Fastbreak: Huskers ready for first big test in exhibition at Colorado

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg and redshirt freshman forward Denim Dawson met with local media on Friday to preview the Huskers‘ charity game rematch at Colorado on Sunday.

Here is a full rundown of what they had to say…

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Huskers are healthy and ready for first road challenge

Nebraska came out of its first exhibition win over Chadron State as healthy as possible. Walk-on Henry Burt (illness) was the only Husker who did not practice on Friday.

That means Hoiberg will see how his full roster handles its first road trip of the season in Boulder.

NU plays four of its first seven games away from Pinnacle Bank Arena. That includes traveling to St. John’s three games into the schedule. Hoiberg said Sunday would provide immense value for his latest squad.

“We get a chance to go on the road, which is real important for us because we’ve got some really good early road contests,” Hoiberg said. “So this gives us a really good chance to get on the road and show everything about what a road trip looks like for our group that has a lot of new faces.”

Colorado will test NU physically

Colorado lost its top three scorers from last season. But head coach Tad Boyle’s team should pick up right where it left off after a fourth straight 20-win campaign.

The overall physicality, length, and offensive firepower of CU’s new lineup have stood out to Hoiberg.

In the post, Colorado starts 7-foot-1 center Lawson Loverin and 6-9 forward Tristan da Silva. As if that weren’t enough, Hoiberg expects CU to “crash four guys” on the offensive glass on most possessions.

The Buffaloes will also use a full-court and 3/4-court press with traps to make life difficult on Nebraska’s guards. Oh, and the CU Events Center sits 5,400 feet above sea level. The Huskers will face a physical test from start to finish.

“We’re going to have to come out early and be ready to take that first punch and try to get our second wind quickly,” Hoiberg said.

Hoiberg will keep offense ‘basic’ but still seeking improvement

Hoiberg was happy with Nebraska’s effort and hustle with its defense and rebounding vs. Chadron State. But the Huskers’ shooting left plenty to be desired.

NU shot just 6-of-24 (25%) from behind the arc and missed 14 of its first 16 attempts from 3-point range. Hoiberg only called two offensive sets (a post and perimeter action) the entire game. But he still wanted to see more from his group with the ball.

However, Hoiberg said he would again keep things “basic” with the offensive package at Colorado. Besides improved shooting, Hoiberg wanted better movement with and without the ball and a quicker pace in the half-court offense.

“When we got a little stagnant out there, our possessions weren’t very good,” Hoiberg said. “When we had good pace into the movement, which doesn’t mean we have to shoot fast, but when we had pace in our half-court set – even though we only ran a couple plays – we had good results with that, whether it was a good shot or a converted basket.”

RELATED: Hoiberg talks Chadron St., Colorado, and more on radio

Huskers will dial up the pressure on defense this season

One noticeable change fans can expect from Nebraska defensively is a higher pickup point after made baskets and dead balls.

Much of that is due to the Huskers’ personnel. In particular, SMU transfer guard Emmanuel Bandoumel and Dawson’s ability to guard the ball baseline to baseline.

Defending the ball further up the floor will force opponents into their offensive sets earlier in possessions. As a result, NU can get set defensively before the ball even passes half-court.

“It’s really personnel-based,” Hoiberg said. “It starts with Emmanuel. He’s got great feet; he’s got great anticipation picking the ball up. If he can force the offense to get into their sets further up the floor, that really helps you.”

Dawson’s defense has shined, but his shooting has also improved

Dawson arrived on campus as a mid-year early enrollee last December. He immediately made his mark by diving for a loose ball in his first Nebraska practice.

That effort and hustle have continued ever since. Now the California native has all but solidified himself in NU’s rotation this season. With the ability to crash the boards and be “the head of the snake” as a “ball-hawk” defender. Hoiberg said Dawson would be a valuable piece for the Huskers.

“That’s a big energy thing, and I’m a big energy guy,” Dawson said. “Me diving on the floor, my teammates are going to see that and say, ‘If he’s diving on the floor and it’s his first day here, I can dive on the floor.’ That’s just me being a leader from a defensive standpoint.”

But the forward’s impact might be felt on the offensive end of the floor, too. Dawson has worked a lot on his shooting since arriving in Lincoln, especially as a catch-and-shoot weapon on the perimeter.

He’s shot a strong 3-point percentage in practice this offseason, and Hoiberg hopes that will carry over into games.

“When Demin has open catch-and-shoot threes, we want him shooting those,” Hoiberg said.

Hoiberg learned lesson on exhibition results last year

When Colorado came to Lincoln for the first charity exhibition last year, Nebraska looked unstoppable in a dominant 82-67 victory.

Exceptions going into last season were already high, but that performance made the hype skyrocket. Nine days later, the Huskers lost to Western Illinois in their regular season opener. That set the tone for a disappointing 10-22 campaign.

Hoiberg was impressed with his team’s play in that win over Colorado. Looking back, though, he wished that day hadn’t gone quite so well for the Huskers.

“Unfortunately, looking back on it, I maybe wish it would’ve gone the other way, and it would’ve busted them up a little bit,” Hoiberg said. “We did not face a lot of adversity just based on our two exhibition opportunities a year ago.”