Nebraska Basketball Game Day: Maine
Here is what you need to know going into Nebraska’s season-opener against Maine tonight at Pinnacle Bank Arena…
Who, What, Where, When
Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-0) vs Maine Black Bears (0-0, 0-0)
Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 – 7:00 p.m. CT
Pinnacle Bank Arena
TV: None
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Internet: BTN+ (subscription)
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Nebraska projected starters
| Sam Griesel | G | Sr. | 6-7/216 | Needs 24 points to reach 1,000 for his career. |
| Emmanuel Bandoumel | G | Sr. | 6-4/187 | Led NU with led 14 points and two steals vs. Colorado. |
| C.J. Wilcher | G | So. | 6-5/208 | Played in all 33 games last season, averaging 8.1 ppg and 2.3 rpg |
| Wilhelm Breidenbach | F | So. | 6-10/231 | Had 2 points and 2 rebounds at CU. Played just 10 games last year. |
| Blaise Keita | C | So. | 6-11/241 | Started at Colorado in place of Derrick Walker (healthcare reasons) |
Maine projected starters
| Adefolarin Adetogun | G | Jr. | 6-1 | Averaged 3.9 ppg and 1.4 apg; 4th on team with 22 steals & 6 blocks. |
| LeChaun Duhart | G | Sr. | 6-4 | Led Maine in scoring the past two seasons; 8.6 ppg in 2021-22. |
| Ja’Shonte Wright-McLeish | G | Sr. | 6-4 | Averaged 7.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg and 1.7 apg on 42.1% FG last season. |
| Kristians Feierbergs | F | So. | 6-8 | Scored 4.4 ppg last year; two-time America East Rookie of the Week |
| Ata Turgut | F | Jr. | 6-9 | Averaged 3.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg, and 1.2 apg. Scored 15 points vs. Rutgers |
Fastbreak: No update on Walker as Huskers head into season opener
3 keys to victory
Open up the playbook
Nebraska ran a grand total of two offensive sets in its exhibition opener against Chadron State. It then had three designed actions in the charity game at Colorado. Head coach Fred Hoiberg said he intentionally wanted to keep his revamped roster and offense under wraps until the regular season, so tonight will be interesting to see how much improvement we see from the Huskers with a full playbook. Nebraska shot a combined 25 percent from 3-point range in exhibition play, so hopefully a more structured hafl-court offense will produce some makes off of better looks.
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Create offense through defense
While Nebraska is still very much a work in progress offensively, its defense has looked as advertised through the two exhibitions. Against a Maine team debuting a new head coach, the Huskers have an opportunity to set the tone from the opening tip on the defensive end of the floor. Pressure the ball with a high pick-up point, be active with your hands on and off the ball, and create transition scoring opportunities through forced turnovers and defensive rebounds. There is no better way to spark a struggling offense than by racking up easy fastbreak layups.
Replace Derrick Walker’s on-court leadership
Nebraska will likely be without one of its top players on and off the court tonight, as forward Derrick Walker is not expected to return to action. The sixth-year senior was held out at Colorado for what Hoiberg would only call “healthcare reasons.” Assuming Walker is out, the Huskers must find ways to replicate his production, especially his scoring efficiency at the rim. Maybe just as important, though, will be replacing Walker’s value as a vocal leader. He’ll be on the bench and in the huddles during timeouts, but NU needs other guys to take charge on the floor when the action is live.
Kojenets makes the most of first big opportunity at Colorado
Quotable
“You never want to be fat and happy. You always want to be striving for more… We haven’t shown anything yet, and we haven’t done anything yet, and we need to keep that hunger, and we need to keep working every day and bringing it every day.”
-Senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel on the value of facing early adversity in the exhibition at Colorado.
Nebraska vs. Maine prediction
Nebraka (-20.5) 75, Maine 56
Robin’s overall season record: 0-0
Robin’s record vs. the spread: 0-0
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