Game Day Essentials: Game #21 vs Northwestern

Northwestern Info

Head Coach: Chris Collins
Location: Evansville, IL
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Wildcats

Mascot: Willie the Wildcat

Point Spread: NW by 2.5

Typical Rotation Depth: 7+

KenPom rank: 51

A couple of Famous Alumni: Shon Morris, Otto Graham

Other:  

• Game was originally scheudled for Tuesday, Jan 24th but was moved back a day as Northwestern's game vs Wisconsin was rescheduled to Monday due to Covid/injuries restricting the number of available scholarship players
• Fred Hoiberg is 0-6 vs Northwestern as head coach of Nebraska
• It's coaches vs cancer week so expect both coaches to be wearing suits and sneakers

KenPom Analysis: Northwestern has great defensive numbers until you drill into what they've been doing in conference as they've been torched from 3 and have been average from 2. Regardless this is a poor shooting team that has propped up their offense via shot volume (not turning the ball over, offensive rebounds) and FT attempts

Player to watch: G Boo Buie and Chase Audige

Buie and Audige average 15ppg which is over 40% of NW's scoring. Buie is slumping horribly from 3 but is better and drawing contact. Audige is well regarded defender in the conference.

KenPom most used lineup

Others to watch

• Ty Berry isn't a great scorer but he's a remarkable rebounder for his size
• Robbie Beran is an experienced stretch 4 with rim protection ability; Will slot in as the small ball 5
• Nicholson has been a pleasant surprise for the Wildcats who lost Ryan Young to Duke and Pete Nance to North Carolina. Rebounds, rim protects, and is a semi-competent secondary scorer
• 6'6" Brooks Barnhizer is a glue guy type who brings rebounding and decent shooting ability
• 6'3" guard Julian Roper is NW's main gaurd depth and he might be the best 3pt threat on the team. He left the Wisconsin game with an ankle injury so he might be unavailble for this game
• 6'9" 235# UTEP transfer Tydus Verhoeven is depth at the 5

Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7

30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2

0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5

32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10

13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9

Bench

10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3

12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6

33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0

35  Henry Burt  F  6-6

24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3

Questionable

15   Blaise Keita C   6-11 - Ankle

Injured

3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year

4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6 - Out for the Year

25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4 - Out for the Year

Redshirting 

2   Ramel Lloyd Jr.  G 6-6

31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4

Hoiberg and Griesel Presser

A lot of compliments paid to Jamarques Lawrence and Denim Dawson

The Skinny: 

Nebraska is starting to run out of dudes with two starters out.  On the flip side, Northwestern didn't start with that many dudes to begin with so both teams find themselves in Lincoln on about 7 man rotations.

Northwestern's ability to hang onto the ball and get to the FT line explains how this team who somehow shoots worse than Nebraska finds themselves on the NCAA tourney bubble. Nebraska has an ability to guard without fouling and it's doubly necessary as they risk running out of scholarship players.  In conference teams have poured it on from the 3pt line against the Wildcats....at home these Huskers need to embrace becoming one of those teams.

Think this could be a first team to 60 points sort of game but it's one Nebraska is capable of winning at home.

Prediction: Nebraska 65 - Northwestern 62