Nebraska Basketball Game Day: vs. Minnesota
Here is what you need to know going into Nebraska’s must-win home game against Minnesota this afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena…
Who, What, Where, When
Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-14, 7-10) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-19, 1-15)
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 – 2:30 p.m. CT
Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Huskers Radio Network
Internet: FOX Sports app
Nebraska projected starters
| Sam Griesel | G | Sr. | 6-7/216 | Had 12 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks against Maryland. |
| Jamarques Lawrence | G | Fr. | 6-3/185 | Had 1 point on 0-5 shooting and a team-low +/- of -7 vs. Maryland. |
| Keisei Tominaga | G | Jr. | 6-2/175 | Scored 20 points vs. Maryland for his fifth straight 20-point effort. |
| C.J. Wilcher | G | So. | 6-5/208 | Finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds, and blocked a shot vs. Maryland. |
| Derrick Walker | F | Sr. | 6-9/245 | Had career-high 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists vs. Maryland. |
Minnesota projected starters
| Ta’lon Cooper | G | Jr. | 6-4/190 | Averaging 9.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.1 spg, and a team-high 5.9 apg. |
| Joshua Ola-Joseph | G/F | Fr. | 6-7/215 | Averages 7.7 points and 2.9 boards while shooting 51.8% on FGs. |
| Jaden Henley | G/F | Fr. | 6-7/190 | Finished with 14 points on 5-7 shooting last time out at Maryland. |
| Jamison Battle | F | Jr. | 6-7/225 | Scoring 12.9 ppg and leads UM with 45 made 3-pointers this year. |
| Dawson Garcia | F | So. | 6-11/235 | Leads UM with 15.5 ppg & 6.5 rpg. Had 19 & 15 vs. NU in January. |
Keep winning at the FT line
Nebraska and Minnesota stand as two of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the Big Ten and the country. The Huskers rank 351st nationally in free-throw percentage at 63.6%. The only Big Ten squad that has been worse is the Gophers, who rank 363rd out of 363 Division I teams at 60.6%. However, NU is arguably coming off its best free-throw performance of the season in last weekend’s win over Maryland. Nebraska went 19-for-25 at the line (76%), including going 12-of-16 in the second half and then 5-for-7 in overtime. The charity stripe will be critical once again today. In the Huskers’ 81-79 OT win in Minneapolis last month, they went 16-of-21 on free throws, while the Golden Gophers were 7-of-10. Both teams rank in the top-12 nationally in defensive free-throw rate, so every attempt will matter today.
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Control the boards
One of the main reasons why Nebraska was able to pull out its overtime win at Minnesota in January was because of how well it did on the glass. The Huskers owned a 38-28 rebounding advantage, including hauling in 11 offensive boards for 10 second-chance points. However, that was with Juwan Gary in the lineup. Gary accounted for eight rebounds overall and had three of NU’s offensive boards while posting a season-high 18 points. Nebraska has been better on the glass lately, but it can’t let Minnesota steal extra possessions. Dawson Garcia killed the Huskers on the glass with a whopping 15 rebounds, helping UM to 11 second-chance points. NU must finish defensive stops and create its own extra chances with aggressive rebounding all game.
Handle being the hunted
It’s been a long time since Nebraska came in as heavy of a favorite as it is today against Minnesota. The Huskers have been one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams in February, while the Gophers are in the cellar of the league and have lost 11 straight. NU is coming off a six-day break and will play a Saturday afternoon home game in front of what should be a packed Pinnacle Bank Arena crowd. UM is playing its third road game in the past six days and will likely be running on fumes. All of this sets up for what should be a convincing Nebraska victory. How will the Huskers handle expected success? Veteran leaders like Derrick Walker and Sam Griesel will be critical to ensure their team plays with the proper focus and intensity to do what they’re supposed to do.
Quotable
“Our guys deserve to enjoy this. Three in a row now, all great wins. Coming back from a big deficit against Wisconsin, to get a huge road win in a tough environment (at Rutgers), and then coming back again tonight. All three wins, it takes resolve and mental toughness and couldn’t be more proud of this group.”
Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska’s impressive late-season turnaround.
Prediction
Nebraska (-8.5) 72, Minnesota 60
Robin’s overall season record: 18-10
Robin’s record vs. the spread: 15-13
