KU in assists – 4.1 per game, sixth in the Big 12 – and steals with a 2.57 average, ranking second in the league. He is averaging 9.5 points per game. With a 9.1 scoring average, sophomore Sasha Kaun is making 57.7 percent of his shots from the field. He is just behind Rush in rebounds at 5.8 per outing.
About Nebraska
Nebraska’s three-game winning streak includes wins against league foes Missouri, Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Cornhuskers are 13-2 at home this season, including a 3-1 record in Big 12 play. NU is averaging 67.4 points per game and is a plus-3.4 in rebound margin. Senior Wes Wilkinson leads the Huskers with a 12.8 scoring average and 40 three-point field goals made. His 6.8 rebounds per game are 11th in the Big 12. Wilkinson leads the Big 12 team in blocked shots with 40 for a two per game average. Senior guard Jason Dourisseau is next in scoring at 10.8 points per game. He leads the team in rebounding at 6.9 per contest, ninth in the league. Junior guard Charles Richardson Jr. leads Nebraska in assists with 56 on the season.
The Series
This series dates back to 1900 and Kansas leads 157-71, including an 57-44 record in Lincoln. The Huskers own a 16-13 advantage against the Jayhawks in games played in the Devaney Center. Last year KU defeated NU in Lincoln 78-65. The Jayhawks have won four straight and 13 of the last 14 meetings with the Huskers dating back to the final meeting of the 1999 season. The last NU win in the series was a 74-55 victory in 2004 in Lincoln. Kansas defeated Nebraska, 96-54, on Jan. 21, in Lawrence behind a pair of 17-point performances from Brandon Rush and Jeff Hawkins. Hawkins was perfect for the game, going 6-for-6 from the field, including 5-for-5 from three-point range. A complete box and story are at the end of the game notes.
Up Next
Kansas returns home to host Iowa State Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. (Central). That game will air on ESPN+ as part of the Big 12 television package. KU will play its fourth game in eight days at Oklahoma State on Feb. 13 on ESPN’s Big Monday.
