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Huskers more than happy to play on Christmas Day, especially during a trying year | Men’s Basketball



For most of the eight Big Ten programs playing on Christmas, it’s a similar story. Nebraska-Michigan, set for a 5 p.m. tip on BTN, will be the third of four Big Ten games on Christmas Day.

The games were scheduled this fall, when it looked as though the NBA might not play on Christmas — a day the league has traditionally filled with games.

Now, though, the Huskers and Wolverines will be going up against a Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics game, and will wrap up shortly before the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers tip off.

“It is a strange time, (but) I do know our guys are excited to play on Christmas,” NU coach Fred Hoiberg said. “When you’re a basketball player, when you grow up, you watch Christmas Day games all the time. Generally it’s the NBA.

“It is something where we wanted to keep our guys occupied and keep them busy over the holidays because of the fact that they couldn’t go home and see their families.”

Hoiberg has coached twice on Christmas Day while leading the Chicago Bulls, going 1-1. Between him and Michigan coach Juwan Howard, that’s a lot of Christmas basketball on each team’s bench.

And with several college football teams opting not to play in bowl games and instead head home for the holidays (including the one headquartered not far from where the Husker hoops team calls home), Nebraska will file into an empty Pinnacle on Friday afternoon and lace ’em up.



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