Nebraska men’s basketball (0-2, 0-0 Big Ten) is back in action on Friday. The Huskers take on South Dakota State (3-1, 0-0 Summit League) in Pinnacle Bank Arena at 8 p.m. CST.
The Huskers dropped a 14-0 lead in the second half to Southern Utah on Saturday and fell to the Thunderbirds 79-78 in double overtime. Nebraska shot 3-of-12 from the field, 3-of-7 from the free-throw line and missed six of its three-pointers during the two overtime periods.
The last time Nebraska started 0-2 was during the 1987-1988 season when it fell to Villanova and Baylor. The Huskers finished off that season with a 13-18 overall record and 4-10 in the conference.
This will be the 12th meeting between the Huskers and Jackrabbits. Nebraska is 12-0 all-time against SDSU.
Following Friday night’s matchup, the Huskers host Southern University and A&M College on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. CST.
Probable starters:
- Cam Mack – Freshman, guard
- Dachon Burke – Junior, guard
- Jervay Green – Junior, guard
- Haanif Cheatham – Senior, guard
- Yvan Ouedraogo – Freshman, forward
What to watch for:
On the glass: Following the loss to Southern Utah, Nebraska guards Jervay Green and Cam Mack were both asked by the media what they thought was holding the Huskers back. They both answered “rebounding.” The Huskers were out rebounded 57 to 44. Green led the team in rebounding with eight. The Huskers need to start crashing the boards, especially in Big Ten play.
Shooting: UC-Riverside held the Huskers to just 19.2 percent from the field goal. The same trend continued on Saturday when Nebraska blew a 14-point lead. The Thunderbirds switched to a 2-3 zone, causing problems for the Huskers. Nebraska needs to start making open shots if it wants to have any chance of staying in the game.
Cross showing potential: Head coach Fred Hoiberg said freshman Kevin Cross was the best player on the floor on Saturday. Cross led the team in scoring with 19 points. He also has dropped 15-20 pounds while being a Husker. Look for Cross to make more of a contribution down the road.
Know your opponent:
***The Jackrabbits are coming off an 84-66 loss to USC on Tuesday. South Dakota State is the two-time defending Summit League regular season champions.
***SDSU is averaging 45.5 rebounds per game. Freshman Baylor Scheierman has 25 rebounds off the bench and is third on the team in rebounding.
***Look for the Jackrabbits to compete with the Huskers. They’ve never won a game against Nebraska and are outperforming the Huskers on the offensive and defensive end. SDSU is shooting 44.5 percent as a team and has held opponents under 60 points in two games.
