MINNEAPOLIS — After a wild week back home, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will try to give their fans something to smile about Friday night at the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.
The 3 seed Huskers (22-9) will play 6 seed Indiana (19-13) in a quarterfinal inside the Target Center, with tip-off scheduled for around 8 p.m., or 25 minutes after the tilt between 10 seed Ohio State and 2 seed Illinois, which begins at 5:30 p.m.
Friday’s game will be on BTN with Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel and Andy Katz on the call.
This will be the third time these two teams do battle, with Nebraska taking the first two. The Huskers defended their home court inside Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 3, winning 86-70. Then on Feb. 21, the Huskers flung the monkey off their back by winning their first conference road game, 85-70, in Bloomington.
Nebraska was out-rebounded in both those games by an average of 36.5-31.5 — hitting the boards is area of the game Fred Hoiberg harps on constantly — but it didn’t matter much because its offense produced from deep.
In the two games against the Hoosiers, the Huskers shot a combined 40% from 3-point range (26-of-65). In game one, Nebraska hit on 38% from 3 (12-of-32). In game two inside historic Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, the Huskers shot lights out at 42% (14-of-33).
Hoiberg’s guys also took good care of the ball, limiting their turnovers to eight in each game. Conversely, the Husker defense, scattered with switchable defenders with length, bothered the Hoosiers’ best players, especially in game one where Indiana had 19 turnovers that led to a whopping 27 Husker points. In game two, Nebraska forced 10 turnovers and scored 15 points off them.
Here are three thoughts on tonight’s matchup:
Tominaga was the Huskers’ leading scorer in both games against the Hoosiers, pouring in 28 points in game one and 20 in game two. A Hoosier backcourt that lacks talent had trouble keeping up with him, and Indiana may be without starting guard Trey Galloway, who missed Thursday night’s game against Penn State with an injury.
Hoiberg often talks about the importance of fast starts when playing away from a jam-packed PBA. In the Huskers’ last game, the 85-70 win at Michigan, Hoiberg got his wish. Tominaga scored 13 points in his first seven minutes of action along the way to a game-high 30 points.
But 23 of Tominaga’s 30 came in the first half. Indiana will no doubt make adjustments if needed. If Nebraska’s Japanese Steph Curry gets hot early, look for Mike Woodson to switch things up, and it’s worked before.
In the win at Indiana, Tominaga scored 18 first-half points before being held to 2 in the second half on 1-of-5 shooting. Ultimately, that didn’t matter as a deeper Nebraska team won by 15 points.
Indiana’s strength is its frontcourt, led by Kel’el Ware, the smooth-moving 7-footer with a soft touch around the rim. During this five-game win streak the Hoosiers have been on, Ware is averaging 21.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 68% from the field and 50% from 3 (4-of-8).
Ware is a tough matchup for almost every team, but especially for Nebraska bigs Rienk Mast and Josiah Allick, who will need help from Juwan Gary and guards in the paint Friday night.
Ware, a former transfer from Oregon, recorded a double-double in the first two games against Nebraska — 20 points, 10 boards, two blocks in game one; 17 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks in game two.
Mackenzie Mgbako has also turned it on down this final stretch. The 6-foot-8 freshman and former five-star recruit is averaging 15.7 points while shooting 36% from 3 (18-of-49) the past eight games.
But the Hoosiers’ backcourt hasn’t been good this season, and Nebraska should take advantage. Indiana is one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the conference, making just 33%.
While Indiana’s Xavier Johnson looks to have his legs back under him after several injuries slowed him this year, he’s only scored more than five points once in the last five games. And while Johnson is finding his teammates — 20 assists the past four games — he’s also responsible for 12 turnovers in that same stretch.
Gabe Cupps is another guard Nebraska will see, but the true freshman is in a tough spot as a first-year guy playing major minutes against Big Ten veterans.
Brice Williams and Jamarques Lawrence should have more big nights Friday.
Williams scored 15 points (3-of-4 from 3) with six rebounds and four steals in the first matchup and added 18 points and six boards in Bloomington.
Lawrence started against the Hooisers in Lincoln and had 12 points, four steals and three assists. In Bloomington, Lawrence come off the bench and had his best game in a Husker uniform with 18 points (5-of-5 from 3), six rebounds and five assists.
Hoiberg obviously enjoyed success at Iowa State. He won 67% of his games while coaching in Ames and had an overall record of 115-56. He won the Big 12 Tournament in 2014 and 2015 and made the NCAA Tournament in four of the five seasons he was there.
At Nebraska, he’s 0-4 in Big Ten Tournament games. A victory Friday night would be a first for Hoiberg, whose team has had plenty of those this season.
Fred Hoiberg’s conference tournament résumé at Nebraska with (seeds):
2020: (11) Indiana 89, (14) Nebraska 64
2021: (11) Penn State 72, (14) Nebraska 66
2022: (12) Northwestern 71, (13) Nebraska 69
2023: (14) Minnesota 78, (11) Nebraska 75
2024: (3) Nebraska ? vs. (6) Indiana ?
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