The Nebraska basketball team's loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes was its worst of the season. After a lot of talk about how the Huskers needed to be ready to play. So why didn't they look ready on Tuesday night? Head coach Fred Hoiberg thinks it's because when Ben McCollum's team punched them in the mouth, rather than responding, they wilted for the first time all year.
"I thought we got rattled for the first time, really, all year," Hoiberg said on Nebraska's postgame radio show.
It was the kind of admission that was straightforward and honest from the Nebraska coach. After all, he seemed a little rattled himself when he swiped at a student who was recording him as Hawkeye fans swarmed the court.
Fred Hoiberg’s comments shed light on Nebraska basketball’s struggles during recent skid
If they were rattled, if that was the problem, then Hoiberg needs to find a way to fix things and make sure they don't get rattled again. Hoiberg's team suffered its fourth loss in its last six games in the 57-52 low-scoring battle with Iowa. Nebraska has now scored fewer than 30 points in four of its last six halves of basketball.
That's especially alarming considering how good the Huskers' offense looked earlier in the season, even against some of the best teams in the sport. NU simply wasn't ready for the way Iowa plays. It's also possible the team expected their opponent to lie down and get run over.
Whatever the issue, Nebraska should be afforded a chance to rack up wins. They'll next host Penn State and Maryland in their next two contests. Should they get rattled and lose either of those, there will be real questions as to what's going on in Lincoln.