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Nebraska Hoops Game Day: Southern

Robin Washut profile picby:Robin Washut•12/30/24•

RobinWashut

Juwan Gary Nebraska basketball
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) shoots the ball against Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo (11) during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

After a 3-0 run in Hawaii to claim the 2024 Diamond Head Classic championship, Nebraska is back at Pinnacle Bank Arena tonight against Southern.

Here is what you need to know going into the Huskers’ non-conference finale vs. the Jaguars…

Who, What, Where, When

Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2, 1-1 Big Ten) vs. Southern Jaguars (5-7, 0-0 SWAC)

Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 – 8:00 p.m. CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)

TV: BTN

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/Streaming: Fox Sports App

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Nebraska projected starters

Rollie WorsterGSr.6-5/210Finished with eight points, five rebounds, and four assists in Nebraska’s Diamond Head Classic championship win over Oregon State. He’s 14 points shy from 1,000 for his career.
Brice WilliamsGSr.6-7/214Averaged 22.0 ppg over Nebraska’s three wins at the Diamond Head Classic, including matching his career high with 32 points at Hawai’i. He earned tournament MVP honors.
Juwan GaryFSr.6-6/226Posted 14 points and two steals in Nebraska’s win over Oregon State. That came after scoring a season-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the semifinals at Hawai’i.
Berke BuyuktuncelFSo.6-10/224Scored a career-high 16 points, including hitting three 3-pointers, with six rebounds in the win over Oregon State. Named to the Diamond Head Classic All-Tournament team.
Braxton MeahFSr.7-1/264 Held scoreless without a shot attempt while posting two boards and an assist in 16 minutes vs. Oregon State. He’s shooting 72% from the field for the season.

Southern projected starters

Joe ManningGJr.6-2/175He averages 5.8 points per game and is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range on the season.
Jordan JohnsonGSo.6-4/195Ranks second on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game and has made a team-high 22 3-pointers. 
Derrick TezenoFSr.6-4/205Comes in averaging 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game on the year.
DaMariee JonesFSr.6-5/185He’s scoring 7.0 points per game on 63.8 percent shooting from the field while hauling in 4.3 rebounds per game.
Brentay NoelCSo.6-10/220Averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while making 51.4 percent of his shots from the field.

3 keys to victory

Get over Hawaii

It’s no surprise that Nebraska comes in as heavy favorites over Southern tonight, as the Huskers are 10-2 after an impressive 3-0 run to win the Diamond Head Classic. However, the last thing NU can afford to do tonight is assume it can just go through the motions in its final non-conference tuneup. Southern is just 5-7 on the year, but the Jaguars are extremely battle-tested. Nine of their first 12 games this season have been on the road, including trips to Iowa, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and USC. In other words, they won’t be intimidated walking into Pinnacle Bank Arena tonight. Nebraska must lock in and take care of business in what would be the final opportunity for a “bad loss” on their résumé.

Handle Southern’s pressure

One way Southern could make life difficult for Nebraska tonight is with its heavy on-ball defensive pressure. The Jaguars come in ranked 32nd nationally in defensive steal percentage (12.8) and are eighth with 10.4 steals per game. That pressure comes from all over the floor, too, as six SU players average at least one steal per contest. As good as Nebraska was at the Diamond Head Classic, turnovers were an issue throughout the tournament. Ball security and attention to detail on offense will be key factors in this one.

Keep Berke going

Nebraska leaned on its two best players, Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, to claim the Diamond Head Classic title. The seniors were excellent from start to finish, with Williams averaging 22.0 points over NU’s three victories to claim the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor. However, an x-factor in the Huskers’ championship win over Oregon State was Berke Buyuktuncel stepping up as a viable third option. The 6-foot-10 sophomore hit three 3-pointers for a career-high 16 points against OSU. That came after scoring in single digits over the previous five contests, including two points on 1-of-7 shooting in the semifinals at Hawaii. The Huskers need a consistent No. 3 to help take some pressure off of Williams and Gary, and Buyuktuncel could be the top candidate.

Quotable

“It’s huge. The importance of winning three games against three high-quality teams, that’s going to help us all the way down the road. You get a true road win against Hawaii and then a Quad 1 win against Oregon State. Those were three big wins for us and hopefully some momentum to build once we get back to Nebraska.”

Head coach Fred Hoiberg on Nebraska’s three wins to claim the 2024 Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.

Prediction

Nebraska (-22.5) 85, Southern 65

Robin’s season record: 11-1

Vs. the spread: 7-5

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