The last time the Nebraska men’s basketball team put together a solid stretch, fans responded with yawns.

Doc Sadler’s crew was coming off a well-played victory against Texas Tech, had won three of four games, and was hosting Missouri, a beatable team.

Those who bothered to visit the Devaney Sports Center that Wednesday night — actual attendance was 8,014 in the 13,595-seat arena — seemed uninterested. There was room to lay back and stretch out in the student-section bleachers. People began flying for the exits with four minutes left in regulation, and more departed at the start of overtime.

That was a bizarre, inexplicable sight, not to mention embarrassing for Nebraska.

Sadler’s grass-roots promotional efforts for a program in need of a public relations makeover seemed fruitless.

Oh, of course, Missouri won, bringing out the cries of “same old Nebraska basketball.”

There’s truth to that. Just when the Huskers provide their faithful with a glimmer of hope … thud. Back to 11th place. Why get hopes up again?

Which brings us to Wednesday night, when Nebraska hosts Oklahoma, another good but beatable opponent.

Could this be a turning point in the young Sadler era?

The Huskers are coming off back-to-back victories against ranked teams for the first time since 1999. Their 5-3 record in the Big 12, following an  0-4 start, is the second-best stretch of any conference team. Texas is 7-1 in that period.

Sadler asked me if Wednesday’s game was televised. He seemed hopeful when I told him it wasn’t.

I’m not one to quote coaches with their “we need to pack the place” speech. Win, and they’ll come.

But fan following of Nebraska basketball seems, well, peculiar. Some say it’s the Devaney Center on a Wednesday night. (Imagine a new arena). Others say support won’t really come until Nebraska goes to the NCAA Tournament and wins a game or two. Sadler said bad parking is the No. 1 complaint he receives from fans. (I’m guessing free-throw shooting is a close second).

How much, exactly, do Nebraska fans care about basketball?

I’m wondering if Sadler has asked himself that very question. Don’t think he simply shrugged off the crowd for the Missouri game as no big deal.

Nebraska fans’ level of commitment will be tested Wednesday night. It’s a big test, too. A midweek sellout is probably a stretch, but another fan performance like that of two weeks ago would be a major concern.

Logjam

How topsy-turvy is the Big 12 Conference?

Nebraska, in 11th place a week ago, is now a game out of fourth place.

“It feels like the weather —  just like the weather out here in Nebraska,” said sophomore guard Sek Henry, a Los Angeles native. “It gets hot out here, then it gets cold and snows.

“That seems like the way it’s been with us. It’s exciting for us to be back in the race, but we just have to keep on working hard.”

Nebraska and Oklahoma State are among the league’s hottest teams. Both won at Texas A&M, and OSU, which hosts Nebraska on Saturday, is coming off a victory against No. 4 Kansas.

“I’ve been telling my friends, it’s been the craziest Big 12 season since I’ve been here,” Nebraska senior Aleks Maric said. “Teams are so close, a lot of upsets. Such a tough conference this year.”

The Huskers, at 5-7 in the Big 12, are in a three-way tie for eighth place. Of the four teams tied for fourth with a 6-6 record, Nebraska owns head-to-head tiebreakers over two, with a chance for a third by beating Oklahoma.

“I said earlier, when we were down, that we could only go so far down,” Nebraska sophomore Ryan Anderson said. “Eventually, when the time is right, we’re going to come back up.

“Stuff didn’t go our way, and we were taking blows. I think it’s time for us to give some blows now.”

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.