WHO: Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-15, 8-11 Big Ten)
WHEN: 1:07 PM (Sunday, March 5)
WHERE: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)
TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler and Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin and Bobby Hansen) | XM 195 or SXM 957
MOBILE: www.foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: www.foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaHoops | @IowaonBTN
LINE: Iowa -11.5
KENPOM: Iowa -10 (81% chance of winning)
G Tony Perkins (12.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44.1% FG, 33.9 3FG%)
G Ahron Ulis (6.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 40.8 FG%, 33.3 3FG%)
F Connor McCaffery (6.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.0 bpg, 38.9 FG%, 34.0 3FG%)
F Kris Murray (20.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.2 bpg, 49.4 FG%, 35.2 3FG%)
F Filip Rebraca (14.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.0 bpg, 58.2 FG%, 33.3 3FG%)
Nebraska
G Keisei Tominaga (12.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 49.8 FG%, 40.6 3FG%)
G Jamarques Lawrence (4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.2 bpg, 39.4 FG%, 32.8 3FG%)
G CJ Wilcher (7.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.2 bpg, 39.0 FG%, 31.0 3FG%)
F Sam Griesel (11.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44.7 FG%, 30.4 3FG%)
F Derrick Walker (13.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, 58.9 FG%, 50.0 3FG%)
For one thing, this "sputtering" Nebraska team hasn't been leaking quite as much oil in recent weeks -- the Huskers enter this game off a home loss to Michigan State earlier this week, but with wins in five of their last seven games. This is the best team -- by a fairly wide margin -- that Fred Hoiberg has had at Nebraska since he took over in 2019. And yet Nebraska will still finish the regular with a losing record for the fourth straight season if they lose to Iowa on Sunday.
What's peculiar about the (relative) success of this Nebraska team is that it's so unlike the teams that Hoiberg has built in the past. Hoiberg succeeded at Iowa State with offense -- his last four ISU teams all ranked in the Top 25 nationally in offensive efficiency (the last three teams finished 12th or better in that stat). None of those Cyclone teams ranked higher than 55th in defensive efficiency.
By contrast, this year's Nebraska team ranks 61st in defensive efficiency -- far from outstanding, but pretty respectable. Nebraska's strengths on defense are forcing turnovers (the Huskers are 6th in turnover rate and 4th in non-steal turnover rate) and contesting shots fairly well (especially shots around the rim; they're holding opponents to 50.1% shooting on 2-point tries, 6th best in the league).
But the Huskers are just 160th in offensive efficiency and they rank near the bottom of the conference in most offensive categories: 12th in offensive efficiency, 12th in turnover rate, 12th in offensive rebound rate, 12th in three-point shooting, 13th in free throw shooting, and last in block rate and non-steal turnover rate. The only thing they're particularly good at is making 2-point shots; the Huskers are making 52.% of their 2-point attempts, 4th best in the Big Ten.
MORE HERE: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/preview-iowa-mbb-vs-nebraska
WHEN: 1:07 PM (Sunday, March 5)
WHERE: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)
TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler and Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin and Bobby Hansen) | XM 195 or SXM 957
MOBILE: www.foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: www.foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaHoops | @IowaonBTN
LINE: Iowa -11.5
KENPOM: Iowa -10 (81% chance of winning)
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE
IowaG Tony Perkins (12.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44.1% FG, 33.9 3FG%)
G Ahron Ulis (6.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 40.8 FG%, 33.3 3FG%)
F Connor McCaffery (6.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.0 bpg, 38.9 FG%, 34.0 3FG%)
F Kris Murray (20.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.2 bpg, 49.4 FG%, 35.2 3FG%)
F Filip Rebraca (14.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.0 bpg, 58.2 FG%, 33.3 3FG%)
Nebraska
G Keisei Tominaga (12.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 49.8 FG%, 40.6 3FG%)
G Jamarques Lawrence (4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.2 bpg, 39.4 FG%, 32.8 3FG%)
G CJ Wilcher (7.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.2 bpg, 39.0 FG%, 31.0 3FG%)
F Sam Griesel (11.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44.7 FG%, 30.4 3FG%)
F Derrick Walker (13.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, 58.9 FG%, 50.0 3FG%)
PREVIEW
Let's get the elephant-sized coincidence in the room out of the way right away: yes, an opportunity for Iowa to clinch something of significance (2nd place in the Big Ten and a double-bye at the Big Ten Tournament, in this case) comes down to a home game against a sputtering Nebraska team in the regular season finale -- just like football. Hopefully that's where the similarities end and the end result is much better for the basketball team.For one thing, this "sputtering" Nebraska team hasn't been leaking quite as much oil in recent weeks -- the Huskers enter this game off a home loss to Michigan State earlier this week, but with wins in five of their last seven games. This is the best team -- by a fairly wide margin -- that Fred Hoiberg has had at Nebraska since he took over in 2019. And yet Nebraska will still finish the regular with a losing record for the fourth straight season if they lose to Iowa on Sunday.
What's peculiar about the (relative) success of this Nebraska team is that it's so unlike the teams that Hoiberg has built in the past. Hoiberg succeeded at Iowa State with offense -- his last four ISU teams all ranked in the Top 25 nationally in offensive efficiency (the last three teams finished 12th or better in that stat). None of those Cyclone teams ranked higher than 55th in defensive efficiency.
By contrast, this year's Nebraska team ranks 61st in defensive efficiency -- far from outstanding, but pretty respectable. Nebraska's strengths on defense are forcing turnovers (the Huskers are 6th in turnover rate and 4th in non-steal turnover rate) and contesting shots fairly well (especially shots around the rim; they're holding opponents to 50.1% shooting on 2-point tries, 6th best in the league).
But the Huskers are just 160th in offensive efficiency and they rank near the bottom of the conference in most offensive categories: 12th in offensive efficiency, 12th in turnover rate, 12th in offensive rebound rate, 12th in three-point shooting, 13th in free throw shooting, and last in block rate and non-steal turnover rate. The only thing they're particularly good at is making 2-point shots; the Huskers are making 52.% of their 2-point attempts, 4th best in the Big Ten.
MORE HERE: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/preview-iowa-mbb-vs-nebraska
