Nebraska Hoops Game Day: Minnesota
Riding a three-game winning streak with its first Big Ten road victory in the books, Nebraska hopes to keep rolling tonight vs. Minnesota.
Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ home rematch with the Golden Gophers…
Who, What, Where, When
Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-8, 9-7) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-9, 8-7)
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 – 5:30 p.m. CT
Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Huskers Radio Network
Internet: B1G+
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Nebraska projected starters
Brice WilliamsGJr.6-7/213Scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half to go along with 6 rebounds in the win at Indiana. Keisei Tominaga GSr.6-2/175Had a team-high 20 points with four 3-pointers at Indiana, marking his fifth 20-point effort this season.Juwan GaryFJr.6-7/221Scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half at Indiana while nabbing 6 rebounds in a team-high 34 minutes. Josiah AllickFJr.6-8/231Finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 0 turnovers for a +/- of 14 over 28 minutes at Indiana.Rienk MastFJr.6-10/248 Had a season-low 2 points on 1-5 shooting with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 turnovers at Indiana.
Minnesota projected starters
Elijah HawkinsGJr.5-11/165Leads the nation with 7.6 assists per game. Ranks fourth in the Big Ten with a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.Mike Mitchell Jr. GJr.6-2/185Scoring 10.9 ppg while shooting 39.6% from behind the arc with a team-high 55 made 3-pointers.Cam ChristieGFr.6-6/190Freshman averaging 11.0 ppg and 2.4 apg while making a team-high 2.1 3-pointers per game.Pharrel PayneFSo.6-9/255Averages 10.1 ppg on 62.0% shooting and leads Minnesota with 1.6 bpg and is second with 6.2 rpg.Dawson GarciaFJr.6-11/230 Ranks 6th in the Big Ten at 17.7 ppg on 46.8% shooting and leads the team with 6.5 rpg
3 keys to victory
Attack the rim, but be smart
A driving force behind Minnesota’s unexpected success this season has been its established identity of physicality in the paint. In particular, protecting the rim. Led by Dawson Garcia and Pharrel Payne, the Golden Gophers rank third in the Big Ten in blocked shots (4.69 bpg). Payne (1.6), Garcia (1.0), and Parker Fox (0.7) all rank in the league’s top 20 for blocks on the year. UM blocked seven Nebraska shots in the first meeting in Minneapolis, and the Huskers have been stuffed at a concerning rate all season. They rank last in the Big Ten and 314th nationally in offensive block percentage (11.4). NU must be smart with its shot selection at the rim.
Value the basketball
Nebraska is coming off one of its most offensively efficient games of the season. The Huskers dished out 19 assists on 31 made shots in their win at Indiana. They also only committed eight turnovers, marking their lowest total in Big Ten play this year. That must continue tonight, as Minnesota feasted on NU’s sloppy passing and ball handling in the first meeting. The Gophers forced 18 turnovers (10 steals) that turned into 24 points in their win back in December. Ball security will be especially important for Nebraska, considering that few teams distribute better than Minnesota. UM leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally with 18.4 assists per game. Most of that is due to point guard Elijah Hawkins, who leads the country with 7.6 apg. The Gophers had 18 assists on 25 makes vs. the Huskers. NU must protect the ball while being more disruptive defensively in the rematch.
Start fast, and don’t let up
For the first 20 minutes, Nebraska went on the road and absolutely dominated Minnesota. The Huskers led 39-24 at halftime and did nearly everything right. Then, the second half happened. The Gophers outscored NU 52-26 after the break for a stunning 76-65 comeback victory. Nebraska has struggled with in-game inconsistency all season, as extended lapses of poor play have often turned potential wins into defeats. Minnesota has been one of the most surprising teams in the Big Ten this year, and a lot of that is because the Gophers never let up. The Huskers need to jump on UM quickly and, just as importantly, keep their feet on the gas until the final horn.
Quotable
“You want to be playing your best basketball at the end of the year, and this was three really good performances in a row now. So we’ve just got to build off this. You can’t get complacent, you can’t get satisfied. We’ve got a really good Minnesota team coming in… This team’s playing excellent basketball, so we’re going to have our hands full.”
-Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska heating up at the right time down the stretch.
Prediction
Nebraska 78, Minnesota 70
Robin’s season record: 18-9
Vs. the spread: 11-16
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