Nebraska Basketball Game Day: Minnesota
Here is what you need to know going into Nebraska’s morning Big Ten road game against Minnesota in Minneapolis…
Who, What, Where, When
Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-7, 1-3) at Minnesota (6-7, 0-3)
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 – 11 a.m. CT
Williams Arena (14,625)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Huskers Radio Network
Internet: FOX Sports app
Nebraska projected starters
| Sam Griesel | G | Sr. | 6-7/216 | Had 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals in the loss at Michigan State. |
| Emmanuel Bandoumel | G | Sr. | 6-4/187 | Posted 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting along with 6 boards vs. MSU. |
| C.J. Wilcher | G | So. | 6-5/208 | Scored 6 points on 2-of-9 shooting against Michigan State. |
| Juwan Gary | F | Jr. | 6-6/215 | Finished with just 4 points and 1 rebound vs. MSU. |
| Derrick Walker | F | Sr. | 6-9/245 | Led NU with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists at Michigan State. |
Minnesota projected starters
| Ta’lon Cooper | G | Jr. | 6-4/190 | Had 16 points and 3 assists but also 6 turnovers against Wisconsin. |
| Taurus Samuels | G | Sr. | 6-1/190 | Averaging 1.9 ppg on 25% shooting over 13 appearances this season. |
| Joshua Ola-Joseph | F | Fr. | 6-7/215 | Scoring 6.8 points per game on 54.5% shooting from the field. |
| Jamison Battle | F | Jr. | 6-7/225 | Averages 12.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 1.0 apg. Shooting 84.6% on FTs. |
| Dawson Garcia | F | So. | 6-11/235 | Leads team with 14.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. |
Apply the pressure
Minnesota will want to play a similar grind-it-out style as Nebraska, leaning on tough defense, rebounding, and methodical half-court offense. In a game where every possession will be critical, turnovers could be a defining factor. Looking back on the Golden Gophers’ road loss at Wisconsin, almost every stat was even or in favor of UM. However, Minnesota turned it over 20 times compared to just nine by the Badgers. The Gophers rank 308th nationally in offensive turnover percentage at 21.1%. If the Huskers can create offense through their defense, it could be the difference today.
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Capitalize at the line
Nebraska and Minnesota stand as two of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the Big Ten and the country. The Huskers were dismal at the stripe at Michigan State, going 12-for-20. They now rank 337th national in free-throw percentage at 63.4%. The only Big Ten squad that has been worse is the Gophers, who rank 359th out of 363 Division I teams and last in all of the Power Six. Making free throws is always important, but it will be imperative today. That’s because NU and UM are among the best in the nation in defending without fouling. Nebraska is third overall in opponent free-throw rate (18.4), while Minnesota is seventh (20.1). Getting to the charity stripe will be just as important as converting once there.
Turn the page
Tuesday night’s loss at Michigan State was a disappointment from start to finish. Coming off a win over Iowa when pretty much everything went right, the Huskers couldn’t catch a break in the 18-point defeat. The key for NU is to learn from that game and then quickly put it out of its memory. A Quad 1 road loss doesn’t mean much as far as a potential postseason resume. But today is about as good of an opportunity to pick up a Big Ten road win as there is on the schedule. Looking at the KenPom projections, Minnesota is the only predicted road win for NU this season. If the Huskers really have taken that next step as a program and are serious about a postseason berth, this is a borderline must-win matchup.
Quotable
“We’ve been hanging in there for the most part all year. The identity of this team has been being able to guard, and we’ve been struggling – we’re really struggling to shoot the ball right now, and we have to keep that energy going on the other end regardless of what is happening offensively.”
NU head coach Fred Hoiberg on the Huskers not letting offensive struggles impact their defense.
Prediction
Nebraska (-3.5) 65, Minnesota 60
Robin’s overall season record: 10-5
Robin’s record vs. the spread: 8-7
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