Fun Facts: Iowa-Nebraska

Tonight is Academy Awards Night.

But before the Oscars, Iowa plays Nebraska in basketball. I'll be on the Big Red carpet at Lincoln before the game. I won't be in Armani.

And now, Fun Facts:

1. Nebraska has lost its last four games and six of its last seven.

2. However, the Cornhuskers have beaten Illinois and Michigan State at home.

3. Iowa defeated Nebraska 70-59 in Iowa City on Jan. 5. Iowa's forwards and centers scored 61 points that night,

4. No Husker had more than one assist against the Hawkeyes. But Terran Petteway had a career-high nine assists at Maryland three days ago.

5. Nebraska is shooting 29.3 percent from 3-point distance, the worst in the Big Ten. Terran Petteway has 181 attempts from that distance, the most of any Big Ten player.

6. Nebraska was ranked 21st in the coaches' poll preseason rankings. It is 13-13 overall, 5-9 in the Big Ten. Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa are also currently unranked after having been in the coaches' preseason Top 25.

7. Current No. 11 Northern Iowa didn't get a single vote from the coaches' panel in the preseason.

8. Nebraska forward Shavon Shields averages 15.7 points per game. He is the son of Nebraska's 1992 Outland Trophy winner, Will Shields, a 12-time NFL Pro Bowl selection.

9. Last season was the first time the Huskers had a winning record in conference play since 1998-99 when they were 10-6 in the Big 12.

10. The Huskers' average home crowd this season has been 15,522, behind only Wisconsin and Indiana in the Big Ten.

11. Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena is in its second year of operation. It has already featured concerts by Jay-Z, Elton John, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry and Pink. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band will play there March 15.

12. Pinnacle Bank has 147 branches, including three in Columbus and one in Madison. That's Columbus, Neb., and Madison, Neb.

13. Nebraska freshman Nick Fuller will make his first career-start today. Asked how Fuller reacted when told his playing time would increase, Huskers Coach Tim Miles said 'He got even paler than usual.” (That quote was courtesy of the Omaha World-Herald.)

14. A year ago, Bruce Dern won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 'Nebraska.”