Nebraska Basketball Game Day: Indiana

Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-12, 0-7) vs Indiana Hoosiers (12-4, 3-3)

Monday, Jan. 17, 2022 – 5:00 p.m. CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena

TV: BTN

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Internet: FOX Sports App

1. Match the energy of Indiana’s bigs

Indiana boasts one of the best big men in all of college basketball in All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. But the Hoosiers have become even more dangerous inside with the rapid development of Race Thompson.

The junior frontcourt duo comes into tonight averaging a combined 30.9 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game while both shooting over 58 percent from the field.

Nebraska had its hands full with Jackson-Davis and Thompson in the first meeting earlier this season, a 68-55 defeat in Bloomington.

Jackson-Davis scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half while finishing with seven rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Thompson followed up by posting a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.

For the Huskers to have any chance at pulling off the upset tonight, it has to keep No. 23 and 25 from taking over the game in the paint.

2. Get Bryce more involved

Nebraska needs all the help it can get on offense right now, especially against an Indiana team that currently leads the Big Ten in scoring defense at just 62.2 points per game.

Getting freshman Bryce McGowens more involved and producing at an efficient clip would be a massive boost in that regard.

McGowens was held to a quiet nine points on just 4-of-9 shooting last time out at Purdue, and he attempted just three shots in the second half.

The Hoosiers bottled him up in the first meeting as well as any opponent has all season, as McGowens was held to eight points on 3-for-14 shooting, snapping his five-game streak of scoring in double figures.

McGowens is too important to the Huskers to be lost in the shuffle the way he was on Friday night, but he also has to convert at a much higher rate than he did the last time vs. IU.

3. Feed off of Trey

It remains to be seen if junior guard Trey McGowens will finally make his return to the court for Nebraska tonight after missing the past 16 games with a foot injury.

But after being cleared to play earlier this week after suiting up at Purdue, signs are pointing to McGowens seeing his first action since Nov. 16 tonight.

Even if he only plays a handful of minutes, McGowens should provide an emotional lift to the entire team just being back on the floor in uniform.

He’s by far the best vocal leader on the roster, and when fully healthy, he’s one of the top perimeter defenders in the Big Ten.

McGowens is the type of player who makes all of his teammates around him better. There will undoubtedly be an acclimation period for him as he works back to basketball game shape, but his return would be a shot in the arm for a squad that needs all the motivation it can get.

Indiana (-8.5) 70, Nebraska 62

Robin’s season record: 15-3

vs. the spread: 11-7