LINCOLN, NEB. ? Not too many pundits have pronounced this season’s Kansas University men’s basketball team the equal of last year’s NCAA Final Four team.

Nebraska’s Andrew Drevo is no pundit, but the Cornhuskers’ 6-foot-8 junior forward was gushing about the Jayhawks following Saturday’s 81-51 KU victory at the Devaney Center.

“Kansas beat a very good Texas team last week,” Drevo said, “and they were up by 20 on Arizona — I don’t care what the final score is — and one of their best players is hurt.

“They have just as good a team as last year, if not better.”

Drevo, a walk-on who transferred to NU from Morningside College, was the only Husker to score in double figures. He had 15 points and earned a team-high seven boards.

Still, Drevo made only six of 16 shots, including three of 12 from three-point range. Nine of his threes were launched in the first half.

“In the first five minutes we were getting open looks from the outside,” Drevo said. “I didn’t expect to take nine three-point shots, but that’s the way it turned out.”

Nebraska shot a dismal 32.8 percent, was outrebounded 52-34 (21-11 on offense) and was guilty of 18 turnovers.

“You’re going to have to knock the ball down from the outside some,” NU coach Barry Collier said, “and we weren’t able to do that. Also, we needed to get inside and convert, and we didn’t have success with that.”

The Jayhawks’ rebounding edge probably was the most critical statistic.

“It looked to me at times like we had five guys there to their one,” Collier said, “and they still got it.”

Saturday’s 32.8 percent shooting sent the Huskers’ season field-goal percentage under 40 percent. Nebraska has struggled with its field-goal accuracy in seven league games.

“We’re facing teams now that are more solid defensively and have more athletes,” Collier said. “We’re also missing shots, and the only way to improve is to shoot more, and we’ll do that.”

If their shooting doesn’t improve, the Huskers’ tailspin — they’re 1-6 in the Big 12 Conference — will continue.

“It’s definitely tough,” Drevo said. “Nobody wants to lose and nobody is satisfied, but we have no choice but to stay positive.”

Added guard Brennon Clemmons: “It’s tough to take any loss, and a loss like this hurts. But you have to correct your mistakes and move on.”

“They worked harder. They really wanted it more,” the 6-2 senior said.