The Nebraska basketball team has an incredibly important game coming up against Michigan on Monday night, not just because the Huskers' tournament hopes are fading, but because, according to head coach Fred Hoiberg, his squad is having some confidence issues.
Those issues are the latest in what has turned into quite the soap opera for a Nebrasketball team that looked like a lock for the tournament less than a week ago.
Nebraska basketball’s tournament chances fading
The Nebraska basketball team is not looking great when it comes to ESPN’s tournament odds. Those odds are lower than they’ve been for quite some time, now sitting at just 67% after getting all the way up to 80% just a few days before its embarrassing 17-point loss to Penn State.
That loss has also dropped the Huskers below the line for qualifying on Bracketologists.com. NU currently sits at 54th on the NET. There’s some good stuff on their resume, including 5-8 vs Quad 1 teams. But it’s 2-1 vs. Quad 3 teams. They can afford a loss to Mchigan for their resume, but a win does a lot more.
Huskers are having a crisis of confidence
Addressing the media on Saturday, it was clear from Hoiberg’s comments that something is amiss in the locker room right now.
“What I tried to do with our team is put everything in perspective and where we are. We're 5-2 in our last seven games ... My job these last couple days was to let them know we are a damn good basketball team."
“I know the sky-is-falling-in mentality that you have when you have a poor effort,” Hoiberg added. “My job right now is to get them back right because if you’re readying everything, we’re the worst team in the country right now. After the last 15 minutes (at Northwestern), we were the best team in the country. That’s the emotions and trying to keep them in check and getting them back to where we’re even through whatever is going on with our team.
Realistically, the Nebraska basketball team can survive a loss to No. 12 Michigan on Monday night. They’ll need to win the three after almost certainly, but they can lose on Monday resume-wise. However, one has to wonder if another loss, and another poor performance might essentially end the Huskers’ hoops season.