Game Day Essentials: Game #23 vs Northwestern

 Nor thwestern Info

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

Mascot: Willie the Wildcat

Shirt not to wear: Purple, fur

Last time out: Beat Rutgers
Line: Northwestern by 3.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 9

KenPom rank: 74

Other:  

• The last time Northwestern was in town was back in 2020 for the closing game of the season, 10 days before Fred Hoiberg having the flu would usher in the era of Covid.  You might remember that game as Nebraska embodied their poor year at the FT line by going 9-30! from the charity stripe in a 5 point OT loss.  You also might have permanently blocked this from your memory.
• Nebraska will be wearing Black History month jersey's on Saturday, which are a modded version of their 1908 jerseys.

Player to watch: Pete Nance

Senior F/C Pete Nance has been on sort of a Roby type question to realize his goodness and has quite good this season.  The mobile 6'10" post can play either forward or center where he's a 3 level scorer and a rim protector

Possible Northwestern Starters

0 Boo Buie G 6-2 180 Jr. Albany, N.Y. / Gould Academy (Maine)

5 Julian Roper II G 6-3 180 Fy. Detroit, MI. / St. Mary's
1 Chase Audige G 6-4 200 R-Jr. Coram, N.Y. / The Hill School (Pa.)

22 Pete Nance F 6-10 225 Sr. Akron, Ohio / Revere
31 Robbie Beran F 6-9 215 Jr. Richmond, Va. / Collegiate School

Probable Rotation

2 Ryan Greer G 6-2 190 Sr. Atlanta, Ga. / Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.)
3 Ty Berry G 6-3 185 So. Newton, KS. / Sunrise Christian

21 Elyjah Williams F 6-7 220 Gr. Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Township

15 Ryan Young C 6-10 240 R-Jr. Stewartsville, N.J. / Bethlehem (Pa.) Catholic

Bench

13 Brooks Barnhizer G 6-6 215 Fy. LAFAYETTE. IN / Jefferson
14 Casey Simmons G 6-6 180 Fy. Milton, MA / Milton Academy
34 Matthew Nicholson C 7-0 255 So. Clarkston, Mich. / Clarkston
53 Roy Dixon III G 5-11 170 Jr. Atlanta, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Chri

UNL Game Notes

Probable starters for Nebraska
1  Alonzo  Verge    G    6-3

2  Trey  McGowens    G    6-4

5  Bryce  McGowens    G    6-7

11  Lat Mayen    F    6-9

13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9

Rotation

0    C.J.  Wilcher    G    6-5

30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2

35    Eduardo Andre    F    6-11

10  Kobe Webster    G    6-0

Bench

23   Keon Edwards    G    6-7

3   Quaran McPherson    G    6-3

33    Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
4    Jackson Cronin    G    6-1

12    Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
15    Chris McGraw    G    6-0
21    Jace Piatkowski    G    6-3

Injured

14  Trevor Lakes    F    6-8

32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10

The Skinny: 

Northwestern compiled a decent 8-2 start thanks in part to a soft non-conference schedule but find themselves currently where most people though they would be: a bottom tier B1G squad in danger of playing in the first round of the B1G tournament. The Cats still can make the post season if they start winning and Nebraska on the road is prime for the picking by anyone. 

Northwestern is a team that can get hot from 3 which is how teams have torched the Huskers all season.  Northwestern has also defensively hacked teams onto the free throw line at a conference worst rate; this is absolutely gold for a Nebraska team that won't get many transition or turnover buckets today. Throw in Northwestern also being vulnerable from the 3pt line and you have a game where both teams are likely to score at a high rate and Nebraska having a pretty good chance of building enough of a lead that they don't blow the game ah the end.

Tomorrow a win seems possible for other reasons than 'it's just Northwestern'

Prediction: Nebraska 82 - Northwestern 77