This weekend, Michigan State blew a 14-point lead with just over a minute and a half to go in the game against Iowa. While the Nebraska basketball team’s collapse wasn’t that pronounced, it was pretty shocking if for no other reason than the Huskers looked like a team that simply wouldn’t do that kind of thing for the first half of the game.
After leading at the half by 12, the Nebraska basketball team went into long scoring droughts where they also played rather poor defense en route to being outscored at home, 54-29 in the second half. They outscored Nebraska 35-12 over the final 13 minutes. At PBA.
The loss does a couple of things for the Nebraska basketball program. Number one is that it continues to show what a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo can do compared to Fred Hoiberg. Unfortunately, the Husker athletic program has been in a situation where it has been outcoached, whether talking about basketball or football, far too often.
It also puts to bed any talk that the Cornhuskers might somehow find a way to get themselves into the talk as a real bubble team as an at-large squad for the NCAA Tournament.
In order to really be in the conversation, they likely needed to go 2-0 to finish out the regular season. A win over Iowa this weekend (as unlikely as that seems considering how well the Hawkeyes are playing in this part of the season, might give them some more NIT attention. But a home win against Michigan State going into that game might have been the difference maker.
It also means that Nebraska basketball has lost a whopping 11 straight to the Spartans. Obviously, Fred Hoiberg has never beaten Izzo. But it’s been a long, long time since any NU coach has done that. And Michigan State’s adjustments at the half, and the Huskers’ complete lack of any adjustment in response once again illustrated why.
The loss also stopped the Nebraska basketball team’s winning streak at 4. It will certainly be interesting to see how Hoiberg’s Heroes finish out the string. An NIT bid is less likely but not out of the question, should they win a few more games before it’s all said and done. After that back breaker, the question will be if they have it in them.