Hoops Game Day: Nebraska at Wisconsin

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-3, 0-0) vs Wisconsin Badgers (6-1, 0-0)

Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 – 6 p.m. CT

Kohl Center

TV: FS1

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Internet: FOX Sports App

1. Play your game, but play it right

You won’t find two more conflicting styles in college basketball than those of Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg and Wisconsin coach Greg Gard.

Hoiberg’s Huskers come into tonight’s game ranked 28th nationally and second in the Big Ten in tempo (total possessions divided by minutes) at 74.8, per KenPom. Conversely, the Badgers rank 326th nationally and 13 in the conference with a tempo of 67.5.

Nebraska can’t afford to slow things down and let UW play in its comfort zone. At the same time, the Huskers must also play focused, poised, and take care of the basketball.

Turnovers have been a big problem for NU in all three of its losses this season, and Wisconsin protects the ball as well as any team in the country, ranking second nationally in offensive turnover percentage (12.0).

Crisp passing and disciplined offense will be just as important as playing fast for the Huskers tonight.

2. Defend the 3

With two premier big men who both stand 6-10 or taller in Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter, defending the paint would seem like the obvious defensive priority for Nebraska tonight.

But when Wisconsin ranks fourth in the country by shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range as a team, containing the perimeter becomes equally critical. The Badgers average 9.4 made 3-pointers per game, with all five starters making at least nine threes through the first seven contests.

Nebraska has done a solid defending the perimeter this season, ranking fifth in the Big Ten with an opponent 3-point percentage of 31.4 on 194 attempts.

But the Huskers learned just how dangerous the Badgers’ shooting could be last season, hitting a UW-record 18 3-pointers in their first meeting and then making 15 in the rematch.

It’s a new team for NU this year, but the defensive priorities against Wisconsin have not changed a bit.

3. Let Dalano Banton run the show

One thing we’ve learned over the first seven games is that when Dalano Banton is in a groove and the offense runs through him, Nebraska can be pretty darn good.

The 6-foot-9 point guard is one of just two players in the country with more than 90 points, 50 rebounds, and 40 assists so far this year, and he just posted the second triple-double in program history last time out vs. Doane.

While the NAIA Tigers weren’t much of a test, Banton has shown triple-double ability at the Big Ten level already despite having yet to play in a conference game as a Husker.

As a true freshman at Western Kentucky back in December of 2018, Banton posted eight points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Hilltoppers in an upset over then 15th-ranked Wisconsin in Madison.

The problem has been that Banton sometimes has a tendancy to fall into the background a little bit when adversity hits, especially in the second half of the losses to Georgia Tech and Creighton.

He’s too good and too important of a player for Nebraska to take a backseat like that, and NU’s best chance at pulling off an upset tonight will be letting Banton run the show every possession he’s on the floor.

Wisconsin (-20.5) 81, Nebraska 62

Robin’s season record: 5-2

vs. the spread: 5-2