The last time Ray Gallegos set foot in Illinois? home basketball arena, the Nebraska guard tied what was then his career high with six three-pointers in a game.
He scored a team-high 23 points, too.
Think Nebraska could use that sort of spark from its senior Wednesday night at Illinois ? or at any point in the season?s crucial homestretch?
Nebraska (16-10, 8-6 Big Ten Conference) takes a five-game winning streak into State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill., with its NCAA Tournament hopes gaining steam.
To keep them alive, the Huskers may need Gallegos, long known as a streaky shooter, to, well, go off.
Perhaps he?s due.
For now, he?s out of rhythm.
Nebraska coach Tim Miles, who?s replaced Gallegos in the starting lineup with David Rivers, thought that bringing Gallegos off the bench and playing him alongside backup point guard Benny Parker would help matters.
?Benny, earlier in the year, seemed to find him more than anybody, so I thought that would spark him a little bit. It not necessarily has,? Miles said. ?He?s had some shots that literally have not dropped. They?ve done everything but go in.
?But, boy, wouldn?t it be nice to go on one of those streaks??
Gallegos, whose three-point percentage has dipped to 29 percent this season, is 3-for-20 on three-pointers over Nebraska?s last four games.
Last season, Gallegos had gone through a 5-for-30 stretch on three-pointers over Nebraska?s previous four games before going 6-of-13 at Illinois.
That was on March 2. Two games later, he set his career high with seven three-pointers at Iowa.
So a Gallegos late-season surge, on the road, wouldn?t be surprising.
Or unwelcome.
?If we can get a guy like him for an extra scoring punch,? Miles said, ?that would really be vital for us. It?s hard. You don?t talk much to a shooter about his head. You just try to get him to feel good about his shot, and that?s what we?re trying to do.?
In the meantime, Gallegos has provided solid defense off the bench, Miles said, in Nebraska?s last two games.
Defense has set the tone for Nebraska?s recent run. The Huskers have held five straight opponents to 37 percent shooting or less, beginning with a 67-58 victory two weeks ago against Illinois in Lincoln, when the Illini shot 36.7 percent.
Rayvonte Rice had 23 points in that game, but no other Illini player was in double figures.
?We just have to do a better job on him,? Miles said. ?They got a lot of points on us in transition, especially Rayvonte.?
Illinois has lost five straight home games, and a sixth straight would mark its longest home losing streak since 1908.
The Illini, under second-year coach John Groce, have struggled offensively, although freshmen Kendrick Nunn, the reigning Big Ten freshman of the week, and Malcolm Hill have provided a lift since entering the starting lineup four games ago.
Illinois has had a week off since winning 62-49 at Minnesota.
?Against Minnesota, they looked pretty good on offense. We can?t let them get in that rhythm,? Miles said. ?I thought they looked pretty good on offense a long time against us. They just had a couple of dry runs that hurt them.?
Shavon Shields, who scored a career-high 33 points in the first meeting against Illinois, said his breakout came as a result of getting shots out of Nebraska?s offense.
Nothing fancy, nothing specifically designed.
He wouldn?t be surprised to see something similar happen with Gallegos.
?He?s a great shooter, a great player. He?ll get it going,? Shields said. ?I think each and every one of us has had our struggles this year, and he?s kind of going through his, and I have 100 percent faith in him that he?ll get it going.?
He scored a team-high 23 points, too.
Think Nebraska could use that sort of spark from its senior Wednesday night at Illinois ? or at any point in the season?s crucial homestretch?
Nebraska (16-10, 8-6 Big Ten Conference) takes a five-game winning streak into State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill., with its NCAA Tournament hopes gaining steam.
To keep them alive, the Huskers may need Gallegos, long known as a streaky shooter, to, well, go off.
Perhaps he?s due.
For now, he?s out of rhythm.
Nebraska coach Tim Miles, who?s replaced Gallegos in the starting lineup with David Rivers, thought that bringing Gallegos off the bench and playing him alongside backup point guard Benny Parker would help matters.
?Benny, earlier in the year, seemed to find him more than anybody, so I thought that would spark him a little bit. It not necessarily has,? Miles said. ?He?s had some shots that literally have not dropped. They?ve done everything but go in.
?But, boy, wouldn?t it be nice to go on one of those streaks??
Gallegos, whose three-point percentage has dipped to 29 percent this season, is 3-for-20 on three-pointers over Nebraska?s last four games.
Last season, Gallegos had gone through a 5-for-30 stretch on three-pointers over Nebraska?s previous four games before going 6-of-13 at Illinois.
That was on March 2. Two games later, he set his career high with seven three-pointers at Iowa.
So a Gallegos late-season surge, on the road, wouldn?t be surprising.
Or unwelcome.
?If we can get a guy like him for an extra scoring punch,? Miles said, ?that would really be vital for us. It?s hard. You don?t talk much to a shooter about his head. You just try to get him to feel good about his shot, and that?s what we?re trying to do.?
In the meantime, Gallegos has provided solid defense off the bench, Miles said, in Nebraska?s last two games.
Defense has set the tone for Nebraska?s recent run. The Huskers have held five straight opponents to 37 percent shooting or less, beginning with a 67-58 victory two weeks ago against Illinois in Lincoln, when the Illini shot 36.7 percent.
Rayvonte Rice had 23 points in that game, but no other Illini player was in double figures.
?We just have to do a better job on him,? Miles said. ?They got a lot of points on us in transition, especially Rayvonte.?
Illinois has lost five straight home games, and a sixth straight would mark its longest home losing streak since 1908.
The Illini, under second-year coach John Groce, have struggled offensively, although freshmen Kendrick Nunn, the reigning Big Ten freshman of the week, and Malcolm Hill have provided a lift since entering the starting lineup four games ago.
Illinois has had a week off since winning 62-49 at Minnesota.
?Against Minnesota, they looked pretty good on offense. We can?t let them get in that rhythm,? Miles said. ?I thought they looked pretty good on offense a long time against us. They just had a couple of dry runs that hurt them.?
Shavon Shields, who scored a career-high 33 points in the first meeting against Illinois, said his breakout came as a result of getting shots out of Nebraska?s offense.
Nothing fancy, nothing specifically designed.
He wouldn?t be surprised to see something similar happen with Gallegos.
?He?s a great shooter, a great player. He?ll get it going,? Shields said. ?I think each and every one of us has had our struggles this year, and he?s kind of going through his, and I have 100 percent faith in him that he?ll get it going.?
