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Nebraska Hoops Game Day: at Penn State

Robin Washut profile picby:Robin Washut•02/19/25•

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Rollie Worster Nebraska basketball
Northwestern Wildcats center Matthew Nicholson (34) defends Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Rollie Worster (24) during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

After overcoming a 20-point second-half deficit to beat Northwestern, Nebraska hits the road again tonight against Penn State.

Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ road showdown with the Nittany Lions in State College…

Who, What, Where, When

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-9, 7-8 Big Ten) at Penn State Nittany Lions (13-13, 3-12 Big Ten)

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 – 5:30 p.m. CT

Bryce Jordan Center (15,261)

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/Streaming: Fox Sports App

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Nebraska projected starters

Brice WilliamsGSr.6-7/214He posted his sixth-straight 20-point game with a team-high 23 at Northwestern. That’s the longest such streak since Tyronn Lue in 1997-98.
Sam HoibergGJr.6-0/185Hoiberg should make his eighth consecutive start tonight. He didn’t score but had three steals and three assists over 25 minutes at Northwestern.
Rollie WorsterGSr.6-5/210He missed all four of his shots and went scoreless at Northwestern, but he also led NU with four assists and added three boards in the win.
Juwan GaryFSr.6-6/226Gary scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half at Northwestern. That marked his sixth straight game scoring in double figures.
Andrew MorganFSr.6-10/242He finished with nine points, four rebounds, and three
blocked shots in the win at Northwestern. That included going 5-7 on free throws.

Penn State projected starters

Ace Baldwin Jr.GSr.6-1/190Last season’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, he averages 14.0 points, 7.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per
game.
D’Marco DunnGSr.6-5/205Dunn should make just his fourth start of the season tonight vs. Nebraska. He averages 7.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, and 0.8 spg.
Nick Kern Jr.GSr.6-6/205A transfer from VCU, he’s averaging 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season.
Zach HicksFSr.6-8/205The 6-foot-8 forward leads Penn State with 62 made 3-pointers at a nearly 40 percent clip from behind the arc.
Yanic Konan NiederhauserFJr.7-0/250A transfer from Northern Illinois, he averages 12.2 points and leads Penn State with 6.2 rebounds per game.

3 keys to victory

Crash the glass

As incredible as Nebraska’s 20-point rally to beat Northwestern was, the Huskers can’t afford to wait until the final 15 minutes to start battling. That begins on the boards, where the Wildcats absolutely dominated with a 46-27 overall advantage and a whopping 23-5 edge on the offensive glass. As a result, Northwestern attempted 27 more field goals and out-scored NU 18-8 on second-chance points. Penn State is a middle-of-the-pack rebounding team, ranking 12th in the Big Ten with a +.08 margin. But the Nittany Lions are more than capable of cleaning up the boards if Nebraska doesn’t bring the fight after every shot.

Get Essegian going

Per head coach Fred Hoiberg, Connor Essegian is finally over the illness he’d been dealing with for the past week. But even before he got sick, the junior guard had struggled to find his groove. Essegian, Nebraska’s top 3-point shooter at 60 makes, had missed 10 of 11 threes by halftime in Evanston. However, the former Wisconsin transfer responded by making effort plays with defense and rebounding and then hit three of his next four from behind the arc in the second half. Penn State ranks 17th in the Big Ten and 267th nationally in defensive 3-point percentage (35.3). That means the looks should be there for Essegian to heat back up.

Come ready to play

Hoiberg was obviously happy about leaving Northwestern with a victory, but the first 25 minutes of that game couldn’t have gone much worse. The Huskers looked lost on both ends of the floor while falling behind 41-21 early in the second half. They flipped the switch and won the game, but Hoiberg knows that model is not sustainable. Penn State might be near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, but the Nittany Lions are a salty, veteran group. PSU ranks second in the conference at 8.3 steals per game, led by reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Ace Baldwin (2.3 spg). It’s also tied for third in the conference with a +3.62 turnover margin, and big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser leads the league with 2.08 bpg. In other words, Nebraska can’t expect to go through the motions and then turn it on late.

Quotable

“I give our guys a lot of credit. We found a way to reverse it (at Northwestern), but we cannot put ourselves in that position and expect to have a chance to win.”

-Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska needing to start faster and avoid falling into an early hole at Penn State.

Prediction

Nebraska (+1.5) 74, Penn State 71

Robin’s season record: 20-6

Vs. the spread: 12-14

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