Nebraska
Wisconsin volleyball sweeps Indiana in Anna Smrek’s return. Rematch with Nebraska next.
Sarah Franklin returns to Wisconsin volleyball after health scare
The redshirt junior outside hitter explains the condition that sidelined her and how she recovered in time for the first day of practice.
Mark Stewart, Wochit
Anna Smrek returned to the Wisconsin lineup in impressive fashion Sunday afternoon.
The Badgers junior right-side hitter, who missed the last three matches due to an upper body injury, equaled her season high for hitting percentage in the team’s sweep of Indiana in front of 2,468 at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
Smrek finished with 10 kills and a .667 hitting percentage in the 25-19, 26-24, 25-14 victory. She also had five blocks as third-ranked Wisconsin improved to 24-3 overall and 15-3 in the Big Ten.
“It was really nice having Anna today. She was awfully good today,” UW coach Kelly Sheffield said on the Badger Radio Network’s post-match show.
Sarah Franklin, Izzy Ashburn have double-doubles
Senior Sarah Franklin finished with a team-high 11 kills for the Badgers and with 13 digs registered her second straight double-double. Setter Izzy Ashburn, a graduate student, also recorded a double-double (14 assists, 10 digs).
Graduate student Temi Thomas-Ailara added nine kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Sophomore Carter Booth finished with five kills, a .364 hitting percentage and a team-high eight blocks.
The contest tested Wisconsin’s ability to contain one of the Big Ten’s top setters, senior Camryn Haworth, and one of the league’s top serving teams.
It was challenging afternoon for the Badgers on both fronts. Indiana (19-12 overall, 9-9 Big Ten) finished with four aces and fired countless other serves that UW had a hard time handling. Haworth finished with 33 assists,
“They just have a different serving team, all six rotations, than other teams in the Big Ten,” Ashburn said. “ Prepping for them, it makes it tough, but I thought our passers did a good job of moving on from each ball.
“They’re going to get their good serves, their aces and they’re going to get us out of system, but we’re just going to keep fighting and moving on together and keeping that mindset.”
Badgers take control after tough second set
Wisconsin had its toughest time in the second set when Indiana aced the Badgers three times and held them to a match-low .261 percentage.
That set was the match’s tightest. It featured 12 ties and seven lead changes and went to extra points. The key moment was a UW challenge that gave it a 24-23 lead. The Badgers later closed that set with kills by Smith and then Smrek.
The final set wasn’t nearly as competitive. The Hoosiers trailed throughout and hit .119 while Wisconsin didn’t have a error and hit a match-high .461.
The match sets up Wisconsin for its rematch with Nebraska at 3 p.m. Friday. The Cornhuskers, who clinched the Big Ten title outright with a sweep of Iowa on Sunday afternoon, are undefeated and expected to be the No. 1 seed of the entire NCAA Tournament field.
“That’s a team that is playing better than anybody in the country,” Sheffield said. “That’s a real test to see if you’re on top of your game and what you need to continue to work on during the few days that remain afterwards.
“We want to play well and we want to get on this. We want to start building some momentum. This is as healthy as we have been in a long time.”
Nebraska
NBA Draft: Nebraska’s Brice Williams Emerging as Promising Scorer in 2025 Draft Class
As one of the most underrated scorers in this year’s draft class, Nebraska senior wing Brice Williams has quietly put together a strong case to be selected in the upcoming draft. He had a solid first year with the Cornhuskers last season after transferring from Charlotte, but he has truly broken out through the first 11 games of his final year of eligibility. While his offensive game has been efficient and effective so far, there are still several aspects of his all-around play that need continued improvement as he enters conference play.
Let’s break down Williams’ play so far this season, focusing on how his scoring potential could draw interest both as a whole and in his most recent outing against Hawaii.
Through his first 11 games of the year, Williams has averaged 19.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals on promising shooting splits of 49.6%/45%/90.3%. While his ability to score from all over the floor has been very intriguing, he has also made noticeable strides in drawing fouls, leading to almost guaranteed points from the free throw line. Continuing to post big scoring nights in conference play could be the key to his rise up draft boards, and his most recent performance against Hawaii offers hope that he could be ready.
In Nebraska’s 69-55 victory over Hawaii at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, Williams finished with a season-high 32 points, along with two rebounds, three assists and two steals. He did an excellent job of staying in attack mode throughout the game, constantly hunting for open space to get off shots. His efficiency on high volume stood out as he shot 55.6% from the field while tying a season-high with 18 attempts. Williams also connected on 4-of-5 attempts from three-point range and earned eight attempts from the free throw line, where he did not miss.
This game highlighted his off-ball movement, as he navigated to his spots on the perimeter and found clear lanes to the rim. He knocked down several threes by losing his man on screens, taking one dribble to solidify his looks and hitting the jumpers with impressive touch. While his movement off the ball looked strong, his mechanics on catch-and-shoot opportunities were also clean and consistent.
Outside of his scoring ability, Williams has areas to improve if he wants to earn a shot at the next level. While he has enough athleticism to elevate for jumpers and defend at a serviceable level in college, he will need to find other ways to become a more versatile player. His passing and rebounding have flashed at times this year, but the consistency has been lacking. These concerns also extend to his defense; while he can stay with ball-handlers at a decent rate, his lack of ground coverage and switchability remain concerns.
In summary, Brice Williams has proven to be one of the more underrated offensive prospects in this year’s draft class. His scoring ability, particularly his efficiency and versatility as a shooter, positions him as a potential high-ceiling player who could contribute immediately at the next level. While there are areas of his game—particularly his passing, rebounding and defense—that need further development, his recent performance against Hawaii demonstrates that he has the potential to be a game-changer when he’s locked in. If he can continue to improve in these areas and maintain his offensive production throughout conference play, Williams could very well see his stock rise as the draft approaches.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Nebraska
Nebraska lands Kentucky wide receiver
Nebraska football landed a commitment from former Kentucky Wildcats receiver Dane Key on Tuesday afternoon. He is the tenth overall player to join Nebraska from the transfer portal.
He recorded 47 catches for 715 yards and two touchdowns last season. He had two games of at least 100 receiving yards in 2024. The first game was against Ohio on September 21. He caught seven passes for 145 yards in a contest. He followed that up with an eight-catch, 105-yard performance against the Ole Miss Rebels the following week.
Key gives the Huskers a veteran body in the wide receiver room. There is young talent to be had at the position. He will be able to provide production right now, as well as help bridge the gap between the freshman and upperclassmen wide receivers.
It will be interesting to see Key’s role in this offense moving into 2025. This was a solid get for a wide receiver room that continues loading up. The program landed another solid weapon for quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Find social media reactions to the news below.
Good idea of what’s coming
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Nebraska
Nebraska WR Malachi Coleman to transfer to Minnesota
Joining Miami (Ohio)’s Javon Tracy and UCLA’s Logan Loya, Nebraska transfer wide receiver Malachi Coleman has committed to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Coleman was a high school All-American, a four-star prospect, and a Top 100 recruit according to 247 Sports. He saw the field as a true freshman with the Huskers, catching eight passes for 139 receiving yards and one touchdown, before redshirting this season as a sophomore. Coleman brings size and speed to the Gophers’ wide receiver room.
Coleman, Tracy, and Loya will all have the opportunity to stake their claim atop the depth chart at wide receiver, as Le’Meke Brockington and Cristian Driver are Minnesota’s only returning wide receivers with game experience.
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