Huskers Host Bluejays  on BIG RED RADIO!            
 
 The Nebraska men’s basketball team looks for another early-season signature win Thursday night when the Huskers welcome No. 16/13 Creighton to the Devaney Center Thursday night.
Tipoff is set for 7:02 p.m. and tickets are on sale for Thursday’s contest by visiting Huskers.com, calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED or at the Devaney Center Ticket office beginning at 5:30 p.m.  As of Wednesday morning, nearly 12,000 tickets have been sold for the matchup between the Huskers and Bluejays.
Coverage here on 1110 KFAB with Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison startsat 6:04.
Nebraska comes into the contest with a 6-1 mark following a 63-51 win over USC on Monday night. Nebraska’s 6-1 mark matches the program’s best start in 20 years, and the Huskers are coming off consecutive double-figure wins over Wake Forest and USC since falling to Kent State. Nebraska has relied on its veterans, as Dylan Talley (15.6 ppg), Ray Gallegos (14.0 ppg) and Brandon Ubel (14.0 ppg) the Husker attack. Gallegos has been playing the best basketball of his career, scoring 20 points in each of his last two contests. Nebraska has also been stout on the defensive end, holding opponents to 58.6 ppg, while only one opponent has topped seven points this season.
The Huskers will be tested by a veteran Creighton squad which comes in with a 7-1 record following an 80-51 rout of St. Joseph’s last Saturday. The Bluejays, which returned four starters from a 29-win team in 2011-12, are led by All-American Doug McDermott, who averages 21.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
 
By the Numbers
85.7- Shooting percentage of senior Andre Almeida over the Huskers last five games (24-of-28), a stretch where he is averaging 12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game. Almeida has made his last seven field goals dating back to the Wake Forest contest.
7- Straight meetings in the Nebraska-Creighton series won by the home team dating back to the 2005-06 season. The Huskers have won the last three matchups in the Devaney Center.
7- Number of scholarship players who played for the Huskers against USC, as Shavon Shields returned to action Monday night. Shields had two points and two assists in 10 minutes off the bench for the Huskers.
2006- The year of Nebraska’s last non-conference home sellout, as the Huskers have sold over 12,000 tickets as of Wednesday morning.
 
Scouting Creighton
The Bluejays come to town with a 7-1 record, including wins over Wisconsin, Arizona State and St. Joseph’s in the first month of the year. Creighton, which is ranked 13th and 16th, respectively in this week’s polls, feature one of the nation’s best offenses, averaging 82.6 points per game. Greg McDermott is in his third year at CU after coaching at Iowa State, Northern Iowa, North Dakota State and Wayne State. McDermott and Miles have squared off several times before during their days at the Division II level, but Thursday’s game will be the first meeting of the two as Division I coaches since Dec. 31, 2006, a 67-54 win by Iowa State over North Dakota State.
Creighton features one of the nation’s top players in junior forward Doug McDermott, who averages 21.3 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. McDermott is a returning first-team All-American and a reigning MVC Player of the Year. He is one of four starters back for Creighton, as senior forward Gregory Echenique (10.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg) mans the interior, while Grant Gibbs (7.3 ppg; 6.0 apg) and Austin Chatman (8.8 ppg; 4.8 apg) guide a prolific attack.
 
Series History
Nebraska and Creighton are meeting for the 46th time in series history on Sunday, with the Cornhuskers holding a 25-20 advantage. The home team has held serve in recent years, with the home team winning the last seven matchups. Nebraska has won the last three games in Lincoln, including a 59-54 win over McDermott’s squad during the 2010-11 season. Prior to 2006, the Huskers had won only once between 1999 and 2005, ending the Bluejays season in the 2004 NIT.