Nebraska Basketball: Kansas State series provides great test for program
Nebraska basketball will meet Kansas State the next couple of seasons.
On Sunday, Nebraska and Kansas State basketball made their future series official. The two will first meet in the 2020-21 season. The first matchup between these two programs will take place on December 19, 2020. Being held at a neutral site , the game will take place at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The two will then meet at campus sites beginning the following year.
The Kansas State-Nebraska rivalry is one that stretches back quite a ways for both schools. The Wildcats lead the all-time series by a 127-93 margin. The last time these two programs met was on February 23, 2011. Nebraska fell to Kansas State by a 61-57 score. You would have to go back to 2009 to find a Nebraska win in the series. They beat Kansas State by a 72-59 margin.
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It’s going to be fun seeing these two teams play again. It will be just like the old days. Obviously, the names are newer and the faces are different, but there is no doubt that these two teams have had some great games with each other.
It’s not like Kansas State is a slouch either. They have had success in recent years, winning 20 games in three of the past four seasons. They were able to make the Elite Eight in the 2017-18 season. I really respect the fact that Nebraska basketball scheduled an opponent that would provide them a challenge, and not just some middle-of-the-road school that they could beat easily. Kansas State is also a tough place to play on the road. That should add intrigue to this matchup.
This matchup between these two programs also serve as a good measuring stick for Nebraska basketball. This year was a difficult one, as several new pieces were added to the fold. We got a sense of who needed to develop, who needed to work on certain skills, and who was not ready for big-time college basketball. As Fred Hoiberg and his staff continue to build the program, they need to have matchups with programs that will at least make them play their hardest. Kansas State will be able to do that.
This Nebraska basketball team will continue to rebuild as they look to get the program back on track. I am optimistic about next season, but I wouldn’t really expect any major results. Right now, it’s all about establishing the culture and getting everybody to buy in.