Doc Sadler has logged his first major victory as Nebraska's new basketball coach. He didn't step on a basketball court. Instead, he travelled to the other side of the world, then the other side of the country.

Sadler persuaded Australian center Aleks Maric to return to the team for his junior season. “It's the coaches, players, but more for the people of Nebraska,” Maric told the Lincoln Journal Star. “I'm looking forward to playing (at Nebraska).”

A personal visit to Brooklyn, NY by new Nebraska coach Doc Sadler also persuaded guard Jamel White to return to the team. Photo: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations

Days later, Sadler went to Brooklyn, NY for a visit with starting guard Jamel White and his mother. Sadler convinced White to return to the basketball team. Two of the team's top scorers are back in the Husker fold.   

A week ago, Maric said he planned to leave the Huskers after Barry Collier quit as NU basketball coach to take the athletics director job at Butler University.

Days later, fresh from being named the Husker's new head coach, Sadler hopped a jet and flew 87-hundred miles to Sydney, Australia. Sadler talked face-to-face with Maric. He told the Huskers' top returning scorer and rebounder it was in everyone's best interest for Maric to return to Lincoln.

Just last week, Kenneth "Doc" Sadler was introduced as Nebraska's new basketball coach. Photo: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations

After meeting with Sadler, Maric said he was impressed with the new Husker coach's honesty.  

“I have changed my mind,” said Maric, who add he was impressed with Sadler's honesty about the matter. “It would be in my best interest to come back and that together we can accomplish a lot.”

The 6-foot-11 center declared early for the NBA Draft after last season but later withdrew from the draft and decided to return to Nebraska. Maric returned to Australia over the summer to train with the country's national team and now plans to be in Lincoln on Friday and in class Monday when the new semester starts at UNL.

Doc Sadler told the Omaha World-Herald that White plans to be back in Lincoln Saturday. White scored 8.7 points a game last season for Nebraska. Maric was the team's top scorer with 10.9 points a game.

What about Sadler? He should have enough airline frequent flyer miles to take the entire basketball team to Disney World.