Nebraska
Nebraska Women’s Basketball Preview: Minnesota: The Sequel
The Nebraska women’s basketball team closes regular-season home action when the Huskers play host to Minnesota Saturday afternoon in Lincoln. The Huskers will celebrate Senior Day for Jaz Shelley, Maddie Krull, Annika Stewart, Darian White and managers Emily Aden, Cameron Eisenhauer and Emme Pruit in postgame ceremonies. (I promise you I will be shedding tears)
Nebraska, which has won four of its last five games including a 75-50 win over Northwestern on Tuesday, will be looking to avenge a 62-58 loss at Minnesota (Jan. 14).
Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) vs Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-11, 5-10 Big Ten)
Saturday, February 24, 2024, 4 pm (CT) Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln,
NebraskaTickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Television: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (3:30 p.m.)Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 590 AM (Omaha), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Events: Senior Day / Retro Day
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten – NCAA NET 30)
22 – Natalie Potts – 6’2 – Fr. – F/G – 10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
40 – Alexis Markowski – 6’3 – Jr. – C/F – 16.1 ppg, 10.7 rpg
1 – Jaz Shelley – 5’9 – Gr. – G – 12.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg
2 – Logan Nissley – 6’0 – Fr. – G – 6.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg
15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6’1 – Jr. – G – 3.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Off the Bench
0 – Darian White – 5’6 – Gr. – G – 7.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
14 – Callin Hake – 5’9 – So. – G – 6.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
12 – Jessica Petrie – 6’2 – Fr. – F – 4.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg
21 – Annika Stewart – 6’3 – Sr. – F – 3.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg
42 – Maddie Krull – 5’9 – Gr. – G – 2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg
32 – Kendall Coley – 6’2 – Jr. – F – 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (132-108); 17th Season Overall (325-217)
Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-11, 5-10 Big Ten – NCAA NET 51)
24 – Mallory Heyer – 6’1 – So. – F – 10.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg
1 – Ayianna Johnson – 6’3 – Fr. – F – 3.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg
3 – Amaya Battle – 5’11 – So. – G – 10.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg
25 – Grace Grocholski – 5’10 – Fr. – G/F – 11.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg
30 – Janay Sanders – 5’11 – Gr. – G – 7.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Off the Bench
52 – Sophie Hart – 6’5 – Jr. – C – 10.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg
41 – Niamya Holloway – 6’0 – RFr. – F – 3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
5 – Maggie Czinano – 6’0 – Jr. – G – 2.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg
10 – Mara Braun (OUT) – 6’0 – So. – G – 17.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Head Coach: Dawn Plitzuweit (Michigan Tech, 1995)First Season at Minnesota (15-11); 17th Season Overall (380-152)
Scouting the Gophers
The Gophers were 14-4 and 4-3 in the Big Ten after a 69-50 win over Michigan State (Jan. 20), but after a disappointing loss at Wisconsin (Jan. 23), Minnesota lost sophomore star Mara Braun to a foot injury in a 73-68 loss at Illinois (Jan. 28). The Gophers are 1-5 without her with the only win coming against Northwestern (88-63, Feb. 17).
Without Braun, freshman Grace Grocholski has taken over as a primary scorer for the Gophers. Grocholski, who went scoreless in the first meeting with Nebraska, is averaging 14.0 points the last six games, including a career-high 27 in the win over Northwestern (Feb. 17) and 23 in a loss at Rutgers (Feb. 13). She has hit 19-of-33 threes (.576) over the past five games.
Amaya Battle is averaging 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-best 5.7 assists. She also leads the Gophers with 41 steals. She had 11 points, four rebounds and five assists in the first meeting this season against Nebraska.
Mallory Heyer, is averaging 10.0 points and a team-best 8.2 rebounds as Minnesota’s most consistent player. She led the Gophers with 16 points and seven rebounds in the first meeting with the Huskers.
Husker Report
Jaz Shelley needs five assists to reach 600 in her college career. Only three other player have reached 600 assists in their career; Lindsey Moore (699, 2010-13); Meggan Yedsena (696, 1991-94); Rachel Theriot (626, 2013-16).
Markowski is 10 rebounds shy of her second straight 300 rebound season, it would be just the 13th in school history. Markowski would become just the fifth Husker to record two 300 rebound seasons.
Markowski’s next double double will be her 17th of the season, moving her ahead of Nafeesah Brown (1993-94) for the second-highest season total in school history. It will also be Markowski’s 38th career double double, trailing only first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14) at 40.
Nebraska
Notre Dame Transfer QB Kenny Minchey Flips Commitment From Nebraska After One Day
The quarterback position has been one of the most intriguing to follow early on into the transfer portal period, as schools across the country make offers to some of the best available arms. Nebraska thought they managed to bring aboard one of the best quarterbacks in the portal on Sunday when they received a commitment from Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey.
That commitment ended up being rather short lived, however.
On Monday, reports emerged saying that Minchey was flipping his commitment from Nebraska to Kentucky just one day after declaring he’d be joining the Cornhuskers for the 2026 season.
Instead, Minchey now appears set to join the Wildcats under new head coach Will Stein, who is finishing up his duties as the offensive coordinator for Oregon.
Minchey is entering his redshirt junior season and will have two years of eligibility remaining. He’s spent the last three years as a backup at Notre Dame. He completed 20 of 26 passes this season for 196 yards, but did not have a passing touchdown or interception.
Now, he’ll get the chance to start for Kentucky, replacing former Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley, who transferred to Arizona State.
As for Nebraska, this is a big blow for the program. It’s not yet clear what direction they’ll turn as the program hunts down its next quarterback after Dylan Raiola entered the transfer portal at the end of the season.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
Nebraska
Former Husker Medically Retires from Football, Forgoes NFL Draft
Ernest Hausmann is electing to hang it up after a four-year run in college football.
The former Nebraska football and Michigan linebacker announced on social media Saturday that he is medically retiring rather than pursuing a pro football career. Hausmann concludes his college football career with over 250 career tackles in 50 career games. The Columbus, Neb., product finished his final season as Wolverines with 44 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Prior to becoming a national champion with Michigan during his sophomore campaign in 2023, Hausmann was a true freshman standout for Nebraska, playing for his in-state team. The Columbus High School graduate was one of the top prospects in Nebraska during his prep career, becoming an All-Nebraska selection and earning a three-star recruitment rating as the No. 5 player in the state for the Discoverers. Hausmann signed with Nebraska over Arizona State, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and others.
The linebacker would play in every game of the 2022 season as a true freshman, earning seven starts while finishing with 54 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery in Scott Frost’s final season as head coach. After Frost was fired early in the season, interim coach Mickey Joseph led lead the team as Hausmann’s play improved as the season continued. The linebacker had a 12-tackle performance at Wisconsin in Nebraska’s 15-14 loss in his second-to-last performance as a Cornhusker before ending the year with six solo tackles and a fumble recovery in a Nebraska win at Iowa.
Hausmann entered the transfer portal after his freshman campaign, electing to join the Michigan Wolverines for the 2023 season. He appeared in all 15 games in the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship run, finishing third on the team with 46 total tackles, including two tackles for loss. He also earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors in Michigan’s Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa, totaling eight tackles against the Hawkeyes.
Hausmann started all 13 games as a junior for Michigan in 2024, leading the team with 89 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, and one interception. His performance led to an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection by the media and coaches, as well as earning a ReliaQuest Bowl win over Alabama while being named a captain for the game.
During his senior campaign, Hausmann was named a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist while earning an All-Big Ten Third-Team selection. He earned four Defensive Player of the Week honors for the Wolverines, and started in Michigan’s 30-27 win at Nebraska on Sept. 20, totaling nine tackles and a sack.
Hausmann was born in Uganda and was legally adopted when he was two years old, but did not join his Hausmann family until he was five years old in 2008. Prior to his senior campaign at Michigan, Hausmann returned to Africa and later partnered with One Million Wells, a nonprofit that seeks to provide water to impoverished communities.
The Wolverine linebacker began communication with his biological family through social media in the past few years, as Hausmann was able to speak to his mother for the first time in 2024. His return journey to Uganda was featured on ESPN’s College GameDay as a feature story earlier in the college football season.
Hausmann stated in his social media post that it was time to “focus on my true purpose on this earth full time.” He added that he would finish his degree at the University of Michigan.
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Nebraska
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