Nebraska Basketball was well-represented at the award announcements Monday.
They call the postseason trophy season for a reason and Monday, two Nebraska basketball players were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments during the regular season. James Palmer Jr. was named to the All-Big Ten third team and Isaiah Roby was a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Palmer was the unquestioned leader of the Nebraska basketball offense. He had a great senior season and capped it off in style with a big win over Iowa on Senior Day. He finishes the regular season with 19.1 points per game. That puts him third in the Big Ten in that category. Palmer also amassed 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He was particularly effective during the first half of the season, as it seemed like he could do no wrong with the basketball. He was able to score in the paint with ease and lift Nebraska to many victories.
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As the season went on, opponents began catching on to Palmer’s talents offensively. As result, they would bring double teams to defend him and in turn that would disrupt his rhythm. Nevertheless, he would push through and continue to provide scoring output for Nebraska basketball. His leadership and scoring ability on the court will definitely be missed next season. He and Roby kept Nebraska basketball in many games this season.
Roby had a great season of his own. He recorded 11.5 points per game and tallied 7.1 rebounds per contest. Roby was often the glue that would keep the Nebraska basketball offense together. When Issac Copeland went down, Nebraska basketball needed a secondary scorer to help fill the void. Roby was able to do that. However, the game of college basketball is more than just what happens on the court, and Roby’s accolade is a testament to that. He truly exemplified himself in a positive way for Nebraska basketball this season. He is extremely deserving of this award.
It will be interesting to see what this duo can do in the Big Ten tournament this week. With Nebraska playing the obvious role of underdogs and a crowded field, Nebraska basketball will certainly have their work cut out for them. However, as they have shown at times this season, Nebraska basketball can compete with the big boys when they are firing on all cylinders. If there are any players on the roster that know how to step up and make plays when it counts, it is these two.