Game Day Essentials: Game #13 vs South Carolina St.

South Carolina St.

Head Coach: Erik Martin (2nd year)
Location: Orangeburg, SC
Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Nickname: Bulldogs

Line: Nebraska by 25.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 12+

KenPom rank: 335

Nota bene:  

• This is the last BTN+ game of the season. If you just have it for the basketball season, be sure to remember to cancel
• SC St ranks 2nd in KenPom's bench minutes stat, 345th out of 362 in KenPom D1 experience stat
• Nebraska is 2-0 all time vs SCST and 14-0 all time vs MEAC teams
• With a win this would be the 5th team since World War II to finish a non-conference schedule with just 1 loss  (10-1, 2018-19; 10-1, 2003-04; 12-1, 1991-92; 11-1, 1977-78) 

KenPom most used lineups

Player to watch: Davion Everett

Everett leads the team in scoring and rebounds while spending time at the 4/5 like a smaller Ed Morrow. Will be aggressive on the offensive boards and like a lot of the Bulldogs will cause plenty of contact while drawing and giving out fouls.

Player to watch: Wilson Dubinsky

I'd call him the Canadian Tominaga as the 6'2", 200# JUCO product is known for his 3pt shooting and takes the lion's share of the attempts for a team that doesn't shoot them a ton. Dubinsky is shooting 34.9% from 3 thus far and has accounted for 30 of the team's 69 makes.

Player to watch: Drayton Jones

Jones is the only true center that the Bulldogs are playing ATM. The freshman center is good rebounder/rim protector type but is foul prone and so-so scoring in the paint.

Others to watch

Caleb McCarty is a pogo stick type player that has given Nebraska fits in years past though he's a glue guy so he's not prone to scoring much over 10 points. The Bulldogs play at least 12 guys a game so it will be a rotating door of guys based on foul trouble and effectiveness.

UNL Game Notes

Roster/infirmary report

Will update if needed when the B1G releases their injury 

Out indefinitely 

5   Ahron Ulis     6-3    190 lbs    Junior - Likely out for the season
15  Blaise Keita     6-11    257 lbs    Junior - Ongoing ankle injury recovery

Out until early January

51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior - Knee Scope

Possible starters for Nebraska

10    Jamarques Lawrence  6-3    183 lbs    Sophomore

30   Keisei Tominaga           6-2    179 lbs    Senior
3     Brice Williams               6-7    213 lbs    Junior

4   Juwan Gary                   6-6    221 lbs    Junior
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior

Bench

0    C.J. Wilcher                  6-5    214 lbs    Junior

9    Jarron Coleman            6-5    213 lbs    Senior
1    Sam Hoiberg                 6-0    183 lbs    Sophomore
11    Eli Rice                         6-8    213 lbs    Freshman
21    Matar Diop                 6-10    213 lbs    Freshman
31    Cale Jacobsen            6-4    200 lbs    RS Freshman

2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman

35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman

24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 

Possibly some Keisei foreshadowing for tonight's game

The Skinny: 

The 2023-24 Huskers have feasted this year on a relatively soft non-conference schedule and for the most part have lived up to expectations. The Huskers looks to finish 2023 on a 4 game winning streak vs a South Carolina St team that not only isn't very good but plays a style of basketball that tends to do poorly vs Nebraska. While North Dakota proved that the holidays are notorious for upsets in front of dead crowds, the Bulldogs will need to play out of their minds to stay in this game. 

The Bulldogs with their nearly bottomless bench of players play a pressure type defense where they're trying to generate steals for easy buckets the other way, mainly packing the paint. If Nebraska can keep their wits about them, they'll find open 3s and FTs galore in this game. Offensively the Bulldogs are taking most everything inside. If Nebraska can defend without fouling, they'll have a chance to hold this team under 60. 

SC St's game against Missouri stands out as the Bulldogs led 21-10 ten minutes into that one before Mizzou closed out the game outscoring the Bulldogs 72-38. It's likely at some point Nebraska will be in a position where this game will be out of hand and it will be interesting to see who does and doesn't come off the bench for the Huskers.

Hopefully the Huskers will escape with no injuries and with a score that won't disappoint the computers.

Prediction: Nebraska 94 - South Carolina St. 62