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Nebraska lands former Rutgers transfer Gavin Griffiths from the transfer portal. The 4 star 6'8" sharpshooter was a big commit for the Scarlet Knights but struggled during his freshman year until the end of the season.  Despite the size look for Griffiths to slot at either the 2 or 3.
 
Griffiths will have 3 years of eligibility left and is the 3rd known commitment for 2024-25.  Nebraska currently has 4 scholarships remaining.

Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg is the recipient of the 2023-24 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.  The award is presented annually to the top head coach in division I college basketball.  Hoiberg led the Cornhuskers to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2014. Nebraska finished with 23 victories - the program’s most since 1991.  Nebraska was top-40 nationally in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, holding opponents to a top-20 defensive field goal percentage. The Cornhuskers finished third in the Big 10, posting a winning record for only the third time since they joined the league for the 2011-12 season. Hoiberg is the second Husker men’s basketball coach to earn the honor, as Tim Miles was the 2014 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.
 
The Jim Phelan Award is named in honor of a legendary bow-tied coach who spent his entire head coaching career at Mount Saint Mary’s University. Phelan graduated from La Salle University in 1951 and played one season in the NBA with the Philadelphia Warriors. After a brief professional career, Phelan went to Mount St. Mary’s as an assistant in 1953. One year later he began his historical career as a head coach. He led the Mountaineers to 16 Division II NCAA tournaments. Five times they advanced to the Final Four and he led them to the DII National Championship in 1962. When he retired in 2003, after coaching for 49 years, he had amassed 830 wins (overall record of 830-524) in all divisions. In those 49 years, 19 of his teams amassed 20 or more wins in a season. In 2008 he was inducted into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com. 
 
Here is Fred finding out about the award from his family
 
 

On Thursday, 4/4/24 on ESPN at 8pm, Keisei Tominaga will participate in the 3pt shooting contest along with 7 other D-1 graduates.
 

 
 
The next day at 5:30 pm on CBS Sports Network Keisei will be playing for the West All-Stars
 
 

Michigan Info

 
Head Coach: Juwan Howard (5th Season)
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Wolverines
Point Spread: Nebraska by 5.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 8+
KenPom rank: 124
Nota bene:  
Michigan has beaten Nebraska 16 out of the 18 times they've played since Nebraska joined the B1G Nebraska has never won at the Crisler Center With a win, this Nebraska team would tie for 2nd in all-time season wins at Nebraska It's a matchup of former NBA players who are also coaching their sons. Jace Howard plays for Juwan while Sam Hoiberg plays for Fred.  While Juwan wasn't a head coach in the NBA, he was an assistant for the Heat for 6 seasons. Forward Olivier Nkamhoua is out with an injury. Dug McDaniel is off his suspension so he'd be playing regardless of whether this was a home or away game  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 0 Dug McDaniel
5-11  175  So 4 Nimari Burnett
6-4  200  Sr 5 Terrance Williams
6-7  225  Sr 42 Will Tschetter
6-8  245  So 32 Tarris Reed
6-10  265  So 18.7  
Player to watch: Dug McDaniels
Arguably Michigan's best player, the Wolverines' starting PG didn't play in Lincoln due to suspension. Averages 16.6 ppg, 4.6 apg, and 1.1 spg, which is best on the team.
 
Player to watch:    Will Tschetter
Super efficient offensive player, is shooting 56% from 3 and 62.2% from 2 for the season. Can be foul and turnover prone at times.
 
Player to watch: Terrance Williams 
In addition to his defensive prowess, Williams has stepped up his offensive game and is shooting 39.1% from 3. His shot distribution is split between the 2 and 3 so he's an opportunistic scorer
 
Player to watch: Tarris Reed
In some ways the starting center for the Wolverines might be the most important player on the court today as he very well might determine if Nebraska will double in the post like they have most of the season or play more straight up like vs Northwestern. Reed finishes at high percentage in the paint and is their one true rim protector. He's not a threat from outside and is a terrible FT shooter.
 
Others to watch
Formrer McDonald's All-American Nimari Burnett is an all around efficient player with the caveat that he's a shooting guard who isn't particularly good at shooting. This is his 3rd school after Texas Tech and Alabama. 6'10' 215# backup center and Seton Hall transfer Tray Jackson is traditional center depth for the Wolverines. 
 
UNL Game Notes
 
Out indefinitely 
5   Ahron Ulis     6-3    190 lbs    Junior - Likely out for the season
 
Questionable
15  Blaise Keita     6-11    257 lbs    Junior - Ongoing ankle injury recovery
11    Eli Rice                         6-8    213 lbs    Freshman - Ankle injury
 
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
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
 
Bench
4   Juwan Gary                   6-6    221 lbs    Junior
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
21    Matar Diop                 6-10    213 lbs    Freshman
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
31    Cale Jacobsen            6-4    200 lbs    RS Freshman
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
Hoiberg Presser
 
 
 
The Skinny: 
Nebraska and Michigan will be well rested coming into this one as both teams have had the week off. Nebraska comes in needing this one to ensure a first round bye in the B1G tournament.  Michigan is playing for pride as they're already locked in as the last seed in the conference. The Wolverines do have the home court advantage though it remains to be seen what sort of crowd shows up in the am for this disappointing Michigan team.
 
Michigan will present a challenge to Nebraska in the sense that by default they are a team that runs you off the 3pt line and if they're not successful they're throw various zones and other junk at you. If Nebraska can come out firing right away, it might be enough to keep Michigan from caring enough to dip into their bag of tricks. While Dug McDaniels has led the Wolverines offensively, it's been through volume scoring in conference play. Expect Nebraska to keep double-teaming the posts and hoping that McDaniels is willing to take shots vs finding open teammates for 3. 
 
The science department thinks that Nebraska should have juice in their legs. Will they play like it?  Expect that Michigan isn't capable of pulling together 40 minutes like they might against higher pedigree teams or in better timeslots.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 75 - Michigan 67

Ohio State Info

 
Head Coach: Chris Holtmann 
Interim Head Coach:  Jake Diebler
Location: Columbus, OH
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Buckeyes
Mascot: Brutus Buckeye
Last time out: Beat Michigan St
Point Spread: Ohio St by 3.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 10+
KenPom rank: 58
Nota bene:  
Chris Holtmann has been fired by Ohio St. The Buckeyes are 2-1 under interim head coach Jake Diebler including an impressive win over Purdue Dieber has opened up the rotation. 2024 Bench minutes under Holtmann: 23.2%. Under Diebler: 32.1% Nebraska has won their last 3 games vs Ohio St. Prior to that, Nebraska was 2-16 vs the Buckeyes since joining the B1G. Nebraska is seven 3pt makes away from breaking the school record for made 3s in a season (270)  Juwan Gary didn't play in the last game vs Ohio St.  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 2 Bruce Thornton
6-2  215  So 1 Roddy Gayle
6-4  210  So 12 Evan Mahaffey
6-6  200  So 10 Jamison Battle
6-7  220  Sr 34 Felix Okpara
6-11  235  So 12.1
   
Player to watch: Bruce Thorton
The sophomore PG leads the team in scoring, assists and steals and is a 3 level scorer as he is drawing 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes. Thorton has struggled from the field, especially from 3 as he's shooting 31.7% from deep
 
Player to watch: Roddy Gayle
The sophomore SG is a lot like Thorton where he's a lot better drawing contact in the lane than he is shooting from the outside. Watch for Gayle to be the player tasked with denying Keisei.
 
Player to watch:    Jamison Battle
The Minnesota transfer is a well known commodity in the conference and is shooting a white-hot 44% from 3 this season. WIth Thorton, Gayle, and Battle leading the Buckeyes in scoring, we'll see if Nebraska will give Battle more attention on the outside than the other guys.
 
Others to watch
Penn St transfer Evan Mahaffey isn't a huge threat to score but he'll kill you on the boards and is a plus defender. The Buck's have a two man center rotation with different skillsets though both are dominant rebounders. Felix Okpara is a rim protector who can run the court. Senior 6'8" 250# Zed Key is more of a bruiser down low on both sides. Dale Bonner, a 6'2" Senior combo guard from Baylor, fills in for both guards but is struggling even more from them to score.  6'6" freshman wing Scotty Middleton is shooting 36.7% from 3. 6'6" Freshman forward Devin Royal had a game vs Michigan St, scoring 14 points in 18 minutes. Freshman PG Taison Chatman might get some run. Heck, walk-on Bowen Hardman, the guy that Holtmann ran out to shoot 3s in Lincoln, could even see playing time in this one.
 
UNL Game Notes
 
Out indefinitely 
5   Ahron Ulis     6-3    190 lbs    Junior - Likely out for the season
 
Questionable 
15  Blaise Keita     6-11    257 lbs    Junior - Ongoing ankle injury recovery
 
 
Possible starters for Nebraska
4   Juwan Gary                   6-6    221 lbs    Junior
30   Keisei Tominaga           6-2    179 lbs    Senior
3     Brice Williams               6-7    213 lbs    Junior
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
 
Bench
10    Jamarques Lawrence  6-3    183 lbs    Sophomore
0    C.J. Wilcher                  6-5    214 lbs    Junior
1    Sam Hoiberg                 6-0    183 lbs    Sophomore
9    Jarron Coleman            6-5    213 lbs    Senior
11    Eli Rice                         6-8    213 lbs    Freshman
21    Matar Diop                 6-10    213 lbs    Freshman
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
31    Cale Jacobsen            6-4    200 lbs    RS Freshman
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
Hoiberg Presser
Shoutout from Fred to the impact Coleman and Ullis have had on the team
 
The Skinny: 
Nebraska comes into this one as hot as anyone in the county over the last few weeks and defense has been the calling card. The Huskers rank #1 in Bartorvik's adjusted defense since Jan 30th. They'll need that defense on the road against an Ohio St team on a bit of a run after changing coaches. With wins over Purdue and at Michigan State, the Buckeyes represent a Quad 1 win opportunity for the Huskers.
 
Ohio St tends to run people off the 3pt line though Nebraska countered that in Lincoln with Rienk Mast absolutely roasting the Buckeyes, going 6-8 from deep on his way to a career high 34 points. Offensively the Bucks do spread the ball around though they tend to focus inside as outside of Battle and Middleton they're quite bad from outside. 
 
If you look at Ohio St's performances throughout the year they've tended to yo-yo, following one bad performance with a a good. They're also a team that might think they're still in post-season contention.  Who knows what you'll get tonight from the Buckeyes.  Is this Nebraska team locked in?  Can they hold a lead in Columbus if they get one?
 
Prediction:  Nebraska 75 - Ohio St 71

Minnesota Info

Head Coach: Ben Johnson (3rd year)
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Golden Gophers
Mascot: Goldie the Gopher
Line: Nebraska by 6.5
Shirt not to wear: Yellow, Gold
Typical Rotation Depth: 7+
KenPom rank: 63
Nota bene:  
The last time Minnesota won in Lincoln was in 2012 during Nebraska's first year in the B1G.  Tubby Smith was the coach for the Gophers in a game played at the Bob Devaney Center. In other words, Minnesota has never won at Pinnacle Bank Arena Minnesota is 23-3 against the spread The Gophers and Cornhuskers have faced off 86 times, the most Nebraska has faced a B1G opponent  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 0 Elijah Hawkins
5-11  165  Jr 2 Mike Mitchell
6-2  185  Jr 24 Cam Christie
6-6  190  Fr 3 Dawson Garcia
6-11  230  Jr 21 Pharrel Payne
6-9  255  So 28.6
   
 

 
Player to watch: Elijah Hawkins
Above are the win/loss splits for Elijah Hawkins which illustrate that the Gophers tend to go as he does. The B1G's leader in assists sets the tone on both ends for the Gophers.
 
Player to watch: Dawson Garcia
Garcia currently is leading the Gophers in scoring and rebounds.  He also has the ability to pass out of the post.  His outside shot hasn't been great this season, just 31.8%.
 
Player to watch: Pharrel Payne
The emergence of the sophomore post player has put the shot blocker in the middle and allowed Garcia to shift to the 4. Is an elite finisher and rebounder. Currently shooting FTs at a 40.6% clip, Payne is almost singlehandedly tanking the Gopher team FT%.
 
Player to watch: Cam Christie
The younger brother of Max Christie is a star in the making and has been a remarkable jump shooter, hitting 42.1% from 3 this season. 
 
Others to watch
Mike Mitchell is one of the main 3pt threats on the team. Braeden Carrington has been a disappointment offensively but look for him to be all over Tominaga when he's in the game. Former D-II star Parker Fox has worked himself into the lineup as a reliable glue-guy post player. Wing Joshua Ola-Joseph killed Nebraska the first time they met but hasn't played much in February. F Isaiah Ihnen also rarely is used in Ben Johnson's currently tight rotation.
 
UNL Game Notes
 
Roster/infirmary report
 
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
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
 
Possible starters for Nebraska
 
30   Keisei Tominaga           6-2    179 lbs    Senior
3     Brice Williams               6-7    213 lbs    Junior
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
4   Juwan Gary                   6-6    221 lbs    Junior
 
Bench
0    C.J. Wilcher                  6-5    214 lbs    Junior
1    Sam Hoiberg                 6-0    183 lbs    Sophomore
10    Jamarques Lawrence  6-3    183 lbs    Sophomore
9    Jarron Coleman            6-5    213 lbs    Senior
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
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
 
The Skinny: 
Ben Johnson started the season squarely on the hot seat and was staring down a 17 point deficit and a 0-2 B1G start at home vs Nebraska in December before the Gophers flipped the script.  Currently at 17-9, they are a win at Nebraska and Illinois away from being a legit NCAA bubble team.  Minnesota will be highly motivated to win at Nebraska today.
 
The Gophers are a bad matchup for the Huskers as much of their offense comes from the 3 while they take away the 3pt line.  Guys like Keisei and CJ will find their looks from the perimeter rarely and rushed. The Huskers will need to keep out of foul trouble, crash the boards on defense, and keep out of foul trouble if they want to grab win #20.  Nebraska should find some points off of Gopher turnovers and second chance points off of misses.
 
Look for Nebraska to get the benefit of calls at home and to weather at least one Minnesota run. 
 
Prediction: Nebraska 79 - Minnesota 72

Illinois Info

Head Coach: Brad Underwood (7th season)
Location: Champaign, IL 
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Fightin' Illini
Mascot: Chief Illiniwek They got rid of Chief Illiniwek in 2007
Typical Rotation Depth: 7+
Point Spread: Illinois by 9.5
Last Time out: Beat Ohio St
KenPom rank: 10
Nota bene:  
Illinois is KenPom's 12th most experienced team in terms of his D-1 Experience metric Illinois is KenPom's 9th tallest team in terms of KenPom's average height metric Fred Hoiberg hasn't beaten Illinois as the coach of Nebraska. The Husker did lose an OT game at home to the Illini in 2021 Illinois has won 7 straight vs the Huskers  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 3 Marcus Domask
6-6  215  Sr 4 Justin Harmon
6-4  180  Sr 0 Terrence Shannon
6-6  225  Sr 13 Quincy Guerrier
6-8  220  Sr 33 Coleman Hawkins
6-10  225  Sr 15.1
  2 3 Marcus Domask
6-6  215  Sr 4 Justin Harmon
6-4  180  Sr 0 Terrence Shannon
6-6  225  Sr 10 Luke Goode
6-7  210  Jr 33 Coleman Hawkins
6-10  225  Sr 12.8
   
Player to watch: Terrance Shannon
Shannon is like an elite Terran Petteway where he can get to the rim almost at will and draw a lot of contact on the way.  Often a one-man fast break, you'll be better served to turn him into a 3pt shooter where he makes a pedestrian 35%
 
Player to watch: Marcus Domask
The 3-time All Valley Southern Illinois transfer guard serves somewhat as a ball handler for this Illinois team. Domask is like a Terrance Shannon lite where he's a lot better at getting to the rim than he is at shooting from outside.
 
Player to watch:    Luke Goode
He's like the CJ Wilcher of Illinois as when he comes off the bench it's to take and make 3s.  The career 40% 3pt shooter isn't quite as aggressive with his shot though some of that is due to needing his teammates to get him the ball.
 
Others to watch
Oregon transfer Quincy Guerrier's nose for rebounding and ability to take outside shots have cemented his role as the starting 4 man for the Illini. Between Guerrier and Goode playing the 4, Coleman Hawkins is almost exclusively at the 5 where his 37% 3pt shooting has taken him to the next level. Beefy center Dain Dainja has been relegated to under 10 mpg. Ty Rodgers is the glue guy where he's a high level rebounder but the 6'6' F isn't a threat to take a 3. Utah Valley transfer Justin Harmon is another glue-guy type but is hitting 3s at about a 40% clip.
 
UNL Game Notes
 
Out indefinitely 
5   Ahron Ulis     6-3    190 lbs    Junior - Likely out for the season
 
Emergency use 
15  Blaise Keita     6-11    257 lbs    Junior - Ongoing ankle injury recovery
 
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
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
 
Bench
0    C.J. Wilcher                  6-5    214 lbs    Junior
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
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
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
31    Cale Jacobsen            6-4    200 lbs    RS Freshman
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
The Skinny: 
Nebraska will once again try for their first road conference win vs what has always been their least winnable game on the schedule. Not only is Illinois one of the best teams in the country, but their elite ability to take away the 3 and FT line make this a nightmare matchup for a Nebraska team looking to score from deep. 
 
Illinois is almost exclusively trying to force you into bad shots so the majority of turnovers by Nebraska will be self-inflicted. The Illini will pound the offensive glass intensely so expect Nebraska to send everyone to the glass today. 
 
Extremely doubtful that Nebraska can take the Maryland path to victory as they don't play anything near high-level defense. The Huskers will likely need to outshoot Illinois to win. Additionally, Illinois hasn't played since Tuesday and won't play another game until Saturday; this is a team unlikely to hold anything back after watching Nebraska come back against Wisconsin. Would take one heck of a shooting day from the Huskers.
 
Prediction: Illinois 95 - Nebraska 73

Wisconsin Info

Head Coach: Greg Gard
Location: Madison, WI
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Badgers
Mascot: Bucky Badger
Line: Wisconsin by 1.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 9+
KenPom rank: 11
Nota bene:  
Wisconsin has returned most of its roster from last season, ranking 9th in KenPom's minute continuity stat Wisconsin beat Nebraska 88-72 at the Kohl Center despite one of their best shooting performances of the season as they couldn't stop the Badgers all day. 5 Badgers scored in double digits with Tyler Wahl leading the way with 17 points. Keisei Tominaga also scored 17 in the loss.  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 23 Chucky Hepburn
6-2  195  Jr 11 Max Klesmit
6-4  200  Jr 2 AJ Storr
6-7  205  So 5 Tyler Wahl
6-9  225  Sr 22 Steven Crowl
7-0  247  Jr 35.0
   
 
Player to watch: AJ Storr
Wisconsin brought back 9 of their top 10 scorers from last year. AJ Storr is the one transfer they've added and he's turned out to be the leading scorer, especially with his 3pt shot falling during conference play.
 
Player to watch: Steven Crowl
Crowl is a problem as he's not only highly accurate inside but is also able to find teammates when double teams occur. In addition to being a great rebounder on both ends, he's hit a ridiculous 11 of his 16 3s this season. About the only thing Crowl doesn't do is block shots.
 
Player to watch: Chucky Hepburn
The Omaha native is always someone Nebraska fans watch in this matchup.  Hepburn struggled last year having to shoulder a higher scoring load. With Storr in the picture, Hepburn is able to focus on being a distributor on offense and a disrubtor on defense. He's the only Badger starter shooting under 36% from 3 in confrence play.
 
Others to watch
Tyler Wahl has recovered from an ankle injury that really hampered his productivity last season. Max Klesmit has been on fire during conference play. Freshman guard John Blackwell has played into the rotation in part because of his 3pt shooting and in part because of Connor Essegian's struggles. However, most will remember Essegian coming off the bench vs. Nebraska and hitting 4 3s in 12 minutes.  Carter Gilmore, Nolan Winter, and Markus Ilver are depth at the post.
 
UNL Game Notes
 
 
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
 
Game Time
4   Juwan Gary                   6-6    221 lbs    Junior
 
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
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
 
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
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
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
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
Hoiberg/Williams
 
One of the rare times you'll see Hoiberg to be almost angry during a pre-game presser. Would also note that Hoiberg didn't mention Brice Williams when listing players about toughness despite the fact that Williams was in the room.
 
The Skinny: 
 
Wisconsin has gelled as a team and walks into the PBA with the best record in the conference and a top 10 standing. In a conference where road wins have been rare, the Badgers currently are 3-1 on the road in the B1G. Wisky still has a couple of games against 2nd place Purdue, including one on Sunday, that might decide the conference. Are they looking ahead to that?
 
A lot has been made about the lack of fight Nebraska has shown on the road but hopefully before we get to that they will keep up their play at home. The Badgers aren't going to turn you over nor aggressively hunt offensive rebounds, so Nebraska has a chance to win the possession battle against the best shooting team in the conference.  With Wisconsin as the odds on favorite to shoot more FTs in this one, Nebraska will likely need the extra shot attempts to win. 
 
Is Juwan Gary back for this one?  😏
 
Look for Nebraska to fight in this one where Wisconsin very well might be looking ahead.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 81 - Wisconsin 77

Northwestern Info

Head Coach: Chris Collins
Location: Evansville, IL
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Wildcats
Mascot: Willie the Wildcat
Last time out: Beat Maryland
Point Spread: Nebraska by 1.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 7
KenPom rank: 59
Nota bene:  
It's alumni weekend and specifically Nebraska is honoring the 1993-94 Big Eight Tournament Champion team including a returning Danny Nee. Nebraska expects around 64 alumni of players and staff to be present dating from Lloyd Castner, a student manager for Jerry Bush from 1954-57, to Derrick Walker, class of 2023 Fred Hoiberg is 0-7 vs Northwestern at Nebraska and the Huskers haven't beaten the Wildcats since 2019 Northwestern ranks 337th in bench minutes as they have 4 starters who average over 30+ minutes per game Nebraska gutted out a 70-66 OT win vs Maryland during last season's alumni weekend game There is supposed to be a football player dunk contest around 12:45 today  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 0 Boo Buie
6-2  180  Sr 3 Ty Berry
6-3  185  Sr 5 Ryan Langborg
6-4  195  Sr 13 Brooks Barnhizer
6-6  215  Jr 34 Matthew Nicholson
7-0  280  Sr 19.9  
Player to watch: Boo Buie
5th year starting PG Boo Buie was one of the main catalyst behind Northwestern's surprising run to the NCAA tournament last season and continues to play at a high level, leading the 'Cats in scoring and assists. If Nebraska finds themselves in a close game at the end, NW will be at the advantage simply because they have arguably the best PG in the conference.
 
Player to watch:    Ty Berry
Northwestern isn't quite the defensive team they rolled out last season with Chase Audige graduating but have increased their offensive output in part due to Berry finding his shooting stroke back. After a 38.3% 3pt success two years ago, Berry struggle last season, shooting 29.1% from 3.  This season he's hitting a career high 43.3% from 3 and 52.7% from 2. 
 
Player to watch: Brooks Barnhizer
Barnhizer is Northwestern's glue guy where his most important contribution is grabbing rebounds for a Northwestern team that is one of the worst in the conference at this statistic. Barnhizer will add some rim protection along with competent shooting ability.
 
Player to watch: Ryan Langborg
The Princeton transfer is another high level 3pt shooter for the Wildcats and is currently shooting 37.5% from 3.
 
Others to watch
Matthew Nicholson might be the most noticeable player on the court due to his unmissable stature. He's NW's best rim protector and he almost always makes the right plays. For the last few games 6'10" 255# Luke Hunger has been getting the start over Nicholson, presumably because he allows the 'Cats to play 5 out. Both centers tend to be foul prone. 6'7" forward Nick Martinelli averages 20 minutes of the bench where he brings rebounding and inside scoring.
 
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
 
Day to Day
4   Juwan Gary                   6-6    221 lbs    Junior
 
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
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
 
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
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
31    Cale Jacobsen            6-4    200 lbs    RS Freshman
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
The Skinny: 
Nebraska comes into this home game after a two game road skid that finds them without the services of Juwan Gary at the moment. While it seemed that Gary might have endured yet another season ending injury in Piscataway, it turns out the diagnosis is a calf strain. While you never want to be without the services of your starting 4 man, this Northwestern team is one of the better conference opponents to face in that scenario. The Wildcats aren't a very good rebounding team, they play at one of the slower paces in the country, and they're unlikely to get the Huskers into a ton of foul trouble. Anything helps as the Huskers try to notch another conference win. 
 
As bad as Nebraska's defensive effort has been in conference play, it's Northwestern that ranks last in conference defensive efficiency. When you pair these numbers with how well both teams can shoot, any outcome is on the table today. For Nebraska the big key will be holding on to the ball as the Wildcats are a sneaky ball-hawking squad. This game also represents one of the rare games where a 'referee clown show' would benefit Nebraska as the Huskers have the bench depth advantage. Speaking of depth, how will Eli Rice and/or Matar Diap perform as the two players potentially in the rotation to fill in for Gary?  FWIW freshmen tend to play better at home.
 
While you like the chance of winning this game it's worth noting that Nebraska has never defeated a Northwestern team with Boo Buie.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 76 - Northwestern 72

Indiana Info

Head Coach: Mike Woodson (3rd year)
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Hoosiers
Shirt not to wear: Marvin Harrison Sr. Jersey
Line: Nebraska by 4.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 9+
KenPom rank: 87
Nota bene:  
Fred Hoiberg vs Mike Woodson is a matchup of former NBA coaches Indiana Center Payton Sparks was a teammate of Boogie Coleman last season at Ball St. Indiana boasts one of the tallest lineups in D-1, clocking in at #3 in KenPom's average height metric. Nebraska's secret scrimmage foe Utah is #2. Mackenzie Mgbako attended Roselle Catholic HS last season, playing with Simeon Wilcher. This is the same HS attended by CJ WIlcher and Jamarques Lawrence.  
KenPom most used lineups
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 2 Gabe Cupps
6-2  175  Fr 32 Trey Galloway
6-5  205  Sr 21 Mackenzie Mgbako
6-8  217  Fr 5 Malik Reneau
6-9  233  So 1 Kel'el Ware
7-0  242  So 25.1
   
 
Player to watch: Malik Reneau
While not as dominant as Trayce Jackson-Davis, F/C Reneau has taken over as Indiana's go-to scorer in the paint while also ranking 2nd on the team in assists. Does have 3pt range.
 
Player to watch: Mackenzie Mgbako
The 5 star freshman has become the Hoosier's main 3pt threat with PG Xavier Johnson out of the lineup.
 
Player to watch: Kel'el Ware
Another former 5 star, Ware transferred from Oregon and has started at the 5 for Indiana where he's arguably been their best player. Ware looks like a lottery pick at times but sometimes his motor doesn't match.
 
Others to watch
Trey Galloway is a glue guy having to do more because of limited guard play. Freshman guard Gabe Cupps is mostly just bringing the ball up the court and shoots at a Benny Parker like rate. 6'8" 215# Miami transfer Anthony Walker is nice depth but he's yet another post player who doesn't take outside shots. Xavier Johnson would be a real boost for the Hoosiers in terms of ball handing and 3pt shooting should he play.
 
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
 
Have been showing up on the injury report
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshman
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshman
 
Game Time Decision
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
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
Hoiberg/Wilcher Presser
 
Hoiberg talks about Mast being a game time decision and ramping up on Keita's rehab
 
The Skinny: 
 
2023-24 has been a down enough season for the B1G to the point that Indiana comes in as a Quad 3 opponent. Nebraska is simultaneously looking to rack up conference wins at home while avoiding resume killing loses. Indiana's 3 loses have come against some of the best in the country...can Nebraska make the grade?
 
Indiana presents a great style matchup for the Huskers. There won't be a ton of 3pt shooters for their defense to chase as the Hoosiers are one of the most 2pt heavy teams in D-1. Defensively, the Hoosiers should present plenty of open 3pt shots and expect Nebraska to take advantage. What could decide this one is Nebraska's ability to defend the paint without fouling as Indiana draws plenty of contact and Nebraska could be without Rienk Mast. Things could get real dicey if Nebraska has to play Diop or even CJ Wilcher at center. Despite their height, Indiana isn't an elite rebounding squad so it's possible for Nebraska to limit 2nd chance shots.
 
This is a getable game for the Huskers and look for them to have a great shot in this one, especially with their edge in FT shooting.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 78 - Indiana 73 

Lindenwood

 
Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman (5th year)
Location: St Charles, Missouri
Conference: Ohio Valley Conference
Nickname: Lions
Mascot:     Leo the Lion
Last time out: Last year went 
Shirt not to wear: Gold, Black, University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff gear
Opening Line: Nebraska by 21
Nota bene:  
This is the first ever meeting in Men's basketball between Lindenwood and Nebraska The Lions lost 5 of their top 6 leading scorers from 2022-23 (Keenon Cole returns).  The new team spent time gelling on a summer trip to Italy. Prior to becoming the head coach at Lindenwood, Kyle Gerderman was an assistant under Keno Davis at Central Michigan This is Lindenwood's 2nd year as a D-1 school though the school as claim to being the 'Second oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River', originally founded as 'The Lindenwood School for Girls' in 1832. (St Louis University was founded in 1812) Prior to moving to D-1, Lindenwood was a D-2 school from 2010 to 2021. Prior to that time they competed as a NAIA school. St Charles is a suburb of St Louis  
Player to watch: Keenon Cole
Cole is a small ball center/forward who shot 46% from 3 last season. Capable of scoring from all 3 levels; foul prone
 
Others to watch
Darius Beane -Spent last season sitting out due to transfer rules; driving scorer, poor 3pt shooter; appears to be a combo guard attempting to play PG Keith Haymon - 6'7" transfer from Northern Arizona is Keenon Cole lite Amoro Lado - 6'4" transfer from Hawaii slotted to start at guard Jaylon McDaniel - the 6'7" 230# juco product appears to be the starting center per Lindenwood's game notes.  Isaac Ondekane - Clocks in at 6'8" 275. You'll know it if he's on the court; another juco product Colin Ruffin - Freshman pg from local new powerhouse Link Academy who might get some run Jordan Wildy - *OUT WITH ACL TEAR* - The former Iona recruit for Rick Pitino and juco product seemed like he's be a big contributor to the Lion's backcourt before tearing his ACL this summer during a practice  
UNL Game Notes
 
Roster/infirmary report
 
CONFIRMED OUT
5   Ahron Ulis     6-3    190 lbs    Junior - Waiting to hear from NCAA re gambling
15  Blaise Keita     6-11    257 lbs    Junior - Ongoing ankle injury recovery
4   Juwan Gary     6-6    221 lbs    Junior - Violation of team rules
30   Keisei Tominaga           6-2    179 lbs    Senior
 
Possible starters for Nebraska
10    Jamarques Lawrence  6-3    183 lbs    Sophomore
0    C.J. Wilcher                  6-5    214 lbs    Junior
3     Brice Williams               6-7    213 lbs    Junior
53   Josiah Allick                 6-8    231 lbs    Senior
51    Rienk Mast                 6-10    248 lbs    Junior
 
Bench
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
2    Ramel Lloyd Jr.             6-6    210 lbs    RS Freshan
31    Cale Jacobsen            6-4    200 lbs    RS Freshan
35    Henry Burt                  6-7    216 lbs    RS Freshan
24    Jeffrey Grace III         6-3    197 lbs    Sophomore 
 
 
Hoiberg presser - NOTES HERE
 
 
The Skinny: 
Continuity....it's the driving force behind the reasonable expectations and optimism for Fred Hoiberg's 5th year at Nebraska.  The Huskers return their entire coaching staff that seemed to finally stabilize the ship last year with a system that Nebraska went out and recruited to over the summer. Nebraska lost cornerstone players like Sam Griesel and Derrick Walker but went and replaced them with veterans like Mast, Williams, Coleman, and Allick while also keeping the core of players that won 9 conference games last season.  It's already necessary depth (already being tested) and experience that has Nebraska hoping to dance at the end of the season.
 
You never want to overlook an opponent but as fans you have that luxury; Lindenwood should be an easy buy win for Nebraska. The Lions and their ball screen offense project to take a lot of jumpers so the shooting prowess of the Lions should dictate how long they can hang around trying for the upset. Look for Nebraska to capitalize off of turnovers for easy points and both teams to up their pace from last season
 
Prediction: Nebraska 91 - Lindenwood 64

Penn St. Info

Head Coach: Micah Shrewsberry
Location: University Park, PA
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Nittany Lions
Mascot: The Nittany Lion
Point Spread: Penn St by 8.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 8
KenPom rank: 45
A couple of Famous Alumni: Tim Frazier, Lamar Stevens
Other:  
Nebraska dropped their Jan matchup at Penn St 76-65 with Bandoumel suffering a college career ending knee injury 7 minutes into the game. Derrick Walker paced Nebraska with 20 while Andrew Funk poured in 23 for Penn St.  For the last two games Penn St has been starting little used veteran post players 6'7" 235# Jr Caleb Dorsey and 6'8" 244# Sr Michael Henn. They add some size to a Penn St squad that plays small lineups Despite playing a handful of freshman Penn St has what KenPom considers to be the oldest roster in D-1 thanks to bringing in several grad transfers  
KenPom Analysis: Penn St is a team of extremes, their short team excelling at outside shooting and not turning over the ball. The Nittany Lions need to shoot well as they're not making it to the line nor grabbing offensive rebounds. On the other end, the Lions' defense is about trying to force bad shots as opposed to pressure.
 

 
 
Player to watch: G Jalen Pickett
Pickett has been a force in the conference and is in the running for CPOTY. He currently leads the team in points, assists, rebounds, and steals. The beefy guard will work his way inside the arc and will spray balls out to shooters if the defense manages to keep him from shooting
 
Player to watch: F Seth Lundy
Penn St's 2nd leading scorer and rebounder is shooting 43% from 3
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 22 Jalen Pickett
6-4  209  Sr 11 Camren Wynter
6-2  200  Sr 10 Andrew Funk
6-5  200  Sr 1 Seth Lundy
6-6  220  Sr 3 Kebba Njie
6-10  237  Fr 23.6
   
Others to watch
Bucknell transfer Andrew Funk is shooting 40.4% from 3 Drexel Transfer Camren Winter is another secondary scorer and is shooting 37.3% from 3 Freshman center Njie is a rim protector but is foul prone; not much of an offensive threat relative to his teammates Veteran guard Myles Dread clocks in at 6'4" 235#. Dread can operate as Penn St's small ball center and is shooting 39.4% from 3 Freshman PG Kanye Clary and wing Evan Mahaffey are in the rotation  
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
Bench
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
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
 
Probable
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 Presser
Discussing the need to limit turnovers and fouls
 
Walker Presser
 
 
The Skinny: 
In some ways this Penn St team is exactly what the doctor ordered: they're near the bottom in D-1 in generating turnovers or FT attempts. Expect Nebraska to turn around in those areas simply because of the opponent.
 
Pickett had a so-so game against Nebraska in their first matchup thanks to 7 turnovers. Simply keeping him in check would go a long way today. Minus the last 12 minutes vs Illinios, Nebraska has been shooting the ball well the last few games. Probably need that to carry over in this one. 
 
Here is a stat for you: Penn St hasn't won a road game in 2023. Let's hope the trend continues.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 66 - Penn St 64

Purdue Info

Head Coach: Matt Painter
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Boilermakers
Mascot: Boilermaker Special, Purdue Pete
Rotation Depth: 9
Last Game: Beat Penn State
KenPom: 6
Line: Purdue by 14.5
A couple of Famous Alumni: Glenn Robinson, Robbie Hummel
Other:  
In their first matchup, Nebraska took Purdue to the brink before ultimately falling in OT 65-62 Juwan Gary is out for this game; Look for Wilhelm Breidenbach or Denim Dawson to start Mason Gillis didn't play in the first matchup. The 6'6" 230# forward is an elite rebounder who while capable of shooting well from outside has struggled this season.  
KenPom Analysis:  Purdue is a methodical offensive team which means that Nebraska can hunt for offensive rebounds without as much fear of being hurt in transition.  Purdue isn't a team likely to exploit Nebraska's turnover issues.
 

 
Player to watch: Fletcher Loyer
Foster Loyer's little brother has been a day 1 starter for the Boilermakers and is leading the team in 3pt attempts while hitting 37% of them.
 
Player to watch: F Caleb Furst
Typically Painter has two giant posts who split time. This season he has a guy like 6'10" Furst  who can play alongside Edey at the 4 or operating as a center given his ability to shoot from outside.
 
Player to watch: C Zach Edey
Edey is in the running for national player of the year as he has been racking up double-doubles in the first halves of games.  He's also constantly a threat to foul out your starting and backup centers.
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 3 Braden Smith
6-0  180  Fr 2 Fletcher Loyer
6-4  185  Fr 25 Ethan Morton
6-7  215  Jr 1 Caleb Furst
6-10  230  So 15 Zach Edey
7-4  290  Jr 26.9
   
 
Others to watch
This is your standard Matt Painter team: It's 4 guys who can shoot 3s that work around a giant post player.   
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
 
Bench
15   Blaise Keita C   6-11
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6
33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4
35  Henry Burt  F  6-6
24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3
 
Injured
3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year
4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6
 
Hoiberg Preser
 
The Skinny: 
Expect Nebraska to try more of the same on defense, swarming  Eddy and then chasing 3pt shooters. It's likely that Purdue hits more 3s at home than they did in Lincoln.
 
Offensively, Nebraska desperately needs some outside shooting and generally speaking you can get 3pt looks against the Boilermakers. Simply try and feed whomever starts to get hot to supplement Derrick and Sam.  I think the Huskers will score some points tonight as either they'll finally make some shots or else Purdue will get up enough that their defensive intensity wanes. 
 
Nebraska likely bounces back from their home whooping vs Illinois but that still doesn't mean they keep this game within 10 points.
 
Prediction: Purdue 75 - Nebraska 60 

Queens Info

 
Head Coach: Grant Leonard
Location: Charlotte, NC
Conference: ASUN
Full Name: Queens University of Charlotte
Nickname: Royals
Mascot: Rex the Royal
Shirt not to wear: Alex Gordon Jersey
Last time out: Beat East Tennessee St.
Line: Nebraska by 11 (don't think there is an actual line)
Typical Rotation Depth: 8+
KenPom rank: 188
A couple of Famous Alumni: No
Other:  
This is Queen's first year in D-1. Prior to this they were a D-II power, making the postseason the last 7 years. Queens is ineligible for post-season play until 2026-27 as part of their transition to D-1 The Royals are small at most positions, clocking in at 341th in KenPom's average height stat. Nebraska is 57th.  
This game is the 3rd in a tournament called the "Battle in the Vault". At 1, it's Concordia vs Oklahoma Wesleyan. At 4pm it's, 11-0 Mississippi St vs 8-3 Drake.  Nebraska vs Queens will start 30 minutes after the 4pm game, estimated time 6:30.
 
This isn't part of your season ticket package. You need to acquire tickets through Ticketmaster. https://www.ticketmaster.com/battle-in-the-vault-lincoln-nebraska-12-20-2022/event/06005D0B2A167DCD
 
KenPom Analysis:  Queens doesn't run the type of scheme that is likely to take advantage of Nebraska turning over the ball. This Royal team actively hunts offensive rebounds which will open Nebraska to transition points if they want them. Their FTA/FGA is fueled by Kenny Dye.
 

 
 
Player to watch: Kenny Dye
Highly experienced senior PG might be the best player on the court tonight. 3 level scorer, leads the team in scoring and assists.  Dye will also shadow the ball handler up the court on every possession like Bandomeul.
 
Player to watch: F Gavin Rains / BJ McLaurin
The Royals have a couple of undersized centers with very different games. Rains doesn't shoot 3s but can pass out of the post and is a rebounding machine, currently averging over 10 per 23 minutes of play. McLaurin has a nice outside stroke with his 46.2% 3pt shooting averaging allowing Queens to play 5 out.
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 15 Kenny Dye
6-0  190  Sr 5 AJ McKee
6-2  205  So 3 Kalib Mathews
6-4  185  So 2 Jay'Den Turner
6-5  205  Jr 23 BJ McLaurin
6-8  230  Jr 28.5
  2 15 Kenny Dye
6-0  190  Sr 5 AJ McKee
6-2  205  So 3 Kalib Mathews
6-4  185  So 2 Jay'Den Turner
6-5  205  Jr 4 Gavin Rains
6-7  230  Jr 10.6  
 
Others to watch
McKee is a beefy guard and the Queens second leading scorer Matthews has made over 50% of his 3s vs D-1 opponents Turner is an undersized rebounding glue guy 6'2" guard Chris Ashby is a 3pt specialist off the bench 6'5" guard Quan McCluney is a defender off the bench  
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
 
Bench
15   Blaise Keita C   6-11
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6
33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4
35  Henry Burt  F  6-6
24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3
 
Injured
3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year
 
 
The Skinny: 
Nebraska had their first letdown game of the season in KC as the Wildcats ate them alive in the first half.  Silver lining to a game like that is the Huskers likely won't overlook Queens tonight.
 
Queens is an interesting teams as it's a bunch of high level tweener type of players who perform at a high level; they return almost the entire squad of a team that went 30-4 last year.  It all starts and ends with PG Kenny Dye who will hound the ball up the court on every possession.  The Royals will push pace but also are patient enough to work the ball around in the half court. Their entire team will hunt for offensive rebounds so we'll see how much pace this slow Nebraska team will want to push tonight; it's awful tempting to try and get easy buckets for an offense that has struggled to score most of the year.
 
Can't stress enough that this is a game that Nebraska can lose and that Queens, winners of 3 away games this season, won't be intimidated at all by this half filled area. Fortunately it's a team that isn't naturally suited to exploit Nebraska's weaknesses and with any luck we won't spend the next week cursing this game.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 78 - Queens 70

Queens Info

 
Head Coach: Grant Leonard
Location: Charlotte, NC
Conference: ASUN
Full Name: Queens University of Charlotte
Nickname: Royals
Mascot: Rex the Royal
Shirt not to wear: Alex Gordon Jersey
Last time out: Beat East Tennessee St.
Line: Nebraska by 11 (don't think there is an actual line)
Typical Rotation Depth: 8+
KenPom rank: 188
A couple of Famous Alumni: No
Other:  
This is Queen's first year in D-1. Prior to this they were a D-II power, making the postseason the last 7 years. Queens is ineligible for post-season play until 2026-27 as part of their transition to D-1 The Royals are small at most positions, clocking in at 341th in KenPom's average height stat. Nebraska is 57th.  
This game is the 3rd in a tournament called the "Battle in the Vault". At 1, it's Concordia vs Oklahoma Wesleyan. At 4pm it's, 11-0 Mississippi St vs 8-3 Drake.  Nebraska vs Queens will start 30 minutes after the 4pm game, estimated time 6:30.
 
This isn't part of your season ticket package. You need to acquire tickets through Ticketmaster. https://www.ticketmaster.com/battle-in-the-vault-lincoln-nebraska-12-20-2022/event/06005D0B2A167DCD
 
KenPom Analysis:  Queens doesn't run the type of scheme that is likely to take advantage of Nebraska turning over the ball. This Royal team actively hunts offensive rebounds which will open Nebraska to transition points if they want them. Their FTA/FGA is fueled by Kenny Dye.
 

 
 
Player to watch: Kenny Dye
Highly experienced senior PG might be the best player on the court tonight. 3 level scorer, leads the team in scoring and assists.  Dye will also shadow the ball handler up the court on every possession like Bandomeul.
 
Player to watch: F Gavin Rains / BJ McLaurin
The Royals have a couple of undersized centers with very different games. Rains doesn't shoot 3s but can pass out of the post and is a rebounding machine, currently averging over 10 per 23 minutes of play. McLaurin has a nice outside stroke with his 46.2% 3pt shooting averaging allowing Queens to play 5 out.
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 15 Kenny Dye
6-0  190  Sr 5 AJ McKee
6-2  205  So 3 Kalib Mathews
6-4  185  So 2 Jay'Den Turner
6-5  205  Jr 23 BJ McLaurin
6-8  230  Jr 28.5
  2 15 Kenny Dye
6-0  190  Sr 5 AJ McKee
6-2  205  So 3 Kalib Mathews
6-4  185  So 2 Jay'Den Turner
6-5  205  Jr 4 Gavin Rains
6-7  230  Jr 10.6  
 
Others to watch
McKee is a beefy guard and the Queens second leading scorer Matthews has made over 50% of his 3s vs D-1 opponents Turner is an undersized rebounding glue guy 6'2" guard Chris Ashby is a 3pt specialist off the bench 6'5" guard Quan McCluney is a defender off the bench  
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
 
Bench
15   Blaise Keita C   6-11
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6
33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4
35  Henry Burt  F  6-6
24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3
 
Injured
3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year
 
 
The Skinny: 
Nebraska had their first letdown game of the season in KC as the Wildcats ate them alive in the first half.  Silver lining to a game like that is the Huskers likely won't overlook Queens tonight.
 
Queens is an interesting teams as it's a bunch of high level tweener type of players who perform at a high level; they return almost the entire squad of a team that went 30-4 last year.  It all starts and ends with PG Kenny Dye who will hound the ball up the court on every possession.  The Royals will push pace but also are patient enough to work the ball around in the half court. Their entire team will hunt for offensive rebounds so we'll see how much pace this slow Nebraska team will want to push tonight; it's awful tempting to try and get easy buckets for an offense that has struggled to score most of the year.
 
Can't stress enough that this is a game that Nebraska can lose and that Queens, winners of 3 away games this season, won't be intimidated at all by this half filled area. Fortunately it's a team that isn't naturally suited to exploit Nebraska's weaknesses and with any luck we won't spend the next week cursing this game.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 78 - Queens 70

Kansas St Info

 
Head Coach: Jerome Tang
Location: Manhattan, KS
Conference: Big 12
Nickname: Wildcats
Mascot: Willie the Wildcat
Shirt not to wear: Purple, Thundercat
Last time out: Beat Incarnate Word
Line: Kansas St by 3
Typical Rotation Depth: 7+
KenPom rank: 69
A couple of Famous Alumni: Bob Boozer, Mitch Richmond
Other:  
This is the 2nd game in a 3 game series with KSU. Nebraska lost the first game last year at home 67-58. KSU will host in 2023. Derrick Walker grew up in KC  
KenPom Analysis:  Kansas St is generating a lot of turnovers with their length and aggression, which should generate some FTs for Nebraska. On the flipside, the Wildcats can get sloppy with the ball.
 
 

 
 
Player to watch: Keyonte Johnson
Johnson is known for suffering from a heart condition at Florida while on the court in the first game of the season in 2021. The former SEC pre-season player of the years is one of the few WIldcats shooting at a high percentage.
 
Player to watch: PG Markquis Nowell
The diminutive PG is one of the conference's best assist men and KSU's 2nd leading scorer.
 
Player to watch: F Nae'Qwan Tomlin
Tomlin is noticeable on court as the lanky forward can jump out of the gym and can handle the ball a bit. Not a great shooter.
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 1 Markquis Nowell
5-8  160  Sr 5 Cam Carter
6-3  190  So 11 Keyontae Johnson
6-6  230  Sr 3 David N'Guessan
6-9  215  Jr 35 Nae'Qwan Tomlin
6-10  210  Jr 20.9
   
 
Others to watch
Cam Carter and Desi Sills are glue-guy guards; Sills the backup PG Dutch forward David N'Guessan has good touch and is a rim defender  
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
 
Bench
15   Blaise Keita C   6-11
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6
33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4
35  Henry Burt  F  6-6
24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3
 
Injured
3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year
 
Hoiberg/Walker Presser
 
Expect Nebraska to bail on offensive rebounds to minimize transition baskets.
Hoiberg notes that Keisei plays off Derrick well; Derrick is able to find him in the offense.
Derrick excited to play in KC, has 30-40 people coming to see him.
 
 
The Skinny: 
Bruce Weber made a Final 4 with Kansas St in 2019 but 3 sub .500 seasons later the Wildcats went in a different direction by hiring longtime Baylor/Scott Drew assistant Jerome Tang.  Prior to the K-State job, Tang had been an assistant the entire time Drew had been there, starting in 2003. Thus, if you've watched Baylor play in the last decade you understand they type of style that Tang will deploy in Manhattan.  Expect the Wildcats to fly to the ball on defense with athleticism, transition whenever possible,  and for them to aggressively crash the offensive boards. 
 
Nebraska will likely follow the Creighton game plan in terms of giving up offensive rebounds to limit transition points for a K-State offense that will struggle in the half court. Defensively teams are attacking this K-State team in the paint, which lines up with what Nebraska wants to do offensively.
 
This should be an intense defensive battle with points at a premium.  The winner tonight will be the team that can do the little things like winning 50-50 balls or making FTs.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 63 - Kansas St 60

Creighton Info

 
Head Coach: Greg McDermott
Location: Omaha, NE
Conference: Big East
Nickname: Blue Jays
Mascot: Billy Blue Jay
Last time out: Lost to Texas
Opening Line: Creighton by 14.5
Famous Alumni: Bob Gibson, Porter Moser
Other:  
Assistant coach Ernie Zeigler's son Trey is a grad assistant for the Jays  
KenPom Analysis: Don't expect the Husker to shoot many FTs. Jays aren't pressuring on defense. Will they change strategy against Nebraska?

 
 
Player to watch: Arthur Kaluma
The Soph. forward is talented but he tends to dominate the shots while on the court while being the least efficient starter for the Jays. 
 
Player to watch: Baylor Scheierman
The Aurora native and South Dakota St transfer is known for his shooting range and accuracy, shooting 46.2% from 3 last year. What might surprise you though is that he leads Creighton in rebounds
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 2 Ryan Nembhard
6-0  170  So 23 Trey Alexander
6-4  190  So 24 Arthur Kaluma
6-7  225  So 55 Baylor Scheierman
6-7  205  Sr 11 Ryan Kalkbrenner
7-1  260  Jr 32.9
   
 
 
Others to watch
Ryan Kalkbrenner is fairly unstoppable when he gets the ball in the paint. Currently shooting 81.5% from 2 Former Big East Freshman of the year Ryan Nembhard has been putting up elite ass/to numbers Alexander is a situation shooter hitting over 40% from 3 and one of the Jays' better individual defenders TCU transfer Francisco Farabello has struggled this season from the outside though the veteran is the Jays' most used sub Shereef Mitchell is the backup pg, long ranger shooter Mason Miller is backup at the 4, and Fredrick King is backup at the 5  
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
 
Bench
15   Blaise Keita C   6-11
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6
33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4
35  Henry Burt  F  6-6
24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3
 
Injured
3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year
 
The Skinny: 
The Blue Jays have quite the starting 5 this year that came together after landing Baylor Scheierman. There is a drop-off when they get into the bench but between the Jays' reasonable pace and their ability to play without fouling, their starters seldom leave the court. Fouls happen sometime so things could get interesting with the right ref crew.
 
While the home court will certainly goad Nebraska into speeding up at points, the defense of Creighton hasn't been geared to do so. The Jays tend to focus on running teams off the 3 towards shot blockers. They also have been known to change things up when they play Nebraska. Can the Huskers exploit Kalkbrenner's lack of mobility with Derrick Walker?  Creighton's offense will be problematic for a Nebraska team that will overcommit to drivers at the expense of giving up wide open 3s. Nebraska is playing with fire if the Jays get open looks at home.
 
It would be one hell of a win if the Huskers could figure out how to knock off the Jays in Omaha but this might be a little tighter than recent years just because Nebraska has been playing remarkably slow this season under Hoiberg. Prior to this year Nebraska consistently had an adjusted tempo of over 70 which is good for at least top 35.  This season as they patiently bring the ball up the court and swing through the offense, Nebraska currently ranks #309 at an adjusted tempo of 64.7. It becomes harder for either team to run up the score when you limit the shots.
 
Nebraska with Derrick Walker has steadied themselves against a couple of low end P5 schools.  How does this newfound poise hole up in Omaha?
 
Prediction: Creighton 78 - Nebraska 67

Creighton Info

 
Head Coach: Greg McDermott
Location: Omaha, NE
Conference: Big East
Nickname: Blue Jays
Mascot: Billy Blue Jay
Last time out: Lost to Texas
Opening Line: Creighton by 14.5
Famous Alumni: Bob Gibson, Porter Moser
Other:  
Assistant coach Ernie Zeigler's son Trey is a grad assistant for the Jays  
KenPom Analysis: Don't expect the Husker to shoot many FTs. Jays aren't pressuring on defense. Will they change strategy against Nebraska?

 
 
Player to watch: Arthur Kaluma
The Soph. forward is talented but he tends to dominate the shots while on the court while being the least efficient starter for the Jays. 
 
Player to watch: Baylor Scheierman
The Aurora native and South Dakota St transfer is known for his shooting range and accuracy, shooting 46.2% from 3 last year. What might surprise you though is that he leads Creighton in rebounds
 
KenPom most used lineup
  PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 2 Ryan Nembhard
6-0  170  So 23 Trey Alexander
6-4  190  So 24 Arthur Kaluma
6-7  225  So 55 Baylor Scheierman
6-7  205  Sr 11 Ryan Kalkbrenner
7-1  260  Jr 32.9
   
 
 
Others to watch
Ryan Kalkbrenner is fairly unstoppable when he gets the ball in the paint. Currently shooting 81.5% from 2 Former Big East Freshman of the year Ryan Nembhard has been putting up elite ass/to numbers Alexander is a situation shooter hitting over 40% from 3 and one of the Jays' better individual defenders TCU transfer Francisco Farabello has struggled this season from the outside though the veteran is the Jays' most used sub Shereef Mitchell is the backup pg, long ranger shooter Mason Miller is backup at the 4, and Fredrick King is backup at the 5  
UNL Game Notes
 
Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4
0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5
4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6
13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9
 
 
Bench
15   Blaise Keita C   6-11
30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2
32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10
10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3
12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6
33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0
31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4
35  Henry Burt  F  6-6
24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3
 
Injured
3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year
 
The Skinny: 
The Blue Jays have quite the starting 5 this year that came together after landing Baylor Scheierman. There is a drop-off when they get into the bench but between the Jays' reasonable pace and their ability to play without fouling, their starters seldom leave the court. Fouls happen sometime so things could get interesting with the right ref crew.
 
While the home court will certainly goad Nebraska into speeding up at points, the defense of Creighton hasn't been geared to do so. The Jays tend to focus on running teams off the 3 towards shot blockers. They also have been known to change things up when they play Nebraska. Can the Huskers exploit Kalkbrenner's lack of mobility with Derrick Walker?  Creighton's offense will be problematic for a Nebraska team that will overcommit to drivers at the expense of giving up wide open 3s. Nebraska is playing with fire if the Jays get open looks at home.
 
It would be one hell of a win if the Huskers could figure out how to knock off the Jays in Omaha but this might be a little tighter than recent years just because Nebraska has been playing remarkably slow this season under Hoiberg. Prior to this year Nebraska consistently had an adjusted tempo of over 70 which is good for at least top 35.  This season as they patiently bring the ball up the court and swing through the offense, Nebraska currently ranks #309 at an adjusted tempo of 64.7. It becomes harder for either team to run up the score when you limit the shots.
 
Nebraska with Derrick Walker has steadied themselves against a couple of low end P5 schools.  How does this newfound poise hole up in Omaha?
 
Prediction: Creighton 78 - Nebraska 67

I am really hoping this turns into a long time gig for you coach.  Welcome to Nebraska!
 
 

Alabama transfer Juwan Gary announced via his instagram that he has committed to play for Nebraska.  Gary was a sophomore this season and the 6'6" 218# forward will have two years of eligibility left.
 
Gary projects to be a 3 or 4 with the Huskers and is known for his defensive ability, driving ability, and energy.  A history of injuries have slowed down Gary, but he started 19 games for Alabama despite an ankle injury and a facial injury which caused him to wear a protective mask. Originally a 2019 HS graduate, Gary spent his first year redshirting due to a torn ACL.
 
Fred Hoiberg on the addition of Juwan Gary:  "Juwan adds a different dimension to our roster with his combination of athleticism and versatility. He plays with physicality and can be used all over the floor.  Juwan also has the experience of playing in two NCAA Tournaments and winning an SEC title in 2021, which gives him the understanding of what it takes to be successful at the highest level."
 
Gary is from Colombia, South Carolina where he was a 4 star recruit coming out of high school.

The men's and women's teams will scrimmage on Friday, October 1st at Pinnacle Bank Arena on what should be a big recruiting weekend ahead of the Northwestern football game on Saturday. The scrimmages will start at 7:30 pm with doors opening at 6:30 pm.  
 
After the scrimmages, the night will be capped off with a concert by G Herbo.

 
Fans can start registering for lower bowl tickets on Huskers.com/Tickets beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at Noon. There is a limit of four general admission tickets per person.
 

After twenty-seven seasons in Lincoln, a Nebraska mascot has decided to explore other options.
 
Robbie Callahan of 365-247.com reported on Thursday that redpants junior mascot Lil' Red has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.  Red finds himself in a crowded sideline with incumbent mascot Herbie Husker likely to maintain his starting job for the 47th consecutive year. Illinois is seen as a landing spot for Red as they've been without a mascot since parting ways with Chief Illiniwek in 2007.
 
Update: Lil Red has confirmed via twitter

 
Red could still return to Nebraska if it is in his best interest. This story is developing. Happy April 1st.

Penn St. Info

Head Coach: Jim Ferry
Location: University Park, PA
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Nittany Lions
Mascot: The Nittany Lion
Conference Record: 4-11
Typical Rotation Depth: 8
Spread: Penn State by 6
KenPom rank: 34
 
Players to watch:       Myreon Jones
On this balanced scoring Penn St team Jones leads the team in 3pt attempts and makes, hitting 39% on the season.  Jones also leads the team in scoring. Last time out vs Nebraska led the team with 18 points but took 20 shots to do so.
 
Roster points
 
PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 5 Jamari Wheeler
6-1  170  Sr 0 Myreon Jones
6-3  180  Jr 12 Izaiah Brockington
6-4  200  Jr 1 Seth Lundy
6-6  219  So 21 John Harrar
6-9  240  Sr 17.5
  2 5 Jamari Wheeler
6-1  170  Sr 0 Myreon Jones
6-3  180  Jr 12 Izaiah Brockington
6-4  200  Jr 2 Myles Dread
6-4  220  Jr 21 John Harrar
6-9  240  Sr 17.5
   
With the departures of Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens Penn St isn't running much offense through the post
 
Seth Lundy as taken over the 4 spot from Stevens; his 3pt shooting has fallen off this year. Functions as one of the few shot blockers on the team Brockington is a lock down defender who mostly shoots inside the arc PG Jamari Wheeler spearheads this ball hawking defense that generates a lot of steals. He's a pure point guard in the sense that he barely shoots so you could see defensively challenged Kobe Webster playing some big minutes tonight Myles Dread still hasn't improved on his freshman numbers like this team would expect and often slots as an undersized forward for this small Penn St squad. Binghamton transfer Sam Sessoms is interesting as I wonder if the team might have been better off in the future had he redshirted.  The high scoring combo guard functions as the PG when Wheeler is off the court and as an undersized SG when they play together.  The Philly native is 2nd on the team in assists and 4th in scoring coming off the bench. John Harrar generates contact, getting to the line a ton while also racking up plenty of fouls on his own. Is one of 5 PSU players averaging over 9 points a game and leads the team in rebounds. Forward Trent Buttrick backs up Harrar but his poor finishing ability and defending makes him a substandard replacement  
 
The Skinny:
Penn St and Pat Chambers had built something in Happy Valley, being among the elites in the conference over the prior 3 years in KenPom ranking and on their way to the first NCAA appearance of Chambers' tenure.  (Projected as a 6 seed by some)  Covid-19 hits and there goes the tourney.  Chambers mouth finally writes enough checks he cannot cash and just before the season starts Chambers is gone.  Current Penn St assistant and former Duquesne and LIU Brooklyn coach Jim Ferry takes over for the team in November.  While Ferry has the title of interim you have to wonder if he has a good shot at retaining the job of the 5th most important sport at the school.
 
Stylistically at this point I'd attribute Penn State's change in play and performance to the change in personnel as opposed to coaching style. It's slightly shocking given Jim Ferry's past and the lack of size on this roster that this team doesn't play faster.  Penn St doesn't shoot all that well nor do they get to the FT line often.  Their lack of size makes them vulnerable inside and no doubt the Huskers will spread them out in order to drive the lane. Penn St lives off of extra possessions, aggressively winning the turnover and rebounding games and playing with the sort of control Hoiberg wants to limit careless turnovers.   Last time out, Nebraska turned the ball over 16 times and gave up 13 offensive rebounds though managed to win as the Nittany Lions shot a putrid 21-65 from the court. 
 
Look for both teams to have relatively better offensive games in what should be another close fought struggle where the winner is the team that fades the least at the end. 
 
 
Prediction: Nebraska 71 - Penn St 68

Georgia Institute of Technology
 
Head Coach: Josh Pastner
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Conference: ACC
Nickname: Yellow Jackets
Mascot: Buzz and Ramblin' Wreck
KenPom rank: 75
Previous history: Georgia Tech leads the all-time series 2-0 including throttling the Huskers 73-56 last season.
Offensive Style: Five out Princeton offense, dribble drive motion, scoring in the paint
Defensive Style: A funky 1-3-1 zone that morphs into a 2-3 / 3-2 zone
Rotation Size: 7-8
Line:  Nebraska by 1
 
Due to cancellations this game has moved from ESPNU to ESPN2

 
 
Players to watch:   Moses Wright
Senior F Moses Wright has been the best player for the Yellowjackets this season, currently leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks.  With GT switching to a smaller lineup vs Kentucky, Wright spent most of the game as their starting center which is mitigated by how much Tech plays zone.  Wright has struggled from 3 most of his college career but is a nifty 3-5 this season.
 
Players to watch:   Jose Alvarado
Tech's Senior PG Alvarado leads the team in assists and steals, often times parked at the top of their 1-3-1. Has struggled with his shot to start the season.
 
Players to watch:   Michael Devoe
The talented wing might be their most dangerous scorer, last year shooting 42.7% from 3 while making it to the FT line 100+ times. Devoe was held scoreless vs Kentucky which shows how balanced the scoring is on this team.
 
Roster points
PG SG SF PF C Pct 1 3 Bubba Parham
5-10  162  Sr 10 Jose Alvarado
6-0  179  Sr 0 Michael Devoe
6-5  197  Jr 4 Jordan Usher
6-7  213  Sr 5 Moses Wright
6-9  233  Sr 26.9
  2 3 Bubba Parham
5-10  162  Sr 10 Jose Alvarado
6-0  179  Sr 0 Michael Devoe
6-5  197  Jr 12 Khalid Moore
6-7  200  Jr 5 Moses Wright
6-9  233  Sr 21.7  
 
Georgia Tech shortened their bench vs Kentucky, only playing 7.
Bubba Parham is the other 3pt shooter to keep tabs on along with Alvarado and Devoe. Those 3 take the majority of 3s on a team that doesn't shoot a ton of them Jordan Usher has been a solid second banana on the defensive end and his shot has been reliable thus far, slotting in as Tech's "big man" for short periods Khalid Moore doesn't shoot much as struggles when he does USC transfer guard  Kyle Sturdivant is still trying to get up to speed defensively but was a spark vs Kentucky, chipping in a career high 15. 6'10" 240# Georgia transfer Rodney Howard started the first two games and then didn't play vs Kentucky. Is a rim protector. 6'8" Jordan Meka  and 7'1"  Saba Gigiberia are freshmen post players who haven't been ready to contribute  
Hoiberg Presser
Thorir Presser
Banton Presser
 
Hoiberg got into their 1-3-1 as well as detailing some of the personnel.  Also we haven't yet found a replacement game for Florida A&M but it's a possibility for next week. 
 
The Skinny:
 
Georgia Tech got off to a slow start which could be blamed on Josh Pastner's decision to implement an "unheard of plan" of non-contact practices. Additionally Pastner was looking to put in more dribble drive to take advantage of this roster. After loses to Georgia St and Mercer, the Ramblin' Wreck scrapped those plans, switched to a smaller lineup, and gave Kentucky the business. 
 
Tech is one of those 'bring almost everyone back' squads. However, that one player not coming back was the 6'10" shot blocking, defensive anchor James Banks. After problems trying to replicate the success with that size, Tech has leaned on defensive quickness and familiarity. Expect that trend to continue against the small ball Huskers.
 
The turnovers that fueled Tech's offense vs Kentucky will be a lot harder to come by vs Nebraska as ball control has been the one positive offensive constant of the Nebraska Hoiberg era.  Both teams still aren't confident in their half court offenses and will look to get out in transition at the expense of giving up 2nd chance points.  Georgia Tech is going to try and work their way into the paint. Nebraska took the few zone looks they saw thus far and ate them up. Tech runs zone for a living so we'll find out how much this team is willing to pass its way to open looks vs driving into defenders/jacking up 3s. One random thing to note is that Trey McGowens played GT twice last year in ACC play.
 
Defensively ,Nebraska's tendency to pack the paint is essentially what you want to run against GT and should hopefully help in keeping Moses Wright in check.  If Tech gets comfortable shooting from outside, it will be a long night for the scarlet and cream.  Nebraska's interior defense is suspect so you could see the Yellow Jackets looking down the bench in this game for some of that size.
 
There really is no outcome, be it blowout win for either team or 4 OT game that would be surprising.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 78 - Georgia Tech 72

McNeese St Info

 
Head Coach: Heath Schroyer 
Location: Lake Charles, LA
Conference: Southland
Nickname: Cowboys
Mascot: Rowdy
Last season: 15-17
Line: Nebraska by 14.5
 

 
 
Player to watch: Dru Kuxhausen
Named to the All-Southland Conference preseason first team, Scottsbluff native Kuxhausen is one of the best 3pt shooters in Div 1 as he set the school and conference record with 125 makes last year. It's easier said than done to just stick a man on Kuxhausen as the Cowboys will run his man through plenty of screens and curls to generate looks. Deadeye FT shooter.
 
Player to watch: AJ Lawson
The big PG is a nice compliment to the diminutive Kuxhausen, able to guard the opposing team's SG on defense and drive into the open lanes or contact on offense.  Last year it was Lawson who took the lion's share of the shot and expect that to continue in 2020. Lawson is turnover prone so there will be opportunity for Nebraska to score some easy transition buckets.
 
The Rest of the Roster
Carlos Rosario is a JUCO PF, a non-3pt threat. Keyshawn Feazell was a seldom used post player at Mississippi St who saw action vs Nebraska in the 2018 NIT game.  Florida Gulf Coast transfer Zach Scott averaged double digits thanks to volume shooting.  This also describes Louisiana Tech transfer Ra'Shawn Langston. Smaller guard Myles Hutchinson does make shots but has a lot of competition for playing time in this guard heavy roster.  Chris Orlina and Jeremy Harrell are size.  Finally in this upperclassman heavy squad we have redshirt freshman guard Collin Warren that the Cowboys have listed as a potential starter.  The springy PG won their dunk competition last year and possibly will help in the ball security and/or defensive departments.
 
UNL Game Notes

 
 
 
The Skinny:
 
2020 has been a rough year.  It's been especially rough on the McNeese St Cowboys as in addition to Covid-19, Lake Charles was hit by  two hurricanes, Laura in August and Delta in October. The city and thus McNeese St's campus was torn to shreds with the school suffering 70+ million in damages.  The basketball team spent most of the summer playing on another campus and their basketball arena will not be ready for 20-21.
 
 
 
Still under 50 years old, head coach and now interim athletic director Heath Schroyer has been coaching in the college ranks for almost 30 years with HC stints at Portland St, Wyoming, and Tennessee Martin.  Additionally he's been a high level recruiter for UNLV,  NC State, and BYU and has assembled a roster with more talent than your average Southland school.  Schroyer has changed his style over the years so you might see his small team trying to run in this game which should benefit Nebraska.  His defenses tend to take away the paint so we'll find out if Nebraska has indeed improved their 3pt shooting from last year.
 
The Huskers once again overhauled most of their roster and I don't have enough time to ask all the questions that most likely won't be answered after one game unless the answer is losing another home opener to a team we paid to be here.  Two easy things to track will be how Nebraska looks on the boards and how they execute the half court offense.  Last year Nebraska couldn't buy a rebound.  This year's team with plus length at most every position should be able to best the smaller Cowboys.  Offensively Nebraska should be able to generate a good look against a team like this with double digits on the shot clock.  Is the ball moving? Is Nebraska making the simple plays?
 
Circling back from my opening about all that McNeese St has gone through just to make it to Nebraska for the opening of college basketball I don't think you'll find the Cowboys will play like a team brought in here to lose.  Last season they almost beat Texas and probably give the 2019-20 Huskers all they can handle.  The Huskers will most likely need some of the composure that last year's team undeniably lacked.  This should be a manageable opening test for a Nebraska team with not a whole lot of runway before they're playing nothing but Power 5 schools.
 
Look for Nebraska to end up winning comfortably if the Cowboys want to run and perhaps sweat a bit if McNeese is here to muck things up.
 
Prediction: Nebraska 90 - McNeese St 67