Gophers aim to snap decade-long drought in Lincoln versus Nebraska

Minnesota will attempt to break a 10-game losing streak Saturday afternoon.

Feb 13, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg reacts to a call during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

There’s a way different vibe around Gophers men’s basketball compared to this time last week. After blowing chances to capitalize on home games against Penn State and Northwestern, Minnesota’s now itching to snag its first win in Lincoln, Nebraska, since 2012 on Saturday afternoon.

Since Nebraska officially joined the Big Ten in 2011, they’ve hosted Minnesota 11 times at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Gophers are a grim 1-10 in those matchups, with their lone victory coming over 4,500 days ago.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Nebraska’s teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble while Minnesota’s clinging to the Big Ten Tournament bubble. Under head coach Fred Hoiberg, the Cornhuskers have usually boasted one of the conference’s slickest offenses, but this year, they’re leaning harder into defense. Sitting at No. 47 overall on Kenpom.com, they’ve got the No. 76 offense and No. 31 defense.

Senior guard Brice Williams is one of the Big Ten’s deadliest scorers, dropping 19.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The Cornhuskers’ offensive punch gets rounded out by veteran forward Juwan Gary, who’s averaging 13.0 points per game, and Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian, chipping in 10.5 points per game.

The big question heading into Saturday’s clash: who’s gonna guard Dawson Garcia? I had the same thought before the Northwestern-Minnesota game, but the Gophers couldn’t get their usual juice from anyone not named Garcia. Nebraska’ll likely toss a few bodies at him—think Andrew Morgan or Berke Buyuktuncel—but I’ve got a hunch Minnesota’s All-Big Ten forward could feast again.

Prediction

Both teams will be scrapping hard for a win on Saturday, though for totally different stakes. The Gophers have ripped off three straight road wins, but they’ve also dropped four in a row at home, so who knows what squad shows up in Lincoln. I’m betting Minnesota puts up a gutsy fight in a game tighter than the experts expect, but Nebraska squeaks out a close one.

Score: Nebraska 74, Minnesota 70

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