Hoops Game Day: Nebraska at Creighton
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN
Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-4, 0-0) vs Creighton Bluejays (6-2, 0-0)
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 - 1:30 p.m. CT
CHI Health Center (Omaha, Neb.)
TV: FS1
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Internet: Fox Sports App
| NAME | HT/WT | YEAR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cam Mack |
6-2/175 |
So. |
Averaging 6.0 assists and 12.4 points per game. Had 11 points and six assists in the loss to Georgia Tech. |
|
Dachon Burke |
6-4/180 |
Jr. |
Held to just four points at Georgia Tech after scoring a season-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting vs. South Florida. |
|
Jervay Green |
6-3/210 |
Jr. |
Finished with 11 points and five rebounds at Georgia Tech. Averages 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. |
|
Haanif Cheatham |
6-5/195 |
Sr. |
Posted his first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds at Georgia Tech. He's now averaged 18 points over the last four games. |
|
Yvan Ouedraogo |
6-9/260 |
Fr. |
Averaging 5.4 points and 5.3 boards, which ranks fourth among all Big Ten freshmen. He's on track to post the highest rebounding average by an NU freshman since Aleks Maric (6.3, 2005-06). |
| NAME | HT/WT | YEAR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Marcus Zegarowski |
6-2/180 |
So. |
Leads the team with 17.9 points and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor. |
|
Ty-Shon Alexander |
6-4/195 |
Jr. |
Averages 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and is shooting 46.9 percent from 3-point range. |
|
Mitch Ballock |
6-5/205 |
Jr. |
Scoring 12.6 points with 5.5 rebounds per game and shoots 45.1 percent from behind the arc. |
|
Damien Jefferson |
6-5/200 |
Jr. |
Averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds but is only shooting 37.7 percent from the field and is just 1-for-15 on 3-pointers. |
|
Christian Bishop |
6-7/205 |
So. |
Averages 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds and leads the team with eight blocked shots and 19 offensive boards. |
3 KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Get ready for the hornet's nest
This season has and will continue to be one filled with firsts for Nebraska's revamped roster, and today will be yet another new challenge.
Yes, the Huskers technically played their first true road game of the year in Wednesday night's loss at Georgia Tech, but there were maybe 5,000 fans in McCamish Pavilion, so it was hardly a daunting road environment.
This afternoon will be a completely different story, as head coach Fred Hoiberg and nearly all of his players will get their first taste of the Nebraska-Creighton rivalry and will do so in a hostile CHI Health Center.
How the Huskers handle their first real taste of road adversity will go a long way in determining how this game goes, as they need to start fast and quiet the crowd to avoid getting caught up in another avalanche of problems.
2. Make free throws and layups
What might seem like two of the simplest aspects of the game have been some of Nebraska's biggest problems this season, as it's struggled all year to convert at the charity stripe and recently has had issues finishing at the rim.
After going just 8-of-18 on free throws at Georgia Tech, the Huskers now rank 345th nationally out of 353 Division I teams in free-throw percentage at 56.3.
To make matters worse, NU left even more easy points off the scoreboard on Wednesday night with numerous missed layups. The final stats had Nebraska going just 12-of-30 on dunks and layups in the loss, while Hoiberg said he charted his team only making two of its 16 shots in the restricted area (withing two feet of the basket).
Nebraska just isn't good enough offensively yet to overcome that many missed scoring opportunities, let alone against a high-major opponent on the road. Against a team like Creighton that averages 75.1 points and 9.4 made 3-pointers per game, every point will be at an absolute premium today.
3. Dictate the tempo
It seems crazy to say that Nebraska would be at an advantage by getting into a track meet with Creighton, but that's exactly what the Huskers need to happen.
While the Bluejays have long thrived on playing at a blistering offensive pace, NU has been even faster so far this season. Nebraska currently ranks 15th nationally with 33.2 percent of its shots coming in transition and 18th nationally in average possession length (15.1 seconds).
Creighton has definitely slowed things down compared to previous years, and a lot of that has to do with a shorter bench than usual. The Bluejays rank 257th in adjusted tempo (67.7) and 159th in transition shot percentage (25.3).
However, while the Bluejays may not play quite as fast, they've been as efficient as ever, ranking 20th nationally in adjusted efficiency (110.1) and scoring on 62.2-percent of their transition attempts.
Nebraska needs to push the offensive tempo early and be ready to get back and set its defense as quickly as possible. In contrast, look for CU to try and slow things down, play a zone defense, and make the Huskers beat them in the half-court with jump shots.
QUOTABLE
PREDICTION
Creighton 85, Nebraska 72
Robin's 2019-20 record: 4-4
vs. the spread: 2-6