K-State to Face Nebraska in Exhibition Matchup

Last season, K-State and Nebraska played an instant classic in the Hall of Fame Classic Championship game in Kansas City. The Cornhuskers won that game, 86-85, with a free throw in the final second. While the rivalry isn't quite the same now that the teams aren't in the same conference, any time these two teams matchup, the fans are excited. On Monday, it was announced that the two teams would be matching up in an exhibition game on Oct.26 in Grand Rapids.

Nebraska coming off a historic season

Coach Fred Hoiberg and Nebraska had one of the best seasons in program history. The Cornhuskers finished with 28 wins and made it to the Sweet 16. The NCAA Tournament success was a huge highlight for the program as Nebraska entered the season without an NCAA Tournament win in school history.

While they lost some key players from last year's team, there is still a lot of talent returning to Lincoln. Pryce Sanford averaged just over 18 points last season and was an All-Big Ten first-team player. He is one of the best shooters in the country and is a perfect fit for Hoiberg's offense. Braden Fager was the Sixth Man of the Year in the conference and has a chance to join Sanford on the all-conference team.

There will also be some familiarity for K-State coach Casey Alexander, as Sam Orme transferred to Nebraska after playing for Alexander last season at Belmont.

Nebraska's blueprint could be how K-State approaches the rebuild

The Cornhuskers play a brand of basketball similar to what Alexander hopes to bring to Manhattan. Very few teams in the country move the ball as well as Nebraska, and they are also one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country. They do a tremendous job of putting opposing defenses on their heels, leading to a lot of wide-open shots.

Alexander's teams played a very similar brand to his time at Belmont, and how he has built his roster heading into the season shows that is what he intends to do in Manhattan. With only one returning player in Andrej Kostic, Alexander had to bring in many players. One of the traits of all those players is the ability to shoot the ball, and it is a style that even Nebraska fans shall recognize.

With this being an exhibition game, the result won't have an impact on the season. However, it is a great opportunity for Alexander and his team to compete against a team that was in a similar spot to K-State a few seasons ago.

Add us as a preferred source on Google