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Nebraska Hoops Game Day: Iowa

Robin Washut profile picby:Robin Washut•about 15 hours•

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Juwan Gary Nebraska basketball
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) dribbles the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament and Big Ten Tournament hopes are on the line today in its Senior Day finale against Iowa.

Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ critical home rematch with the Hawkeyes at Pinnacle Bank Arena…

RELATED: Seniors Williams, Gary have left lasting legacies during their Nebraska careers

Who, What, Where, When

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-13, 7-12 Big Ten) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Buckeyes (15-15, 6-13 Big Ten)

Sunday, March 9, 2025 – 11:30 a.m. CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)

TV: FOX

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/Streaming: FOX Sports App

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Nebraska projected starters

Brice WilliamsGSr.6-7/214He leads the Big Ten at 20.4 points per game. He’ll look to win Nebraska’s first conference scoring title since Terran Petteway in 2014.
Sam HoibergGJr.6-0/185He finished with five points and three rebounds before fouling out at Ohio State. He’s made six of his last 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Rollie WorsterGSr.6-5/210He had six points, four rebounds, two assists, and zero turnovers over 34 minutes before fouling out in the loss at Ohio State.
Juwan Gary G/FSr.6-6/226He’s averaging 16.7 ppg with four 20-point efforts over NU’s last 10 games. He needs four points to reach 900 as a Husker and one more to reach 1,200 for his career.
Berke BuyuktuncelFSo.6-10/240He’s missed 17 of his last 18 shots since returning from an ankle injury three games ago. He’s played less than 20 minutes each of the last two outings.

Iowa projected starters

Drew ThelwellGSr.6-3/195He averages 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. He’ll be a game-time decision while dealing with an ankle injury.
Josh DixGJr.6-6/210He scored a career-high 31 points and went 7-10 on 3-pointers in Iowa’s win over Nebraska in Iowa City. He averages 14.1 ppg and shoots 42% from behind the arc.
Payton SandfortFSr.6-8/215He averages 16.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg and leads the Hawkeyes with 72 made 3-pointers. He scored a career-high 30 points vs. Nebraska, all coming in the second half and OT.
Seydou TraoreFSo.6-7/220He’s missed six games to injury this season and scored in double figures seven times. He’s averaging 6.3 points on 44.6 percent shooting.
Ladji DembeleFSo.6-8/255He took over as a starter after Owen Freeman’s season-ending finger injury. He’s averaged 6.9 points on 48% shooting with 4.8 rebounds over his last eight games.

3 keys to victory

D up

After giving up 97 points in an overtime loss in Iowa City back on January 7, Nebraska better be locked in defensively from start to finish today. The Hawkeyes rank second in the Big Ten and 19th nationally at 82.3 points per game. They’ve done that on a blistering 48.6% shooting from the field and a 56.3% effective FG percentage, both of which are good for second in the Big Ten. They don’t play much defense on the other end, as we saw with NU’s 87 points in the first meeting. As a result, Iowa will look to make this one another shootout from the jump.

Control the pace

As mentioned, Iowa will do all it can to turn this game into a track meet. Nebraska did an excellent job of keeping the game’s pace under control for the first 25 minutes in Iowa City. Then, the Hawkeyes got the tempo rolling and never looked back. By not getting back quickly enough defensively, Iowa torched the Huskers with offensive pace and transition 3-pointers. Josh Dix hit seven of UI’s 17 triples, while Payton Sandfort scored all 30 of his points (six 3-pointers) after halftime. Nebraska just doesn’t have the firepower to try and beat the Hawkeyes at their greatest strength.

Finish the job

The stakes of today’s game are clear: If Nebraska beats Iowa, it will go to the Big Ten Tournament and keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive for another game. A loss to the Hawkeyes eliminates NU from Indianapolis and ends its chances at the Big Dance. Add in it being a sold-out Senior Day for guys like Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, and there should be no shortage of motivation for the Huskers. However, even if Nebraska jumps out to an early start, it must keep its foot on the gas until the final buzzer. The Huskers led 52-37 with 14:54 remaining in the first meeting in Iowa City. Iowa then rallied to tie it at 64-64 with 4:58 left and won in OT. Six of the Hawkeyes’ 15 wins this season have been second-half rallies. NU must play like its season is on the line for a full 40 minutes – or maybe even longer, if necessary.

Quotable

“I’ll say this, I walked in (the locker room after Nebraska’s 2OT loss at Ohio State) and Brice and Juwan were addressing the team, and I let them talk. I just let them go. They were talking about how they’ll go to battle with those guys every day of the week. Talked about how proud they were of the effort through some tremendous adversity that we faced in that game. We had to get over that. You can have hangovers, obviously, in this business. Especially when you repeatedly get kicked in the nuts. And that’s what has happened to us on multiple occasions this year. To have seniors, leaders, to be able to get your guys back on track quickly … you have to have it.”

-Head coach Fred Hoiberg Nebraska’s senior leaders stepping up after a difficult double-overtime loss at Ohio State.

Prediction

Nebraska (-6.5) 78, Iowa 70

Robin’s season record: 22-8

Vs. the spread: 14-16

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