Nebraska wary of Bears

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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

When Nebraska guard Sek Henry looks at Baylor, he sees a dangerous basketball team.

“They should easily be top-three in the conference,” Henry said, “because of their size and who they have back.”

Big 12 Conference coaches shared Henry’s sentiment in October. They picked Baylor, an NCAA Tournament team last season, to finish third in the league.

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Nebraska's Sek Henry drives around a Kansas State player during Saturday's game at the Devaney Center, January 17th, 2009. (Jacob Hannah)

Nebraska's Sek Henry drives around a Kansas State player during Saturday's game at the Devaney Center, January 17th, 2009. (Jacob Hannah)

Instead, the Bears have limped to a 5-10 conference record and ninth-place finish.

“The breaks just haven’t gone their way, I guess,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. “I haven’t really watched them.”

Sadler will see plenty of the Bears over the next several days.

Nebraska and Baylor play today in Waco, Texas, and again Wednesday in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City. Nebraska (17-11, 7-8) will be the No. 8 seed, and Baylor (17-12, 5-10) the No. 9 seed.

Playing the same team twice in five days doesn’t affect Nebraska’s preparation for today, Sadler said.

“You don’t worry about it,” he said. “A lot of things can happen before Wednesday gets here.”

It’s the third time in four seasons Nebraska will close the regular season with the same opponent it faces in the first Big 12 Tournament game.

In 2006, the Huskers lost at Missouri by one point, then defeated the Tigers by seven points in Kansas City. In 2007, Nebraska defeated Oklahoma State at home, 85-73, and lost 54-39 three days later in Oklahoma City.

Nebraska is aiming for its first .500 finish in conference play since going 10-6 in 1998-99.

Baylor has lost nine of its last 11 games, and after a 71-62 loss at Iowa State, coach Scott Drew had the players’ names removed from their jerseys. The Bears have since defeated Colorado and lost at Texas.

“They’re just really not doing too well this year, but they’re a dangerous team,” Henry said. “It’s going to take 40 minutes to beat them, unless they just give up on their own.”

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.