When Terran Petteway arrived at Nebraska, he was a nobody. Scoring 3.1 points per game on a last-place Texas Tech squad the season before will do that.
So it came as a bit of a surprise when Petteway dropped 18 points in his first game against IU, a five-point win in Lincoln, Neb.
A year later, Terran Petteway isn’t sneaking up on anybody. A preseason first team All-Big Ten selection, the junior forward has averaged 19.3 points and 5.6 rebounds this season to keep a disappointing Husker season away from disaster.
The Huskers are 8-4 this season, and that record may be flattering. They’ve lost to Rhode Island, Incarnate Word and Hawaii and narrowly beaten Florida State, Cincinnati and Loyola Marymount. None are top-50 teams, according to kenpom.com.
Little of the blame can be put on Petteway. He’s still as diverse a scorer as ever – and takes pride in it.
Petteway’s size and athleticism make him a matchup problem for defenders. At 6-foot-6, he’s too big for opposing guards, but he’s too quick for forwards.
Nebraska Coach Tim Miles’ offense runs through Petteway, be it with the ball in his hands or without. He’ll run pick-and-rolls with Petteway as both ballhandler and screener. Anything to find space for the Big Ten’s leading scorer last season.
“Coach Miles, he don’t care,” Petteway said at Big Ten Media Day in October. “He’ll put four guards on the court but one big, that might be you setting the pick-and-roll. I’ll be doing that as well as coming off ball screens, picking and popping and picking and rolling to the basket, just get used to it.”
Petteway is one of the highest-volume scorers in the country, taking over 34 percent of Nebraska’s shots when he’s on the floor. His statistics are up in nearly every category this season, but his efficiency numbers have dropped.
He’s taking more shots per game and making them less frequently. His 3-point and free throw percentages have dropped. He’s turning the ball over more and getting fouled less.
All par for the course Petteway set out before the season. He already knew he could score – the next challenge was handling the ball more and creating offense for his teammates.
Petteway said he “easily” prefers playing with the ball in his hands and wanted to become a better facilitator this season.
“I have to,” he said. “I have guys around me that can score the ball. That’s been my goal this summer, to really get those guys involved more.”
Through 12 games, he’s done that. Nearly 22 percent of Husker field goals come off a Petteway assist when he’s on the floor, according to kenpom.com, an 8 percent increase from last year.
He’s improved on the glass and defensively, as well. Petteway is pulling in more rebounds, blocking more shots and creating more turnovers than a season ago.
None of this comes as a shock to him. He knew the game would get easier in his second Big Ten season.
“I think this year it’s going to go more slow for me,” he said at Media Day. “I’m going to be more mature and kind of make my decisions better.”
His time in the Big Ten gave opponents a better chance to prepare for him, as well. When IU plays at Nebraska on Wednesday afternoon, Petteway will come as no surprise.
