Game Day Essentials: Game #6 vs South Dakota

[hhcmatt]

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) vs South Dakota Coyotes (6-2)

 

Date: Wednesday Nov 27,  2024
Time: 5:30 pm
Arena: PBA

Broadcast:  BTN

South Dakota Info

 

Head Coach: Eric Peterson 
Location: Vermillion, SD
Conference: Summit
Nickname: Coyotes

Mascots: Charlie
Rotation Depth: 9
Last time out: Defeated Randall University (non-D1)

Opening Line: Nebraska by 19.5

Nota bene:  

• Of all the D1 Dakota schools, South Dakota is the closest to Lincoln and the one Nebraska has played the most (SD - 39, SDSU - 13, ND - 6, NDSU - 2)
• Coyote coach Eric Peterson is from the Craig Smith coaching tree having coached under Smith at South Dakota, Utah State, and Utah. Peterson was around for the first two years of Worster's college career under Smith.
• Former Husker Brandon Ubel is an assistant for the Coyotes, following Peterson from Smith's staff where he was a grad assistant.
• Fred Hoiberg won 24 games in his first two seasons with 2 of those wins vs South Dakota. The Coyotes haven't beaten Nebraska since 1942.
• South Dakota has had a busy November having already played 8 games coming into today's matchup
• Former Lincoln SW grad Mayuom Buom and Omaha Skutt grad Jake Brack are on the roster for the Coyotes

Player to watch: Kaleb Stewart

The Senior combo guard shot 41.1% from 3 last year. While he's sputtered to start the season, he does have a 4-10 3pt shooting night against Iowa and tends to keep firing if he's hot on a given night.

 

Player to watch: Cameron Fens

Fens is the one post player that South Dakota has that is an offensive threat. The Coyotes have 4 guys over 6'6" and they're all traditional big men type who won't take 3s.

 

South Dakota Roster

Player	#	Class	Pos	Height	Summary
Isaac Bruns	12	SO	G	6-4	12.9 Pts 4.5 Reb 0.6 Ast
Chase Forte	9	SR	G	6-3	11.9 Pts 2.8 Reb 3.1 Ast
Kaleb Stewart	1	SR	G	6-3	10.8 Pts 2.1 Reb 2.0 Ast
Paul Bruns	23	SR	G	6-4	10.0 Pts 4.5 Reb 1.9 Ast
Cameron Fens	54	JR	C	6-10	9.3 Pts 5.3 Reb 0.5 Ast
Quandre Bullock	11	SR	G	6-6	10.1 Pts 3.7 Reb 1.3 Ast
Max Burchill	3	SR	G	6-4	6.4 Pts 3.1 Reb 2.4 Ast
Ashton Smith	32	JR	F	6-9	4.9 Pts 4.5 Reb 0.1 Ast
Shey Eberwein	2	FR	G	6-5	5.7 Pts 1.3 Reb 0.8 Ast
Mayuom Buom	0	SR	F	6-10	3.4 Pts 1.7 Reb 0.7 Ast
Jake Brack	21	SO	F	6-9	3.8 Pts 3.0 Reb 1.2 Ast
Jevon Hill	15	SO	F	6-9	4.5 Pts 1.8 Reb 0.3 Ast
Jalen Hayes	25	FR	G	6-2	3.7 Pts 2.3 Reb 1.3 Ast

 

UNL Game Notes

 

Roster/infirmary report

 

 

Possible starters for Nebraska

3    Guard    Brice Williams     6-7    214 lbs    Senior

4    Forward    Juwan Gary     6-6    226 lbs    Senior

24    Guard    Rollie Worster     6-5    210 lbs    Senior

34    Center    Braxton Meah     7-1    264 lbs    Senior

9    Forward    Berke Büyüktuncel     6-10    244 lbs    Sophomore

 

Bench

0    Guard    Connor Essegian     6-4    190 lbs    Junior

2    Guard    Ahron Ulis     6-3    190 lbs    Senior
5    Forward    Braden Frager     6-7    220 lbs    Freshman
8    Guard    Jeffrey Grace III     6-3    200 lbs    Junior
12    Guard    Gavin Griffiths     6-7    193 lbs    Sophomore
20    Forward    Justin Bolis     6-8    225 lbs    Sophomore
25    Guard    Nick Janowski     6-4    208 lbs    Freshman
31    Guard    Cale Jacobsen     6-4    195 lbs    Sophomore

1    Guard    Sam Hoiberg     6-0    185 lbs    Junior

23    Forward    Andrew Morgan     6-10    242 lbs    Senior 

35    Forward    Henry Burt     6-7    222 lbs    Sophomore

 

Out for year
51    Forward    Rienk Mast     6-10    260 lbs    Senior

 

 

Fred Hoiberg Presser

 

 

Fred talking about not letting down after a big win and that South Dakota has a UTRGV type of firepower to them

 

The Skinny: 

South Dakota isn't a particularly good team but they're the right type of dangerous to give Nebraska fits tonight.  The Coyotes are comfortable taking a lot of 3s and while their shooting numbers aren't great this season, they have guys for it. Defensively, they're going to pressure the ball full court and pound the offensive glass to generate some free points. South Dakota plays a lot of minutes from their bench so fatigue isn't a factor for this team.

 

I'd expect both teams to let it rip in this one.  If Nebraska can get to a point where they clear the bench, do we see Janowski, Frager, or Bolis?  Haven't gotten official word from HCFH but sure looks like they're redshirting to me.

 

Prediction: Nebraska 93 - South Dakota 72

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[hhcmatt]

Notes from UNL

 

• Nebraska has now won 16 straight games at home dating back to last season.

• Nebraska’s 96 points was a season high (86 vs. FDU) and the most since scoring 100 points in a four OT loss at NC State on Dec. 1, 2001. It was NU’s highest total in regulation since scoring 110 against Doane on Dec. 17, 2020.
• Connor Essegian finished with a career-high 29 points, bettering his previous career best of 24 against Michigan on Feb. 26, 2023, when he was at Wisconsin. It marked his third career 20-point game and first as a Husker. Essegian’s 29 points were the most by a Husker this season.
• Essegian set career bests in both 3-pointers (six) and assists (five). His six 3-pointers was the most by a Husker since Rienk Mast had six against Ohio State on Jan. 23, 2024.
• Essegian’s five assists were a career high, as his previous best was three on two previous occasions, most recently on Dec. 6, 2022
• Essegian’s 29 points is the most by a Husker off the bench since at least 2004. It is the ninth time under Hoiberg that a Husker reserve scored at least 20 points.  It was the fifth time this season that a Husker reserve reached double figures.
• Nebraska finished with a season-high 13 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half. NU’s previous season high was seven.
• Nebraska posted its fifth double-digit run of the season, as Brice Williams had 10 of his 21 in the spurt.
• Nebraska’s 24 assists was a season high and most since dishing out 25 assists in the win over Doane in 2020. The last time Nebraska recorded 20 or more assists was against Indiana last season in the Big Ten Tournament.  NU posted a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 24 assists and 12 turnovers.
• Nebraska finished with 10 steals, the fourth time in six games with double-digit steals.
• Brice Williams reached double figures for the 10th straight game dating back to last season with his 21-point effort. It is the longest stretch of his career. Williams has three 20-point games this season and six in NU’s last nine games dating back to last season.
• The 54 first-half points is the most since scoring 54 against Doane on Dec. 17 2020, most vs. D-1 team since scoring 55 in the first half against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6, 2018.
• It was the 10th time under Fred Hoiberg where Nebraska scored at least 50 first-half points.
• Braxton Meah (12 points on 6-of-6 shooting) and Sam Hoiberg (nine points) also finished with season highs in points
• Nebraska got 51 points from its bench in the win.

[hhcmatt]

Just now, hhcmatt said:

Essegian’s 29 points is the most by a Husker off the bench since at least 2004

 

I was able to find a game where Strickland scored 28 off the bench in 1993

It's possible this is a school record for points off the bench