NEBRASKA WOMEN FACE ANOTHER TEST IN No. 6 HOOSIERS:
The Nebraska women’s basketball team continues Big Ten Conference road action on Thursday when the Huskers travel to Bloomington to battle No. 6 Indiana.
Tip-off between the Huskers (13-2, 2-2 Big Ten) and the Hoosiers (12-2, 4-0 Big Ten) in a battle of top-10 NET Ranking teams is set for 5 p.m. (CT) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
Nebraska will be looking to bounce back from its second Big Ten setback after suffering a 95-86 loss to then-No. 22 Iowa on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
Indiana heads into Thursday’s game with Nebraska riding a seven-game winning streak after a 76-53 victory at Wisconsin (Jan. 5). The Hoosiers have had seven days off from competition to prepare for the Huskers.
BRYAN APPLEWHITE TO JOIN HUSKER STAFF AS RUNNING BACKS COACH:
Nebraska Football Head Coach Scott Frost announced Thursday the addition of Bryan Applewhite as the Huskers’ running backs coach.
Applewhite brings more than two decades of collegiate experience to the Nebraska staff and has spent the past two seasons coaching the running backs at TCU. He also has experience at Colorado State, Louisiana-Monroe, Montana State, Wyoming and Northern Colorado.
In two seasons with the Horned Frogs, Applewhite helped TCU rank in the top 30 nationally in rushing both seasons. TCU averaged 214.7 rushing yards per game in 2020 to rank 20th nationally and finished 30th in the country in 2021 at 196.3 yards per game.
Applewhite was a standout fullback at Northern Colorado from 1994 to 1998. Applewhite has served as a member of the American Football Coaches’ Association (AFCA) Minority Issues Committee since 2006 and was recently reappointed to the Committee. In 2007, he was named to the AFCA Assistant Coaches’ Committee and participated in the 2004 AFCA Coaches’ Academy.
BILL BUSCH SPORTS NIGHTLY COMMENTS:
BUSCH – GOOD TO BE BACK:
Newly hired Nebraska Special Teams Coordinator Bill Busch was a guest on Sports Nightly last night and spoke on what an honor it is to be back in the Home of the Huskers…
Busch was at Nebraska the past season as a defensive analyst but had previous stints at Nebraska under Tom Osborne as a graduate assistant and was an assistant coach from 2004-2007 as special teams coordinator.
BUSCH – IMPACT OF HAVING A SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR ON STAFF
New Special Teams Coordinator Bill Busch spoke on Sports Nightly last night and was asked how critical it is to have a coordinator in place on the special teams compared to years prior…
Nebraska was putrid on Special Teams last season, and Busch’s hire brings years of special teams coaching experience under prestigious head coaches including: Tom Osborne, Urban Meyer, and as recently at LSU under Ed Orgeron.
BUSCH – FUN TO GET TO KNOW EVERYONE ON TEAM
Bill Busch, new special teams coordinator for the Nebraska football team, joined Sports Nightly last night. Busch was asked about why he enjoys coaching the special teams unit..
Busch comes with experience in numerous locations, making this his third stop at Nebraska. The Huskers still have one coaching spot left to hire as the running backs coach is expected to be named soon.
NEBRASKA CONDUCTING MEMORIAL STADIUM SURVEY:
In an effort to best serve its fan base, Nebraska Athletics will begin a comprehensive study of Memorial Stadium, beginning with the distribution of a detailed survey.
Today a survey will be distributed to over 200,000 donors, season ticket holders and single-game buyers. Current Huskers Athletic Fund members will receive 15 priority points (equivalent to $500 donation) for completing the survey. The survey will take five to 15 minutes to complete and will cover a variety of topics surrounding the overall game-day experience at Memorial Stadium. Fans are asked to return the survey by Monday, Jan. 31.
The survey will include questions about future seating options which are conceptual in nature. No decisions have been made regarding any potential stadium improvement changes or projects.
LAKES OUT INDEFINITELY WITH INJURY FOR HUSKER MEN:
Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday that senior forward Trevor Lakes will be out indefinitely because of a lingering shoulder injury.
Lakes, who underwent surgery on his right shoulder last March, managed the injury throughout the year, but had a recent setback. After discussions with the Huskers’ medical and basketball staff, the decision was made to begin a rehab program with the hope of Lakes returning to 100 percent.
Lakes played in eight games this season, averaging 1.5 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. He had a season-high eight points in the Huskers’ win over Kennesaw State on Dec. 22.
Reports say that Trey McGowens could be able to return in the near future.
BIG TEN ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
The Big Ten Conference Administrators Council, which includes the Directors of Athletics and Senior Women Administrators from all 14 member institutions, has approved the 2022 Big Ten football schedule.
The nine conference opponents on Nebraska’s 2022 schedule were unchanged, however the dates of several 2022 league contests have changed.
The largest change for Nebraska is the sites of Nebraska’s games with Wisconsin and Purdue, with the Badgers visiting Lincoln and Nebraska traveling to West Lafayette, Ind.
Nebraska opens the 2022 season against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland, with the Week Zero matchup set for Saturday, Aug. 27. The Huskers’ non-conference schedule is unchanged with September home games against North Dakota (Sept. 3), Georgia Southern (Sept. 10) and Oklahoma (Sept. 17).
The Huskers will now have a bye on Sept. 24, before resuming Big Ten play on Oct. 1 with its Homecoming contest against Indiana. Nebraska embarks on a two-game October road trip with matchups at Rutgers (Oct. 8) and at Purdue (Oct. 15), before a second off week on Oct. 22.
Nebraska closes the season with five straight weeks of Big Ten play, beginning with home games against Illinois (Oct. 29) and Minnesota (Nov. 5), followed by a visit to defending Big Ten champion Michigan on Nov. 12.
For the second straight year, Nebraska finishes with Big Ten West foes Wisconsin and Iowa. The Badgers will visit Memorial Stadium on Nov. 19, before the Huskers close the regular season with their traditional Black Friday matchup at Iowa.
HUSKER MEN FACE ANOTHER TOUGH TEST AT PURDUE FRIDAY:
Nebraska takes on its second ranked opponent in four days on Friday, as the Huskers travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on the No. 7/5 (AP/Coaches) Purdue Boilermakers. Tipoff from Mackey Arena is slated for 5:30 p.m.
Friday’s matchup in West Lafayette marks the Huskers’ first trip to Purdue since the 2018-19 season, as no current Husker has played in Mackey Arena.
The Huskers (6-11, 0-6 Big Ten) are looking for their first Big Ten win after battling with No. 25 Illinois but falling short in an 81-71 setback Tuesday evening.
Purdue comes into the week as the highest of the five ranked Big Ten teams, as the Boilermakers are 12-2 and ranked seventh in the country. Matt Painter is in his 17th season at Purdue and has guided the Boilermakers to NCAA appearances in six of the last seven seasons.
Friday’s game continues a three-game, seven-day stretch, as NU returns home to face Indiana in a special MLK Day matchup.
NEBRASKA WRESTLING AIMS TO BOUNCE BACK AT MINNESOTA:
The No. 10 Nebraska wrestling team will look to get back to its winning ways on Friday night when the Huskers square off against conference foe Minnesota.
The Gophers (2-2, 1-1 Big Ten) come into the weekend with a recent loss at top-ranked Iowa and a home win over No. 19 Northwestern. Minnesota features top-rated, Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (285) and six other grapplers ranked inside the top 25 of their respective weight classes.
Nebraska (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten), meanwhile, is coming off its first loss of the season, as Purdue defeated NU 18-15 on Jan. 7. Despite the loss, the Huskers recorded wins in five bouts, including Eric Schultz’s (197) win over No. 15 Thomas Penola.
Saturday’s dual promises to feature high-level wrestling, as 17 ranked wrestlers are slated to compete.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. No. 10 Morningside @ Lynn Farrell Arena
- Morningside 82-77
- MENS BASKETBALL: v. Morningside @ Lynn Farrell Arena
- Morningside 93-73
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. No. 10 Morningside @ Lynn Farrell Arena
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- WRESTLING: Varsity Dual @ North Platte
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: @ Broken Bow
- BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Broken Bow
- UNK:
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Missouri Western St. – 5:30 PM
- MENS BASKETBALL: @ Missouri Western St. 7:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- SWIMMING & DIVING: @ Lincoln High Invite
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Lincoln Northeast
- Pregame on KGFW at 5:45 PM
- BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Lincoln Northeast
- Pregame on KGFW at 7:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- SWIMMING & DIVING: @ Lincoln High Invite
- WRESTLING: @ Gibbon Invite
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Hastings St. Cecilia
- BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Hastings St. Cecilia
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic, Lincoln NE
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- WRESTLING: HAC Championships
- @ Columbus High School
- SWIMMING & DIVING: @ Lincoln High Invite
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: @ Papillion-LaVista South – 2 PM
- Pregame on KGFW at 1:45 PM
- BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Papillion-LaVista South – 3:45 PM
- Pregame on KGFW at 3:30 PM
- WRESTLING: HAC Championships
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- SWIMMING & DIVING: @ Lincoln High Invite
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. North Platte
- BOYS BASKETBALL: v. North Platte
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic, Lincoln NE
- WRESTLING: v. Grand View, IA – 1 PM
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Northwest Missouri St. – 2 PM
- MENS BASKETBALL: @ Northwest Missouri St. – 4 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- MENS WRESTLING: @ Lakeland, FL
- Fire Duals
- WOMENS WRESTLING: @ York Open
- M/W T&F: @ Doane Invite
- WOMENS BASKETBALL @ College of St. Mary – 2 PM
- MENS WRESTLING: @ Lakeland, FL
