It appears that Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball head coach Fred Hoiberg’s approach to the back half of the season is working.
Fred Hoiberg said that every game the rest of the way is the Huskers’ “Super Bowl” because the games are quite a bit more important now. If NU wants a chance to make the NCAA tournament they have to nearly win out.
Since making those comments about taking every game like it’s the most important, the Huskers beat a Top 25 Illinois team in Pinnacle bank arena. That win could be dismissed as being a home game, in an arena the Nebraska Cornhuskers have dominated the last few years. That’s what makes Sunday Night’s win over Oregon that much more impressive.
Truth: The Nebraska Cornhuskers took a big step towards the dance
With a win over Oregon, where the Huskers trailed for a total of 46 seconds, Hoiberg’s Heroes showed they have taken the idea that they have to win out to heart. They also showed that a team that has traditionally been very bad on the road, can step up when needed.
NU might have only moved up to 50 from 55 in the NET Rankings, but they’re now No. 44 on KenPom and they logged their fourth win over a top 25 team this season. Despite a schedule that includes 6 straight losses in the middle of it, the Nebraska basketball team has a resume that will impress the committee, as long as they keep racking up wins.
Truth: Nebraska basketball handled the toughest stretch
If you had told Nebraska Cornhuskers fans that they would go 2-1 in a three-game stretch against Top 25 teams, anyone would have absolutely taken it. The one loss was an ugly one, an 83-55 defeat to Wisconsin, but it was on the road and the Badgers are looking very, very good.
The rest of the schedule includes Penn State, Washington, Northwestern and Minnesota. All games they should and need to win. At Ohio State and at home against Michigan will be tough tests, but not impossible. The rest of the season sets up for a tourney run. Nebrasketball needs to take advantage.
Lie: Huskers are fixed
Maybe it’s a good thing that there were still ways in which the Nebraska Cornhuskers could improve and they still won convincingly, 77-71. At the top of the list is 3-point shooting. NU was just 4-for-23 from deep. That’s a follow up from the Illinois game where they were just 5-for-20.
The Nebraska basketball team also returned to its bad habits in that it had more turnovers (12) than it forced (10). Things to keep an eye on for another road game against the Washington Huskies on Wednesday night.