Fred Hoiberg calls Juwan Gary a game-time decision for Ohio State game

Nebraska is off to their best-ever start in Big Ten play under Fred Hoiberg, winning four out of eight conference matchups. Making the NCAA Tournament is a real possibility as well, with On3’s James Fletcher currently having the Huskers as one of the final four teams in. Wins will have to continue to be stacked though, with Ohio State next on the schedule.

Hoiberg is hoping to have forward Juwan Gary back for the game after suffering an injury last week against Rutgers. Gary suffered a calf strain and did not play on Saturday against Northwestern.

While Gary has not been fully cleared to practice, Hoiberg revealed there was some work in the half-court on Monday. If things continue to progress in the right direction, Gary could suit up and play against Ohio State on Tuesday. But for now, he’s considered a game-time decision.

“He did some work,” Hoiberg said. “Mostly in the half-court. So, it will be a day tomorrow where we’ll test him a little bit more in shootaround and see where he is. But he did not get any up and down, full-court reps today. He’s getting a little bit of extra work right now — non-contact. And then we’ll see where he is.

“But he’s doing significantly better than where he was, even the last couple of days. Obviously, when it happened, at Rutgers, he was in a boot and on crutches and putting no weight on his. So, we feel good about where he is but we want to be smart at the same time. It will be a game-time decision for Juwan tomorrow.”

Gary is one of four Nebraska players scoring in double figures at the moment, averaging 11.7 points per game. He is also second in the team when it comes to rebounding, grabbing 5.8 boards per night. He has been a critical player for Hoiberg in his second season with the Huskers.

Nebraska was able to survive over the weekend with Gary, taking down Northwestern. It brought them back to .500 in the Big Ten and has them tied for fifth place. Ohio State is not too far behind and is coming off a win of their own against Penn State.

Getting Gary back on the court would be a massive addition for Hoiberg, having his team back at full strength. Gary will continue to work though, hoping to continue to be a key player for Nebraska down the stretch.