Nebraska basketball: Huskers reaction to victory shows maturity

The Nebraska basketball team acted like they had lost 63-59 instead of won 63-59 against Wisconsin on Tuesday night. That’s a good thing.

There was a time not too long ago when a Nebraska basketball win at home over Wisconsin would have been followed by a storming of the court. On Tuesday night, more than one analyst thought the Huskers were acting as though they thought they had lost.

This could be the beginning of a new era in Nebrasketball. This is the era when the Huskers are able to hold their heads up when they walk into a gym and face off against a traditional B1G power.

This is the era where being favored over the Badgers isn’t a surprise (Huskers were favored against Wiscy for the first time since joining the conference). In order to continue that era, they’re going to need to play better, but their reactions to the victory is a start.

More from Nebraska Basketball

To be clear, the Cornhuskers could have run Wisconsin out of the gym. Nebraska built up a 10-point lead a couple of times on Tuesday.

Oddly, every time they went up 10, the Huskers would suddenly look as though they had never seen that orange bouncy thing on the court before. They looked like the Huskers of old.

They said as much after the game. There wasn’t any jersey popping or fist pumping.

There was talk about how they needed to do better than hanging on by their fingernails to a 63-59 win at home. They also have a point.

While the Cornhuskers are now 12-6 and 3-2 in the conference, they had a chance to be better than that. Outside the conference, they blew an opportunity to upset a juggernaut level Kansas team. If they had played even a little better against Purdue that could have been a victory as well.

https://twitter.com/HuskerHoops/status/950936304216428544

When you’re on the bubble, 14-4 and 4-1 in conference would look really, really good right now, especially with their resume. 12-6 is fine, but the team can’t blow games against the Badgers and it almost did.

In order to take the next step, the team will have to continue to rack up victories. Thursday’s game against Penn State is a big one.

The Nittany Lions are a good but not great basketball team. Also 12-6, it’s possible this is a kind of unofficial elimination game for that NCAA bubble seat.

If the Nebraska basketball team can win, in Happy Valley, it will show it has truly taken the next step. Until then, the team is saying all the right things and showing this isn’t a squad that is just happy to be where it is right now. It belongs in its place as a contender. That’s something new for Tim Miles and company and it’s a welcome change.

Home/Nebraska Basketball