Nebraska Hoops Game Day: at Ohio State

Nebraska’s final regular-season road game tonight at Ohio State carries significant NCAA Tournament implications for both teams.

Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ critical rematch with the Buckeyes…

Who, What, Where, When

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-12, 7-11 Big Ten) at Ohio State Buckeyes (16-13, 8-10 Big Ten)

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 – 8:00 p.m. CT

Value City Arena (18,809)

TV: Peacock

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/Streaming: Peacock

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Nebraska projected starters

Brice Williams	G	Sr.	6-7/214	He leads the team and ranks second in the Big Ten with 19.7 points per game this season. He’s scored at least 20 points in eight of the last nine games, including 21 vs. Minnesota.
Sam Hoiberg	G	Jr.	6-0/185	He returned to the starting lineup vs. Minnesota for his ninth start over the last 10 games. He had four points, three steals, and two assists over 31 minutes.
Juwan Gary	G/F	Sr.	6-6/226	He posted his sixth 20-point game of the season with 21 on 8-of-14 shooting in the loss to Minnesota. He also added five rebounds over 37 minutes of work.
Berke Buyuktuncel	F	So.	6-10/240	He scored two points on 1-of-6 shooting and posted a team-low plus/minus of -20. He’s missed 15 of his last 16 shots since returning from his ankle injury.
Braxton Meah	C	Sr.	7-1/265	He played just nine minutes, didn’t attempt a shot, and went 1-of-6 on free throws in the loss to Minnesota. He drew four fouls in the first two minutes of the game.

Ohio State projected starters

John Mobley Jr.	G	Fr.	6-1/175	He averages 13.1 points per game and shoots over 40% from behind the arc. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year candidate scored 21 points and hit five 3-pointers in Ohio State’s loss at Nebraska.
Bruce Thornton	G	Jr.	6-2/215	He leads Ohio State in scoring (17.4 ppg) and assists (4.3 apg). He had nine points, six assists, and zero turnovers over 39 minutes in the first meeting with Nebraska.
Micah Parrish	G	Sr.	6-6/205	He averages 12.7 ppg and 1.1 spg this season. He scored a game-high 30 points while shooting 5-of-12 from 3-point range in Ohio State’s loss at Nebraska.
Devin Royal	F	So.	6-6/220	He’s scoring 13.3 ppg and leads OSU with 6.3 rpg. He finished with just two points on 1-of-4 shooting with a turnover over 15 minutes vs. the Huskers in Lincoln.
Sean Stewart	F	So.	6-9/220	He’s averaged 5.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He managed just three points, three rebounds, and two turnovers before fouling out after 20 minutes at Nebraska.

3 keys to victory

Neutralize the 3-point line

As usual, Nebraska has to keep its opponent in check from behind the arc. That’s especially true for an Ohio State team that has thrived from 3-point range as much as any team in the Big Ten this season. The Buckeyes come in averaging 8.1 made threes per game while hitting them at a 37.5% clip. True freshman John Mobley leads the way with a team-high 71 made 3-pointers while shooting above 40% from deep. Ohio State got off to a hot start from downtown in its first meeting with Nebraska. It made five of its first 11 attempts to jump out to an eight-point lead early in the second half. Mobley and Micah Parrish, who dropped 30 in the loss, made all 10 of OSU’s threes. With how limited the Huskers’ shooting has been lately, they simply can’t afford to trade twos for threes tonight.

Berke must find his shot

When head coach Fred Hoiberg says Berke Buyuktuncel is “as important as anyone on our team,” look no further than the last meeting with Ohio State to see why. The 6-foot-10 forward had his best performance as a Husker in the 79-71 win in Lincoln. He dropped a season-high 15 points and hit a team-best 3-of-6 threes. The sophomore also hauled in six rebounds and dished out three assists over his season-high 31 minutes. As impressive as he was, the night ended with Buyuktuncel spraining his ankle in the final seconds. Buyuktuncel has missed 15 of his last 16 shots since returning from injury vs. Michigan, including going 0-8 from three. His lone make was a tip-in on an offensive rebound vs. Minnesota. He also hasn’t attempted a free throw since the first meeting vs. Ohio State on February 9. For Nebraska to be at its best, Buyuktuncel must get back on track.

Dominate the charity stripe

How did Nebraska rally back from an eight-point second-half deficit against Ohio State? By attacking the rim and racking up points as the free-throw line. The Huskers finished that game 18-of-21 from the charity stripe, including 15-of-17 after halftime. NU succeeded with that strategy because it’s at its best when it’s the aggressor on offense. It also had to do with the Buckeyes being one of the most foul-prone teams in the country. They ranked 330th nationally and last in the Big Ten in defensive free-throw rate (40.1). As a result, 24% of their opponents’ points this season have been free throws, the 12th highest rate in the nation. Given how relatively short OSU’s rotation is, early foul trouble could be a critical x-factor. Nebraska fouled out starter Sean Stewart after 20 minutes, got four fouls on Mobely, and three on sixth man Evan Mahaffey in the last meeting.

Quotable

“It was one of the toughest weeks of my professional career with what happened last week. When you have an opportunity against Michigan, you miss a great look in the last minute. We get the lead (against Minnesota), we give up one on the last second. We’re one shot away from being in (the NCAA Tournament) right now, but there’s nothing we can do about that. All we can focus is on the task at hand, which is the next one, which is tomorrow night against Ohio State.”

-Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska’s close losses to Michigan and Minnesota last week.

Prediction

Ohio State (-5.5) 74, Nebraska 67

Robin’s season record: 21-8

Vs. the spread: 14-15

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