Nebraska WBB vs Kansas WNIT Preview

Mar 23, 2023 - 2:19 AM

Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-14, 8-10 Big Ten) at Kansas Jayhawks (21-11, 9-9 Big 12)

Postseason WNIT Third Round

Thursday, March 23, 2023, 6:30 p.m. (CT)

Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, Kansas

Live Video: ESPN+ (Josh Klingler & Wayne Simien)

Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln (107.3 FM & 1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Two NCAA bubble teams square off Thursday in Lawrence. KU entered the WNIT ranked No. 37 in the NCAA NET rankings while Nebraska was No. 43. That is the 2nd and 3rd best in the tournament, trailing only No. 19 Oregon. In an earlier meeting this season, the Huskers defeated the then-AP No. 20 Jayhawks, 85-79 in triple-overtime at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 21, 2022, snapping KU’s 10-game season-opening winning streak.

Scouting the Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas Coach Brandon Schneider has guided the Jayhawks to their second straight 20-win season and second consecutive postseason appearance in 2022-23. KU is 21-11 following a second-round WNIT win over Missouri (75-47) at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday. Last season, KU closed 21-10, including an NCAA Tournament first-round win over No. 9 seed Georgia Tech at Stanford.

No. 20 Kansas came to Lincoln with a 10-0 record before suffering an 85-79 triple-overtime loss to the Huskers on Dec. 21, 2022. KU closed the regular season 9-11, beginning with the loss to the Big Red and ending with a first-round Big 12 Tournament loss to TCU, which effectively kept the Jayhawks out of the NCAA Tournament despite a No. 37 NCAA NET ranking. KU was 9-9 in the Big 12.

Kansas has averaged a strong 73.2 points on offense while allowing 63.5 points per game. KU is shooting 43.8 percent, including 32.3 percent from three-point range and 75.7 percent at the free throw line. Defensively, they have held opponents to just 37.3 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from long range. KU owns a dominant plus-7.0 rebound margin but a minus-1.0 turnover margin.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-14, 8-10 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 12.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - So. - C/F - 12.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 14.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 10.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - So. - G - 6.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - So. - F - 5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - So. - G - 3.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg
44 - Maggie Mendelson - 6-5 - Fr. - F/C - 2.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - So. - F/G - 1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg
2 - Trinity Brady (Out) - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner (Out) - 5-10 - So. - G - 10.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) Seventh Season at Nebraska (114-98); 16th Season Overall (307-207)

Kansas Jayhawks (21-11, 0-0 Big 12)
1 - Taiyanna Jackson - 6-6 - Sr. - C - 15.0 ppg, 12.5 rpg
0 - Wyvette Mayberry - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg
13 - Holly Kersgieter - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 13.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg
14 - Zakiyah Franklin - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 15.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg
24 - Chandler Prater - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 9.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Off the Bench
10 - Ioanna Chatzileonti (injured) - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 7.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg
4 - Mia Vuksic - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 3.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg1
1 - Sanna Strom - 6-0 - So. - G - 2.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg
23 - Zsofia Telegdy - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 1.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg
33 - Nadira Eltayeb - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 1.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
12 - Katrine Jessen - 6-4 - Jr. - F - 0.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Head Coach: Brandon Schneider (Wayland Baptist, 1995) Eighth Season at Kansas (103-136); 25th Season Overall (504-274)

Nebraska vs. Kansas Series History

The most frequent opponent in Nebraska women’s basketball history, Kansas owns a 50-34 lead in the all-time series with the Huskers.

Although the series is decidedly in KU’s favor, Nebraska has dominated the results since Coach Amy Williams’ senior season as a guard for the Huskers in 1997-98. Beginning with an 84-69 win over the Jayhawks at the Devaney Center in Lincoln on Feb. 11, 1998, Nebraska has gone 24-10 against Kansas in the last 34 meetings, including 15-1 in Lincoln.

Before Nebraska’s 1998 win, KU won 40 of the first 50 meetings between the two schools.