Nebraska basketball: Purdue is tough but not unbeatable

The Nebraska basketball team has an uphill climb against Purdue.

The Nebraska basketball team has been raising some eyebrows over the last month. There was the upset of Minnesota, followed by the near upsets of Creighton and Kansas.

In the last outing for the Huskers, they played likely their worst half of basketball all season. The second half against Northwestern was another story.

Outscoring the Wildcats by 20 in the second half, the Huskers improved to 2-1 in the conference. They also reached 11 wins earlier than they’ve ever done under Tim Miles.

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Now the Cornhuskers will face their biggest test since they got blown out by Michigan State. Purdue is a legitimate challenger for the conference title.

Only the Spartans have been playing basketball anywhere near as good as the Boilermakers. After losing two straight earlier in the year to Tennesee and Western Kentucky, they’ve won 10 straight.

Even more impressive than the win streak is how they have been winning. In their last three games in particular, Purdue has won by more than 25 points.

There have only been a few close games during this streak. The bright side for the Huskers is that one of those close victories might hold the key to the Cornhuskers pulling off another upset.

Among the 10 teams to fall to Purdue in this latest stretch is Northwestern. The Wildcats actually put up a better fight than they did against the Huskers.

In order to come within five points, Northwestern held their own on the inside. They outrebounded Purdue, they blocked as many shots and they shot well from close range.

Two of those things are definitely something the Huskers could pull off. If there is one thing that has surprised people more than the number of wins this year, it’s been the number of blocked shots.

The Cornhuskers and Boilermakers have the exact same number of blocked shots this season. The Cornhuskers also have a good number of rebounds thanks to a lineup that finally has some size.

It’s a safe bet that the Nebraska basketball team isn’t going to completely shut down players like Isaac Haas. What Jordy Tshimanga and Duby Okeke need to do is neutralize him the way they were able to neutralize the star players for Minnesota.

One thing this Nebraska basketball team has shown is that it doesn’t panic late in games the way previous versions have. It seems likely that if the Huskers can take the Purdue Boilermakers the distance, they have a real chance for a big upset.

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