NEBRASKA WOMEN FACE PENN STATE:
The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena this week for a pair of important Big Ten Conference home games, beginning with a clash against Penn State.
Tip-off between the Huskers (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) and the Lady Lions (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. Pregame on KGFW begins at 6:45 PM after a shortened Sports Nightly show.
The game will feature Australia Night, celebrating the contributions of Isabelle Bourne and Jaz Shelley to the Nebraska program.
Nebraska and Penn State are tied for seventh in the 14-team Big Ten standings. The Huskers will try to snap a three-game losing skid, while the Lady Lions come to Lincoln having won three of their last four games, including a 70-60 victory over Purdue on Saturday in University Park.
HUSKER FOOTBALL OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE NEW ADDITIONS TO ASSISTANT STAFF:
Nebraska Head Football Coach Matt Rhule has completed the hiring of his first full-time Husker coaching staff with the announcement of the addition of three assistant coaches on Wednesday.
Bob Wager will join the Nebraska staff as tight ends coach, Rob Dvoracek will coach the Husker linebackers and Garret McGuire will serve as wide receivers coach. The three newest additions are pending the completion of the University hiring process and join seven assistant coaches hired to Rhule’s staff since he was named Nebraska’s head coach on Nov. 26.
Wager comes to Nebraska after a highly successful high school head coaching career in Texas. Wager has been a head coach for more than 20 seasons and has posted a record of 206-100-1.
Dvoracek joins the Nebraska staff after spending the previous two seasons coaching for the Carolina Panthers. Overall, Dvoracek has spent four years working on Rhule’s coaching staff, including two years at Baylor and two in the National Football League.
McGuire worked for two seasons in the National Football League with the Panthers in 2021 and 2022. He joined Rhule’s staff in Charlotte immediately after his playing career at Baylor and worked as an offensive assistant for the Panthers.
HUSKER MEN FALL FLAT TO ILLINOIS AT PBA:
Sam Griesel and Wilhelm Breidenbach combined for 23 points, but Illinois used a pair of big second-half runs to post a 76-50 victory at Pinnacle Bank Arena Tuesday night.
Terrence Shannon Jr. led five Illinois players in double figures as he finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds. The Fighting Illini are now 11-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
The Huskers dropped to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play. Griesel led NU with 12 points and added six rebounds, while Breidenbach scored all 11 of his points in the second half
Nebraska will travel to West Lafayette on Friday, Jan. 13, to take on No. 3 Purdue at 6 p.m. Listen to the contest on KGFW with pregame beginning at 5 PM Friday night.
FOUR LOPERS EARN ALL-AMERICAN STATUS:
Quarterback TJ Davis, left guard Hunter Hays, punter Hunter Kraus and strong safety Darius Swanson represent Nebraska-Kearney on the 2022 Don Hansen Division II All-American team.
Davis (Colorado Springs) and Swanson (Aurora, Colo.) repeat as Don Hansen All-Americans while this is the first All-American honor for both Hays (McCook) and Kraus (Taylor). Swanson was named second-team with Davis, Hays and Kraus all honorable mention selections.
Swanson, who will use his “COVID year” playing for the Tulane Green Wave in 2023, earned AA honors from four different outlets this season.
Next, Davis makes his third AA team this offseason.
New head coach Ryan Held will announce his coaching staff in the coming days with Division II “Signing Day” set for Wednesday, Feb. 1.
HUSKER SOFTBALL’S ANDREWS NAMED TOP 100 PLAYER AHEAD OF SEASON:
After an impressive 2022 campaign from Billie Andrews, the junior was ranked the No. 58 player in the country by D1 Softball ahead of the 2023 season.
Andrews was listed among the top 100 players heading into the 2023 season. The list included players who were identified as the most valuable softball student-athletes, including Northwestern’s Danielle Williams, the 2022 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.
Andrews is coming off of a record-breaking sophomore season in 2022. The second-team All-Big Ten selection recorded 20 home runs during the year, setting a sophomore school record and finishing the season ranked 13th in the NCAA. Andrews was named an NFCA third-team All-Midwest Region selection and was voted the Nebraska Female Athlete of the Year.
ALVANO – CURRENT WESTSIDE WARRIOR, FUTURE HUSKER KICKER NAMED ALL-AMERICAN:
Each year since 2006, MaxPreps has recognized the nation’s top high school football players at the conclusion of the season.
Tristan Alvano, the only Nebraska High School football player on the list, saved his best for last, connecting on all five field goal attempts in the state championship game including a 45-yard game-winner with no time remaining to give the Westside Warriors a 43-41 win over Gretna in the Class A state championship.
Alvano went 70/70 on PATs while successfully connecting on 16 field goal attempts during his junior season.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Boys Basketball: v. Lexington
- Lexington 52-47 KCHS
- Girls Basketball: v. Lexington
- KCHS 55-7 Lexington
- Boys Basketball: v. Lexington
WEDNESDAY:
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 6:45 PM)
- Nebraska Women’s Basketball v. Penn State (6:45 PM – 10 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Basketball: @ Lincoln East – 5:45 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Lincoln East – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame after KHS GBB
- Wrestling: v. North Platte Dual @ Kearney High School – 7 PM
- Girls Basketball: @ Lincoln East – 5:45 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ North Star Triangular – 4 PM
- Girls Basketball: v. Broken Bow – 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: v. Broken Bow – 7:30 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls Basketball @ Lincoln East (5:30 PM – 7:30 PM)
- Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Lincoln East (7:30 PM – 9:30 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High School (Diving Only) – 4:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High Invite (Diving Only) – 4:30 PM
- Wrestling: Triangular @ Gibbon (v. Gibbon & Mitchell) – 7 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic @ Lincoln, NE – 4 PM
- Wrestling: @ Newman – 7 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Men’s Basketball @ Purdue (5 PM – 8:45 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Wrestling: HAC Championships @ Lincoln Southwest – 9:30 AM
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High Invite – 10 AM
- Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Bryan – 2 PM
- KGFW Pregame beginning at 1:45 PM
- Girls Basketball: v. Bellevue West @ Kearney High School – 4:15 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High Invite – 10 AM
- Wrestling: @ Gibbon Invite – 10 AM
- Girls Basketball: @ Hastings St. Cecilia – 1 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Hastings St. Cecilia – 3 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic @ Lincoln, NE – 11:30 AM
- Swimming: @ OC Invite @ Irvine, CA
- Women’s Basketball: @ Fort Hays State – 2 PM
- Men’s Basketball: @ Fort Hays State – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Omaha Bryan (1:45 PM – 3:45 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
