Three things Nebraska needs to succeed in Big Ten Tournament

They need to crash the boards

Sunday was an anomaly of sorts in a good way for Nebraska basketball in terms of rebounding. Against Iowa, they recorded the same amount of rebounds as the Hawkeyes, with 44 being the magic number. If they want to advance far into the Big Ten tournament, they need to make sure they keep up the same energy on the glass. Freshman guard Amir Harris led Nebraska basketball with an impressive 10 rebounds on the afternoon.

Nebraska basketball is 13th in the Big Ten conference in rebounding margin. With a margin of-2.4, that has been their Achilles’ heel the season. There is no doubt that it has gotten better. Tanner Borchardt has developed nicely over the last couple of games of the season. He has attacked the glass more, and made it easier for Nebraska to get set offensively. They have certainly made it a concerted effort to be better in the rebounding department.

If they want to go far in the Big Ten tournament, they need to continue to attack the glass. This is the type of situation where there are no easy games. Every team, especially in this conference, presents a challenge on any given night. They need to make sure that they do not allow second-chance opportunities and in the meantime secure enough opportunities of their own. Particularly as the games get harder, they need to make sure they make a concerted effort on grabbing rebounds. It should not all fall on Borchardt either. It should be a team effort.