With plenty on the line, Nebraska is focusing on the task at hand at Michigan
The reasons of importance for Nebraska’s regular-season finale at Michigan on Sunday are numerous. The Huskers are well aware of all of them.
A victory over the Wolverines would all but cement their chances for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. It would also solidify NU’s claim to a coveted double-bye and potentially the No. 3 seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament.
A win would move Nebraska to 22 wins overall and 12 in Big Ten play, marking its best conference finish since 1992-93.
Lastly, and maybe just as importantly, the Huskers could notch just their second conference road win and third of the season. With no more games remaining at Pinnacle Bank Arena, that could do wonders for their confidence heading into the postseason.
But before NU counts any of its potential chickens before they hatch, head coach Fred Hoiberg is making sure his team doesn’t look any further than Sunday morning.
“Listen, we cannot get ahead of Sunday,” Hoiberg said. “That’s our sole focus right now, is tomorrow. Hopefully, you go out and play well, finish on a high note, and then you worry about (the postseason) as you go on. But I’ll say this: we’ve put ourselves in a good position right now just based on our overall body of work… We’ve talked about taking the next step, and we’ve put ourselves in a position to do that.”
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Nebraska faces a unique challenge with an early start at Michigan
Sunday’s game at Michigan is scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT start, marking just Nebraska’s second morning tip of the season.
But when you add losing another hour with Daylight Savings Time, the Huskers will face an even more unique challenge. With their body clocks still operating as if it were a 10 a.m. tip, NU’s players have spent this week gearing up for their morning finale in Ann Arbor.
Hoiberg said the team’s pre-game meal would be at 7:30 a.m. before heading to the Crisler Center. He hopes Nebraska’s regular morning practices will help with the transition on Sunday. But NU has still emphasized rest and recovery more than ever this week.
“Something I’ve really challenged our guys about is the importance of rest leading into this game and the importance of recovery,” Hoiberg said. “When you look at the bye week that we’ve had and the benefit of that in getting our guys a couple days to recover.
“This time of year, listen, we’re all banged up. We’ve got a couple guys, especially our frontcourt guys, that are feeling it a little bit. So, this was a really good week for them to recharge their batteries heading into this time of year.”
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Bracket Reaction: Where Nebraska stands after its win over Rutgers
Hoiberg expects a different test with Dug McDaniel on the court
Nebraska blew the doors off Michigan in Lincoln, leading by as many as 30 points in a 79-59 rout.
However, there will be a distinct difference in the Wolverine squad NU will face on Sunday.
Dug McDaniel, UM’s best player and one of the top guards in the Big Ten, did not play at Nebraska. He was serving a six-game road-only suspension due to academics.
The sophomore will be in the starting lineup for the rematch, and Hoiberg said his presence changed everything for Michigan.
“The way I look at it, they’re a completely different team with Dug McDaniel on the floor…” Hoiberg said. “McDaniel makes all the difference in the world for this team. He’s one of the most dynamic players in our conference. He is so gifted at finishing, getting into the paint where he can make plays for himself and others, and they’ve got talented players around him who can shoot the basketball.”
McDaniel has played in all eight Wolverine wins this season. He leads the team in scoring (16.6 ppg), assists (4.6 apg), and steals (1.1 spg). He had 14 points and four assists in his lone meeting with NU last season – a 21-point Michigan victory.
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Eli Rice is still working his way back from an ankle injury
After an impressive start to his college career, Eli Rice continues his recovery from a high ankle sprain he suffered roughly six weeks ago.
Hoiberg said the true freshman guard was “doing better” and steadily increasing his on-court activity. Rice is still only doing non-contact drills and individual work, but Hoiberg hoped he’d be ready to rejoin full-team practices by next week.
“Eli’s doing better,” Hoiberg said. “He still has some soreness in there, as is typical with a high-ankle sprain. But he’s really made some good progress, and hopefully, we’ll get him back into some live action next week.”
