Hoops Gameday: Nebraska vs. Minnesota
Who, what, where, when
Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-8, 1-3) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-10, 0-4)
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 - 8 p.m.
Pinnacle Bank Arena
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Internet: BTN2Go
| NAME | HT/WT | YEAR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Benny Parker |
5-9/175 |
Sr. |
Had 4 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals vs. Rutgers |
|
Glynn Watson |
6-0/165 |
Fr. |
Scored 12 points with 4 assists vs. Rutgers |
|
Andrew White |
6-7/216 |
Jr. |
Scored 28 points on 11-14 shooting with 9 rebounds against Rutgers |
|
Shavon Shields |
6-7/225 |
Sr. |
Had 11 points in win over Rutgers |
|
Michael Jacobson |
6-8/222 |
Fr. |
Only had 3 points but added 7 rebounds and 3 blocks vs. Rutgers |
| NAME | HT/WT | YEAR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nate Mason |
6-1/185 |
So. |
Leads team with 13.0 points and 4.1 assists per game |
|
Carlos Morris |
6-5/175 |
Sr. |
Scoring 11.5 ppg with 4.3 rpg |
|
Jordan Murphy |
6-6/230 |
Fr. |
Averaging 10.4 ppg and team-high 8.1 rpg |
|
Joey King |
6-9/235 |
Sr. |
Averaging 12.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg |
|
Bakary Konate |
6-11/235 |
So. |
Had 12 points and 3 rebound vs. Northwestern |
Three keys to victory
1. Come out firing
Nebraska has shown time and again this season that when it is playing at its best, it's knocking down 3-pointers at a high clip. Against a Minnesota team that has been scorched by opponents on the perimeter all year long - UM ranks 296th nationally allowing teams to hit 37.2-percent of their 3s - tonight could be a perfect recipe for the Huskers to continue their newfound offensive explosion. In a 25-point loss to Northwestern on Saturday, the Golden Gophers gave up 11 3-pointers, including four in the first 11 minutes of the game. If NU can knock down some early treys right out of the gates, it could set the tone for another big night.
2. Make Minnesota work
Not only is Minnesota giving up points at an alarming rate, it's struggled to do much of anything on the offensive end. The Gophers come in averaging just 71.0 points per game, ranking 11th in the Big Ten. Minnesota is only scoring 62.3 ppg in four league games, including a season-low 52 points on 39-percent shooting its last time out vs. Northwestern. The reality is that if sophomore guard and leading scorer Nate Mason isn't carrying the load on offense, points have come few and far between for UM this season. In their two true road games this year, the Gophers are averaging 70.0 ppg on 43.3 percent shooting from the field.
3. Win the paint
Nebraska is coming off easily its most dominant low-post performance of the season in Saturday's 90-56 win over Rutgers. The Huskers out-scored the Scarlet Knights 52-20 in the paint and 20-9 on second-chance points, while holding a 43-25 rebounding edge and a 15-9 advantage on the offensive glass. On the other side, Minnesota comes in as one of the worst rebounding teams in the Big Ten, ranking 13th in the league in rebounding margin at minus-3.9. It shouldn't be expected for NU to have its way inside like it did against Rutgers on a nightly basis, as size and depth in the front court will continue to be an issue all season. But this matchup, at least on paper, appears to set up for another prime opportunity for the Huskers to control the paint.
Quotable
"You need an enzyme, right? You need something to get you started, and (the win over Rutgers) is at least that. Now I'm not ready to say we're turning the corner. But you know, it's got to give the guys a shot in the arm, it's got to give them a lift, and it should. They played very determined, and they had a very strong effort. That's what we need out of them again on Tuesday."
- Head coach Tim Miles
Prediction
Nebraska 71, Minnesota 65
Robin's season record: 15-2