LINCOLN — When it comes time for a pep talk before his team's basketball game Sunday at Southern California (2-1), Nebraska coach Doc Sadler can step aside.

Husker senior guard Sek Henry, who grew up just down the street from the USC campus and knows a handful of Trojan players, will take care of any motivational needs.

“When I went back home for a week in August, they were already talking a little smack,'' Henry said. “It's going to be fun, but it's going to be serious business because I don't want to lose to them.''

Henry has played pickup ball in USC's practice gym and competed in L.A. summer leagues with Trojan starters Dwight Lewis and Marcus Johnson and backup Alex Stepheson.

USC showed some recruiting interest in Henry.

“But that's just too close to home,'' he said. “Sometimes you need to go away. That's like going to another high school. It's like right down the street from my house. But it's a good school.''

Henry originally signed with Arizona State, but attended prep school instead. Then he chose Nebraska about two weeks after Sadler got the job.

This season, he leads NU (3-1) in scoring (11.8) and assists (4.3).

Playing a game in your hometown leads to the inevitable ticket scramble, which Henry said he's working on.

“A lot of people said they want to come to the game,'' he said. “I know they are going to be cheering for us. They better be cheering for Nebraska, or I'm going to get on them.”

Nebraska's first road trip didn't go well.

Against Saint Louis, picked to finish 12th in the 14-team Atlantic 10, the Huskers led only once in a 69-55 loss.

“When we come to their house, we've got to play with their intensity or even more,” Henry said. “We have to show them we came to play.

“If you're just lagging off and containing players and let teams run their offense, eventually they're going to start scoring baskets.”

Henry said it appeared that message got through to Nebraska's eight newcomers after the first road loss.

“They didn't really say anything,” he said. “But you could look in their eyes and see like, ‘Man, this is serious. Things just don't go the same way as they do at home.'

“When you play in high school, it's different. But this is serious business.”

Another area of concern has been Nebraska's slow starts.

“We've talked about that a lot,'' Henry said. “Teams probably talk about trying to punk us, so we've got to play physical and rebound and contain the ball.

“I want us to be ready to play and come out with a victory. We are a young team. Getting a victory on the road would give us confidence.”

• NOTES: USC, which already has a home loss to Loyola Marymount, was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-10. ... Trojan starting forward Kasey Cunningham suffered a torn ACL in the Marymount game — his fourth such tear in the same knee — and is out for the season. ... Sadler said guards Brandon Richardson (back) and Eshanute Jones (leg) made it through part of Saturday's practice.

Contact the writer:

444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com

« Sports - Big Red Today

Share