Nebraska Cornhuskers, Kansas Jayhawks Square Off In Big 12 Season Opener

OMAHA, NE -- Just a forewarning: I am a Nebraska Cornhuskers fan.

As I look at the matchups set for Saturday's "Duel Above the Pool", I can only sit and wonder. Does Nebraska really stand a chance? If they do, what is the likelyhood that they can pull off the upset?

As I look at how things stack up, Aleks Maric really needs to step up his game, maybe even play the best game of his life, if Nebraska really stands a shot at winning this game.

Overall - Kansas has dominated the contests between the two teams winning 161 of the 238 games from 1900 to present. Nearly the exact opposite of the football series record.

The game, scheduled for broadcast on ESPN, provides any basketball fan with an opportunity to see a much improved Nebraska team take on one of the perrenial power houses of college basketball.

Can Sadler show the nation that his team is deserving of a trip to the NCAA tournament in just the first quarter of the season?

Nebraska had no such luck last year when playing Kansas on national televison. The Jayhawks won the game in dominate fashion, 76-56.

Last year there were 12,262 in attendance when the two teams faced off in Lincoln. This year, the game sold out (13,595) in less than 24 hours and 500 standing room only tickets were made available. It is safe to say that many Nebraska fans want to be in attendance in case the Huskers can really pull off the upset.

Doc Sadler will face one of the biggest challenges, if not his biggest challenge, of his Nebraska career to this point against Bill Self's Jayhawks.

The one thing I can say that will not hurt Nebraska's chances, is the fact that when Kansas has been matched up with teams of their caliber, a win has not come easy. The better question might be, are the Cornhuskers at their caliber?

Kansas' season so far is a undefeated record at 15-0. It is has featured wins against 13 more-or-less scrub basketball teams. It also featured a 76-72 overtime victory over #30/#24 Arizona and a 59-55 win at #37/unranked USC. Have the Jayhawks been tested?

Throughout the first part of their season, Kansas has racked up an impressive 84 points per game but that is not surprising when you look at the fact that in 12 of their 15 games they have shot better than 50 percent from the field.

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