LINCOLN -- For a man who’s about to undergo surgery on both of his knees, Sek Henry sure is upbeat.
Henry, a senior guard on the Nebraska basketball team, couldn’t contain his enthusiasm Tuesday when talking about the Huskers’ upcoming season.
“First goal,” Henry said, “is to finish top three in the conference.”
Um, top three?
“Yeah. Top three.”
No, Henry hadn’t taken an early dose of pain medication.
A top-three finish, he said, guarantees Nebraska’s second goal, which is to make the NCAA Tournament.
“Top three, there’s no way they can’t put you in,” Henry said.
Nebraska has never finished in the top three of the Big 12 Conference -- which league coaches say will be better than ever this season -- and hasn’t finished higher than sixth since 1998-99.
How does a team with eight scholarship players who’ve never played a minute in a NU uniform buck that trend?
Strong offseason work, Henry said, is a good start.
“We’ve got players getting bigger and stronger,” Henry said before he and teammates were beginning a voluntary weight room session.
Henry hopes his knees will be stronger after he has surgery later this week. He expects he’ll be sidelined up to six weeks.
Henry was recently injured in a pick-up game and suffered a slightly torn meniscus in his left knee, and he’s hoping some work on his right knee will alleviate problems he’s been having with tendonitis.
“It’s been pretty bad since I’ve been here, but this last year was probably the worst. I know I wasn’t as athletic as I know I can be,” said Henry, who averaged 8 points and 3.4 rebounds as a junior.
Henry, the only Husker who’s played in all 95 games of the coach Doc Sadler era, is a candidate to start at point guard in place of Cookie Miller, who transferred to Miami of Ohio. Henry will compete with junior college transfer Lance Jeter, who will be in Lincoln by July 13, true freshman Ray Gallegos, who’s on campus now, and sophomore Brandon Richardson.
“Whoever becomes the point guard is going to have to lead the team,” Henry said emphatically. “That’s how teams win games, is from the point guard. The national championship, Ty Lawson (of North Carolina). He was the leader of that team, and that’s why they won. It all goes from the point guard.”
Henry points to a deeper roster and bigger players as other reasons he believes Nebraska will be better than last year’s 18-13 team the lost in the first round of the NIT.
“Our bigs are looking real good. We’re three times bigger than last year,” Henry said. “And we have 10, 11 players who can sub in and out, keep going, keep everybody energized and going. Last year, we ran out of gas.
“These freshmen, they’re real good, too. There’s going to be competition, that’s for sure. The more competition we have in practice, the better it is.”
Henry, one of three seniors, knows his high expectations are nothing now but talk.
“You’ve got to show what you’ve got,” he said. “I’m ready to show it.”
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