Senior Maric grateful for fan support heading into home finale
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
There was a time when Aleks Maric seriously questioned whether he wanted to continue his basketball career.
He was 18, committed to Nebraska and headed from his home in Australia to New Jersey, where he’d play a season at Burlington Life Center.
Before that trip, tragedy struck Maric’s family. His 35-year-old brother-in-law, Goran Dosen, died suddenly of a brain aneurism.
“Obviously, I had already committed to Nebraska,” Maric said, “but I didn’t want to play any sports at all anymore.”
Why did he change his mind?
“I knew he’d always been a great supporter of mine,” Maric said of Dosen. “He’d want me to do it for my family. He’d always been proud of me that I played basketball.”
Suffice to say Dosen will be on Maric’s mind today when he plays his final regular-season home game at the Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska (17-11, 6-9 Big 12 Conference) hosts Colorado (11-18, 3-12).
Maric, the lone senior on the Nebraska team, will have his parents, Stevan and Draginja, on hand, along with some 25 other friends.
“I just want to go out with a win, show the fans my appreciation,” Maric said. “They’ve been supporting me for four years, and it’s going to mean a lot.”
There exists the possibility of another home game for Maric, should Nebraska advance to either the National Invitation Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational and host a game.
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler, of course, still dreams of something else.
“You hope we can finish this thing with an opportunity for him to still play in the NCAA Tournament,” Sadler said. “That’s still out there, and obviously, we’re going to need to win a lot of games for that to happen. That would be the icing on the cake.”
Those wins would need to come in next week’s Big 12 Tournament.
Nebraska, with a victory today combined with a Texas victory today over Oklahoma State, would have the No. 7 seed and a 6 p.m. first-round game Thursday against No. 10 Missouri.
A Nebraska victory and Texas loss would give the Huskers the No. 8 seed and an 11:30 a.m. first-round game Thursday with No. 9 Texas Tech.
In either scenario, Nebraska would have a potential quarterfinal game against Kansas, which would have the No. 2 seed if Texas wins and the No. 1 seed if Texas loses.
A Nebraska loss today means the Huskers are the No. 10 seed, with a first-round game against either Oklahoma State, if the Cowboys win, or Texas Tech, if OSU loses.
Briefly
* Fans are encouraged to arrive by 1:30 for today’s senior pregame ceremony, which will include the playing of the Australian national anthem.
* Sadler said the playing status of freshman point guard Cookie Miller (sprained shoulder) will be a game-time decision. Miller participated in full practices Friday and Saturday. Sadler said after Tuesday’s game at Texas that Miller would return in time for the Big 12 Tournament.
* Maric was among five Big 12 players named to the NABC All-District first team this week. The last Husker to earn first-team honors was Venson Hamilton in 1999.
* Junior Paul Velander was one of 10 players named to the academic All-Big 12 men’s basketball first team. It’s the second straight year Velander has been named to the list.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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