Nebraska travelled to #20 K-State on Wednesday and in the process aquainted themselves with possibly the number one overall pick for next year’s NBA draft.  Michael Beasley was effortless in scoring 35 points and pulling down  13 boards on 15 of 21 shooting, while leading his cats past the Huskers 74-59.

Nebraska took an early 4-0 lead only to watch as Beasley scored 10 points in under two minutes to cap a 12-0 run by K-State.  Nebraska’s perimeter defense was a step behind in the first half as the Wildkitties hit 43% of their three point attempts and 54% of their total shots.  Just like the Creighton game, when NU let them score at will and build up a huge halftime lead, Kansas State also had a commanding 45-30 lead heading into the locker room.  Beasley led all ( and almost NU ) with 23 points and Dagunduro led the Huskers with 9, followed by Maric with 8.

The similarities to the Creighton game didn’t stop there.  Just like in that game, NU found it’s defense, this time, going to a box-in-1 on Michael Beasley.  The result let NU back into the game, cutting a once 15 point lead down to 5 twice, at 55-50 and then 57-52.  That is as close as it would get for the Huskers as the offense stalled for NU and started to heat up for K-State.  Turnovers and rebounds plagued NU during this stretch, but they played hard until the end, so you couldn’t really ask for anything else.

A few afterthoughts after watching the game are:

1. I wonder why, with K-State’s size advantage, Doc  didn’t tinker with having Maric, Balham, and Ping in the line-up at the same time.  I think Ping is in the Doc dog house, or maybe it’s just Balham’s finally starting to come into his own.
2. Steve Harley made 3 really bad turnovers in a minute span that led to 6 quick KSU points when NU was clawing back.  He also didn’t seem to have his shooting touch all night, as nothing was really even close. 
3. Alecs Maric continued with the sky hooks and lay-ups all game long and I continue to wish he would just put the throwdown on one of those balls.  He did have 16 points and 15 rebounds but many were put backs or lay-ups and rebounds that came right to him.  Balham is much more physical all while giving up 3 inches and 40 pounds.
4. Sek Henry needs to start!  With Harley and Dagunduro struggling, Henry continues to impress with defense and quick slashes to the hoop.  Sek has come a long way this year defensively, and I say give the kid the ball!
5. I would love to have a whole team of Cookie Miller!  I love this kid.  Nobody leaves it all on the court more than C.M.  I get tired of watching him sometimes, that is how hard he works, non-stop.  In high school, he set the record for most points scored, so we know he can do that, but what impresses me the most is he is full speed all the time.  When you are the smallest guy out on the court every game and you still find ways to get rebounds in traffic, hit the open shot, create off the dribble and steal as many balls as he does, that is impressive!  When he finds his scoring touch again, look out!  During the game on Wednesday he messed up and didn’t rotate on a pick.  Doc was yelling at him from the sideline, and like a seasoned vet, Cookie pointed his hand to his ear as if to say “what Doc, can’t hear you”. 
6. Ryan Anderson, where did you go?  Last year R.A. averaged 10.1 points while shooting a respectable 47% from the field and 43% from behind the arc.  This year he averages 8.8 points, shooting 42 percent from the field and 38% behind the arc.

Up next is Texas Tech at home Saturday at 3 P.M. which will be on ESPN Plus.

[See the Box Score courtesy of Huskers.com]