The Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team finds itself in its latest must-win scenario. No, this isn’t a must-win game against the Indiana Hoosiers because if they lose, their season is over. It’s not even a game where their postseason hopes are over if they lose. This is a must-win because it’s a game where, should they emerge victorious, it could open some serious doors for the rest of the season.
The Huskers take on a Hoosiers team that can only be described as “reeling.” There was a time when IU was considered a darkhorse for the NCAA Tournament. They were the first game Nebraska won, and people started thinking, “maybe this is the year.”
Things haven’t gone how Indiana hoped they would in the second half of the season, though. They’ve lost 6 of their last 8, including a 14-point loss to a Penn State team that the Cornhuskers just beat down. And that’s another reason this is a must-win.
These Indiana Hoosiers aren’t your parents’ Indiana Hoosiers. These are the version that the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team needs to beat in order to make a statement. They need to prove they both win on the road and beat a team with a pulse on the road. Even if that pulse is weakening.
Who does the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team need to look out for on Wednesday
Big men Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware are exactly the kind of dudes who can give Nebrasketball fits. Both players are averaging 15 points per game, and Ware is nearly averaging 10 rebounds per contest. If Rienk Mast and Josiah Allick can’t hold their own, it’s going to be a very long night.
What are people expecting
Despite massive, massive, struggles on the road, the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team is favored to win by Vegas, and KenPom. NU is a 1.5-point favorite, which is likely more a statement on how much Indiana has been struggling than anything else.
ESPN analytics considers this to be a 50/50 game. And that’s why the game is important. The Huskers need to start winning these games, even away from PBA.