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Nebraska Hoops Game Day: Minnesota

Robin Washut profile picby:Robin Washut•about 9 hours•

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Juwan Gary Nebraska basketball
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) shoots the ball against Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Having missed out on two NCAA Tournament resume opportunities in losses to Penn State and Michigan, Nebraska enters a must-win home game vs. Minnesota on Saturday.

Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ showdown with the Golden Gophers…

Who, What, Where, When

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-11, 7-10 Big Ten) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-14, 6-11 Big Ten)

Saturday, March 1, 2025 – 1:00 p.m. CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)

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 scored a game-high 26 points in the loss to Michigan, making him just the fourth Husker to reach 1,000 points over just two seasons.
Rollie WorsterGSr.6-5/210He finished with four points, seven rebounds, and one assist vs. Michigan. He’s now one assist away from totaling over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists for his career.
Juwan GaryFSr.6-6/226He scored five points, six rebounds, and two blocks against Michigan but also shot just 2-of-13 from the field in the loss.
Berke BuyuktuncelFSo.6-10/240He returned to the starting lineup vs. Michigan after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury. He went scoreless and missed all 10 of his shots.
Braxton MeahCSr.7-1/265He only played 12 minutes vs. Michigan but led Nebraska with eight rebounds. He’s also made nine of his last 10 free throws.

Minnesota projected starters

Lu’Cye PattersonGSr.6-2/202A transfer Charlotte transfer who averages 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and a team-high 3.4 assists per game.
Mike Mitchell Jr.GSr.6-2/185He’s averaging 9.5 points and 2.9 assists per game while hitting a team-high 46 3-pointers on the season.
Femi OdukaleGSr.6-6/215He’s scoring 6.8 points per game while averaging 4.5 rebounds and a team-best 1.5 steals per contest.
Parker FoxFSr.6-8/220He averages 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and leads Minnesota with 1.1 blocks per game on the year.
Dawson GarciaFSr.6-11/234The 2024 second-team All-Big Ten selection averages a career-best 19.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg this season. He also leads the conference with 16 in 20-point efforts.

3 keys to victory

Get to the rim

A significant part of Nebraska’s disastrous offensive performance against Michigan was that it accomplished little to nothing at the rim. Per ShotQualityBets, the Huskers made just seven of their 20 shots at the basket for a season-low 35%. Pair that with going 6-for-28 (18.2%) on 3-pointers, and you get the worst offensive showing of the Fred Hoiberg era. Getting to the hoop has been a critical part of Nebraska’s game plan against Minnesota over the years, and it will be again today. Over its past five meetings with the Golden Gophers since 2022-23, NU has averaged 38.8 points in the paint. It’s also averaged 19.4 free-throw attempts vs. UM over that span. The best way Nebraska can spark its offense is by getting to hoop, finishing through contact, and racking up points at the charity stripe.

Keep Garcia in check

It feels like the top of Nebraska’s scouting report against Minnesota has been the same for the last decade. Just as it’s been since he was a five-star freshman, All-Big Ten senior Dawson Garcia remains the Huskers’ No. 1 priority today. The 6-foot-10 forward is having the best individual season of his impressive career, averaging personal highs of 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Garcia only played seven minutes before exiting with an injury in his first meeting with NU last season in Minneapolis. However, in his four other matchups over the past three years, Garcia has averaged 14.5 points and 12.5 rebounds vs. the Huskers. Nebraska will have to balance between containing Garcia and preventing other Gophers from going off, but winning today starts with making sure No. 3 doesn’t take over.

Play with urgency

Nebraska can try to downplay the significance of today’s game as much as it wants to publicly. The reality is that this one is as much of a must-win situation as the Huskers have faced this season. NU comes in as a heavy favorite, with KenPom giving it a 79% chance of victory. However, Nebraska has already piled up a concerning number of missed opportunities this season. That cannot happen today. Based on the current NET rankings, a loss would give the Huskers their only Quad 3 defeat on their postseason résumé. Nebraska must go at least 2-1 over its final three games to at least feel good about its NCAA Tournament chances entering the Big Ten Tournament. In other words, this is an opportunity NU simply can’t afford to miss.

Quotable

“These guys all have their phones. They read everything that you guys are saying and what the national pundits are saying, so it’s out there. You can downplay it, overplay it – whatever you want. But these guys know the importance of where we are and what’s in front of us and what possibly still could happen that hasn’t been done in this program very often. These guys get the stakes right now.”

-Head coach Fred Hoiberg on how Nebraska is handling the pressure of its final three games to secure a second-straight NCAA Tournament berth.

Prediction

Nebraska (-8.5) 76, Minnesota 68

Robin’s season record: 21-7

Vs. the spread: 13-15

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