The Hoosiers and Cornhuskers meet in their second conference game of the season. Read more for a full Indiana vs Nebraska prediction and preview.
Indiana and Nebraska last faced off in March 2024. The Huskers won 93-66. They currently have a win streak of 3 against the Hoosiers. Indiana, however, currently leads the series 19-10 with a 9-5 away record.
Game Information:
Teams: Indiana (8-2, 1-0) and Nebraska (6-2, 0-1)
Tip Time: 8 p.m EST
Watch: Fox Sports, BTN
Listen: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network (105.1 FM in Bloomington, 93.1 FM in Indianapolis)
Latest on Nebraska basketball:
The Cornhuskers travel back home after suffering a lopsided road loss against the No. 21 ranked Michigan State Spartans on Dec. 7. During this game at the Breslin Center, Nebraska’s red mixed with Michigan State’s green mirrored the Christmas decorations at the local mall, but the Grinch stole the Cornhuskers winning spirit. Nebraska didn’t get the present they wanted as they failed to win their fourth straight game, falling to the Spartans 98-52. They had previously beaten Creighton and South Dakota, before most recently hitting triple digits in a 103-52 win against North Florida.
Common opponent alert: It is important to note that the Spartans defeated Minnesota with a 90-72 result. They increased their margin of victory against Nebraska by 19.
The Huskers struggled offensively. They shot 18-54 (33.3%) FGs and only made 4 of their 22 3-pointers (18.2%). With about a minute left in the first half, Nebraska was able to tighten the score to 37-31. The half was closed out by the Spartans when Jason Kohler made two baskets.
This game was the first in which the Huskers were out-rebounded. Michigan State had 48 while Nebraska could only come up with 19.
Nebraska’s lead scorer for the night was senior forward Andrew Morgan with 14 points – his season high. He also brought down 7 rebounds. Senior guard Brice Williams contributed 11 points, making it his 12th consecutive game scoring double digits.
The Huskers suffered a size deficit as 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Berke Buyuktuncel’s groin injury limited his playing time. He didn’t compete against North Florida and he played for only 13 minutes against MSU. He put up three points and was held to just one rebound, a fraction of his almost 6 rebounds per game.
Latest on Indiana basketball:
Indiana started their Big Ten Conference play with an 82-67 home win against Minnesota. This extended their current win streak to 4.
The Hoosiers began the game with a burst of energy and speed of play. High intensity during the first half is something that they have struggled with this season, so fans were excited to see a change of pace, especially during the first conference matchup.
With a 15-point margin of victory, it seemed as if the game was pretty smooth for the Hoosiers. This, however, wasn’t completely accurate as IU had some obvious problems with connecting passes. They finished the game with 14 turnovers, a 20.6 % turnover rate. Three-point play also didn’t look too hot for the Hoosiers. They put up only 14 outside the arc and only saw success on 4 attempts.
Indiana has shown its depth, and its bench players have recently made significant impacts. Senior forward Luke Goode was an obvious standout. He sunk 5 of his 7 shots from behind the arc against Sam Houston.
Redshirt senior center Oumar Ballo showed his dominance against Miami (OH) on Dec. 6. He put up 14 points along with 18 rebounds and 6 assists – his first IU double-double. He was a strong leader on defense as well. His 7-foot frame benefitted him as well as the whole team.
Most recently, freshman forward Bryson Tucker and sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle both had excellent performances against Minnesota. Tucker shot confidently – racking up 16 points and 6 rebounds to conclude the game. Carlyle’s performance against the Golden Gophers was very appealing to fans as that was the first time he had hit the court after suffering a lower-body injury at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Nov. 27-29. Head coach Mike Woodson however knew that he would be up and ready to go to start Big Ten play.
“He practiced yesterday for the first time, full practice, and said he felt good coming into today’s game so we played him,” said Woodson.
Carlyle was a great asset to the Hoosiers as he brought high energy to the court during his 22 minutes. He contributed 14 points, brought down 3 rebounds, and had 5 assists. He also sparked the defensive aggressiveness that spread to the rest of the team to earn the victory.
Sophomore guard Gabe Cupps had successful lower-body surgery last week. His minutes have been greatly limited due to his lingering injury. This surgery confirms that Cupp is out for the remainder of the season. Myles Rice and Carlyle have been great assets as transfers this year and allow the team to maintain their depth without Cupps.
The fans who were holding their breath after the very questionable performance in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tourney can now exhale. The Hoosiers have played confidently on both ends of the court during their recent games.