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LINCOLN — Doc Sadler speculated Tuesday that Nebraska basketball fans nearly had reason in recent years to honor him with a monument outside the Devaney Center.

If that sentence has you wondering if this weird winter weather has affected the sixth-year coach's thinking, read on.

This comes back to the Huskers, who play Thursday at Northwestern, shooting 75 percent from the foul line this season compared with an average in Sadler's first five seasons of 69.1 percent.

So what's the difference?

"The right guys are getting fouled, I guess," he said. "That's one of the frustrating things when you look back at four of the five years I've been here.

"If we would have shot free throws like we are shooting now, there's probably a statue out there of me because we'd have probably been an NCAA tournament team in three or four of those years."

Now?

"There's no statue and a lot of people are wondering if we know what we're doing," Sadler said. "In years past, we've tried everything at the free-throw line. The only thing we're doing this year is shooting 25 free throws at the end of every practice."

Nebraska (11-9, 3-6) is first in the Big Ten and 21st nationally in foul shooting. Weber State leads the country at 79.9 percent.

As for school records, the Huskers are tied with the 1980-81 team for second place all time in free-throw percentage for a single season. The 1967-68 NU team holds the record at 76.5 percent, which was No. 3 nationally that season.

Last season, when Nebraska was 18-8 in mid-February and holding valid NCAA tourney hopes, its national free-throw ranking was No. 134.

Reasons for NU's improvement in 2011-12 are identifiable.

First, add newcomers who shoot well. Bo Spencer and Dylan Talley, who are veteran players but Husker rookies, are shooting 87.8 percent and 84.8 percent, respectively.

Second, apply confidence early and often. Sadler pointed to Nebraska's second game of the season — a 64-61 double-overtime win at USC — as a turning point at the line.

In the final minute of regulation, senior Toney McCray's two free throws forced overtime. With 2.8 seconds left in the first overtime, McCray made two more free throws to force a second extra period. Then, Spencer made two free throws with nine seconds left in the second overtime to clinch the game.

Since then, the free-throw success has been strong — especially in the last five minutes of games, when Nebraska shoots 78 percent.

"If you look back, really the only critical free throws we've missed this year were missed at Illinois," Sadler said. (NU was 13 of 19 in that 59-54 loss.)

In two recent wins, Nebraska hit 9 of 11 in the second half of a 70-69 victory against Indiana, and 13 of 16 in the second half of a 79-73 victory at Iowa.

Brandon Ubel, Nebraska's third regular shooting better than 80 percent from the line (80.9), said the postpractice work has led a better feeling overall about shooting.

"We try to see who can make the most in a row, or try to make 25 in a row or 50 in a row before we go in," Ubel said. "So having that focus and getting in a rhythm that way has helped our confidence overall."

Contact the writer:

402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com

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