The Nebraska women's basketball team will begin the 2022-23 season at No. 22 in the USA Today Preseason Top 25 announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
 
The Huskers, who were also preseason No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll, are one of six Big Ten women's basketball teams in the USA Today/WBCA Top 25, joining No. 6 Iowa (2), No. 11 Indiana, No. 15 Ohio State, No. 18 Maryland (2) and No. 23 Michigan (2). Nebraska is also scheduled to have regular-season non-conference clashes with No. 13 Virginia Tech and No. 21 Creighton, giving the Huskers 10 regular-season games against preseason top-25 opponents.
 
Kansas, which the Huskers will play at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 21, is also receiving top-25 votes in both the USA Today/WBCA and AP polls.
 
Nebraska opens exhibition play for the 2022-23 season on Sunday, when the Huskers play host to Washburn. Tip-off between the Big Red and the Ichabods at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 1 p.m., and tickets are on-sale now through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at Huskers.com.

Whipple Previews Illinois

Nebraska offensive coordinator Mark Whipple met with members of the media following Wednesday's practice. Whipple reflected on how the bye week benefited the team. 

"We cleaned up some things," Whipple said. "They've been really good. Yesterday and today were really good. Sunday they were good also. I think the break helped them. Little more bounce in their step. I thought our two practices this week were the most spirited and competitive, so that's a good sign moving forward."

He explained how he wants the offense to look down the stretch.

"Stay more balanced and keep getting better," Whipple said. "Health wise, I think we are better up front from the Purdue game. Obviously, score dictates a lot of what you have to do. Just have to mix and match, stay on point. We can't miss some of the big plays we did in the Purdue game."

Whipple also spoke on how the offensive line has fared while facing adversity.

"We have lost three starters, so we have to keep moving those guys around and build up some depth," he said. "Guys are going to get hurt, it's part of the game. Building depth isn't always the easiest thing in your first year, not getting to recruit, but we have Hunter Anthony that came in, just trying to build depth."

Finally, he provided a look at the Illinois defense.

"They have bought into their plan on defense," Whipple said. "They are going to play man free and be aggressive. You can see how they've gained confidence throughout. They shorten the game. Their running back is a really good player, which helps their defense. Red zone, they are very opportunistic. And they are really good on third down. They run well on the back end, and they take care of third downs and hold onto the ball. We have to be really good on third down. They can rush the passer, and they play the run well. Bret (Bielema) has done a good job, I have known him a long time."

The Huskers return home after three weeks away from Memorial Stadium to play Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on ABC, with radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.

Huskers Host #25 OSU to Start Big Ten Tourney Play

Lincoln, Neb. - For the first time in program history, the Nebraska soccer team (7-6-5, 5-3-2 Big Ten) will host a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match as it faces No. 25 Ohio State (10-4-3, 5-3-2 Big Ten) on Sunday at Hibner Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.

The Huskers earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, while the Buckeyes represent the No. 5 seed.

Last Time Out
The Huskers split their matches during the final week of Big Ten regular season. Nebraska upset No. 24 Penn State, 4-2, on Thursday night before falling to Wisconsin, 4-1, on Sunday in Madison.

Next Up
The Big Ten Semifinals (Thursday, Nov. 3) and the Big Ten Finals (Sunday, Nov. 6) will be played at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 prior to the first-round of competition.

Nebraska Conference Tournament Notes

• Nebraska finished Big Ten play with a 5-3-2 record, matching its conference wins from 2016 and 2018 and the second-most Big Ten wins in a season since joining the conference in 2011. NU won the Big Ten regular-season title in 2013 when the Huskers went 10-1 in conference play.
• The Huskers tied for fourth in the Big Ten standings with 17 points, sharing the spot with Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers. NU earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament due to the tiebreakers. NU's tie-for-fourth marks its second-best finish in the Big Ten standings since joining the conference in 2011, behind only the 2013 team that won the regular-season crown.
• Nebraska is making its fifth appearance in the Big Ten Tournament since joining the conference in 2011. The team qualified for the conference tournament in 2020-21, but the match was deemed a no-contest. NU is 4-3 in Big Ten Tournament games, winning the title in 2013.
• Nebraska is making its 19th overall appearance in a conference tournament since 1996, when the Huskers played their first season as a member of the Big 12. NU didn't have a conference affiliation in its first two years as a program in 1994 and 1995.
• Nebraska is 22-12 in conference tournament games, winning six titles. The Huskers won the Big 12 Tournament crown in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002, while taking home the Big Ten title in 2013.

Quick Notes

• Nebraska is 70th in the latest RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday. The Huskers have the seventh-best ranking by a Big Ten team, behind No. 11 Michigan State, No. 14 Penn State, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 21 Ohio State, No. 22 Rutgers and No. 45 Wisconsin.
• Sophomore Sarah Weber led the Big Ten with 73 shots during the regular season, averaging 4.06 shots per game. Junior Eleanor Dale was close behind with 59 shots total for a 3.69 average.
• Junior goalkeeper Sami Hauk stands in fifth place in saves per game with 66 and an average of 3.67.

Big Ten Tournament at a Glance

• All four quarterfinal matches of the Big Ten Tournament will be played on Sunday at the campus sites of the top four seeds.
• Big Ten regular-season champion and No. 1 Michigan State hosts eighth-seeded Minnesota on Sunday at 3 p.m. (CT) on BTN.
• No. 2 seed Northwestern faces No. 7 seed Rutgers in Evanston, Ill., on Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.
• No. 3 seed Wisconsin hosts sixth-seeded Penn State on Sunday at 4 p.m. (CT) on B1G+.
• The winners of each game will advance to the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 3 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The start times for the semifinal matches are 1 p.m. (CT) and 3:30 p.m. (CT). Both games will be televised on Big Ten Network.
• The championship game will be played on Sunday, Nov. 6, starting at 1 p.m. (CT) on BTN.

Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes

• Ohio State holds a 10-4-3 record this season and finished Big Ten play with a 5-3-2 mark to tie for fourth.
• The Buckeyes enter Sunday's match on a two-match losing streak to the top two teams in the conference standings.
• The all-time series between Nebraska and Ohio State is tied at 4-4-3. The two teams met earlier this season in Lincoln on Oct. 8 where they played to a 2-2 draw.
• NU and OSU have played each other in the Big Ten Tournament on two previous occasions. The Buckeyes won by a 1-0 margin over the Huskers on Oct. 13, 2021 in Bloomington, Ind. Most recently, in 2018, the teams tied 0-0 in double overtime, but the Huskers advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 penalty shootout victory.
• Ohio State has secured three Big Ten Tournament championships in program history and picked up its highest seed since 2018.
• Head Coach Lori Walker-Hock is 281-192-57 in her 26th season at Ohio State. Walker-Hock is assisted by Brian Jankowski and Gavin MacLeod.

Nebraska to Wrap Up Fall Play in Bahamas

The Big Red men's golf team will hit the beach as they will travel to the Bahamas to take on the White Sands Bahamas Invitational on October 28-30. 

The Huskers will wrap up their fall season as they traverse the Ocean Club Golf Course in Paradise Island and its 7,159-yard, par-72 layout. The team will arrive in the Bahamas on Wednesday before taking part in a practice round Thursday. Play will begin at 8:00 a.m. (CT) on Friday with a shotgun start. 

The 12-team field competing in the White Sands Invitational features eight teams ranked in the top 100 of the latest GolfStat rankings. Duke is ranked 43rd nationally, while Southern Miss is ranked 48th, and are listed as favorites in this tournament alongside Nebraska, who comes in at 60th. The rest of the tournament will include hosts VCU, Arkansas State, Delaware, Louisiana-Monroe, Sam Houston State, Stetson, Texas State, Troy, and UTEP. 

Sophomore Harry Crockett will look to build on his strong start to his Husker career as he closes out fall play. Crockett, through eight rounds, has a 72.20 stroke average. He is also coming off a third-place finish at the Purdue Fall Invitational where he put up a final round 67 (-5) on Oct. 10-11. 

Two more Huskers who will look to finish fall play strong are senior Will Marshall (Ellburn, Ill.) and junior Jeremy Sisson (Skaneateles, N.Y). Both have competed in every tournament for the Huskers this fall. Marshall has a 73.50 stroke average through eight rounds this fall and has two top 25 finishes, which is a career best. Sisson also carries a 74.13 stroke average through eight rounds.

Rounding out the Husker lineup will be two true freshmen: Evan McDermott and Quinn Yost. McDermott, the Spring Lake, Mich. native, carries a 75.20 stroke average through five rounds this fall. Yost has already notched a 20th place finish at the Badger Invitational. 

Competing individually in the tournament will be Nebraska natives Reed Malleck (York) and Grant Jabenis (Westside). Malleck last competed at the Badger Invitational, and Jabenis is coming off of a stellar Husker debut at the Purdue Fall Invitational, where he finished 33rd individually.

You can find updates on the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @HuskersGolf, and live scoring on GolfStat.com.

Nebraska will return to action and begin their spring season with Big Ten Match Play, which will take place in Palm Beach, Fla. at the Hammock Beach Resort on February 3-4.

White Sands Bahamas Invitational
Paradise Island, Bahamas
Ocean Club Golf Course (Par 72, 7,159 Yards)
Oct. 28-30, 2022

Schedule
Friday, Oct. 28 (Round 1) - 8:00 a.m. (CT) - Shotgun Start
Saturday, Oct. 29 (Round 2) - 8:00 a.m. (CT) - Shotgun Start
Sunday, Oct. 30 (Round 3) - 8:00 a.m. (CT) - Shotgun Start
Live Scoring: GolfStat.com

Participating Teams (12)
VCU
Arkansas State
Delaware
Duke
Louisiana-Monroe
Nebraska
Sam Houston State
Southern Miss
Stetson
Texas State
Troy
UTEP

Nebraska Lineup
1. Harry Crockett (So., Oxted, England)
2. Will Marshall (Sr., Elburn, Ill.)
3. Jeremy Sisson (Jr., Skaneateles, N.Y)
4. Evan McDermott (Fr., Spring Lake, Mich.)
5. Quinn Yost (Fr., Farmington, N.M.)
IND. Grant Jabenis (So., Omaha, Neb.)
IND. Reed Malleck (Jr., York, Neb.)