Game Day Essentials: Game #1 vs Mississippi Valley State

Mississippi Valley State

Head Coach: Andre Payne
Location: Itta Bena, MS
Conference: SWAC
Nickname: Delta Devils
Last time out: Beat NAIA Wiley College (Exhibition)
Shirt not to wear: Green, Slayer
Notable Former MVSU Athlete: Jerry Rice
Pace: Ludicrous Speed

Miles Presser
http://www.huskers.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4674699

Shields Presser
http://www.huskers.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4674499

The Skinny

Did you watch any of the pressers above where Miles and Shavon were asked more about Villinova than MSVU? The Delta Devils are currently ranked near the bottom of everyone's pre-season rankings and have already dropped an exhibition game to NCAA Div II Stillman. Given that the team plays as fast as UNO, this should at least be an entertaining game the Huskers easily win. (Note: Wisconsin and Illinois lost on Friday. Please show up Huskers )

Typically Miles puts a lot of thought into his scheduling which is why I couldn't understand him scheduleing a probable RPI killer like MSVU. It took me a while until I noticed the only things the Delta Devils excelled at last year: turnover % and steals. Tonight's game should hopefully answer a question I've had during the offseason: how are we going to handle the press? It would seem like we've scheduled a beatable team to answer that question.

Defensively, the Huskers should match up well with one of the few teams that is relatively smaller than them. MSVU's best player offensively is 6'4" Junior Isaac Williams. Whoever draws Williams on defense is potentially who we consider our best wing defender.

Tim Miles likes having a set-number rotation of players. The Huskers currently have an 8 man rotation of

• Shields
• White
• Parker
• Webster
• Watson
• McVeigh
• Hammond
• Morrow
  

Additionally you have Jacobson and now Tanner Borchardt as part of the "big guys who will play because of matchups and/or foul trouble" rotation with Morrow and Hammond. This is a young team so this is undoubtedly going to change during the season.

Did anyone else notice Miles imploring his team to pick up the pace vs Northern St? I think we play that way to start the season and go from there. Also, did anyone notice that the end of our bench suddenly has offensive firepower? In the past it's been easy money to project the Huskers to score lower than you'd think in both close games and blowouts. This year I think it's raining Runzas.

Prediction: Nebraska 92 - Miss Valley St 70 with a 100% chance of Runzas