Here’s a Blueprint for Beating Nebraska Men’s Basketball

There are two ways, at least, a college basketball team can lose a game. The opponent can beat them. They can beat themselves.

Nebraska’s undefeated men’s basketball team saw both methods on display Sunday night against North Dakota.

The final score gave no indication the game provided such insight. The 12-0 Huskers won, 78-55. But below the surface were Nebraska weaknesses that should read like an opponent’s scouting report.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg, a smart guy who has been around, surely knows the Huskers’ shortcomings and weaknesses. Basketball is a fluid game, fast-paced and full of imperfections and errors. Because Nebraska simply was more talented, it trailed by only 26-24 at halftime … and ran away with the second half. Just another win for the Huskers, who are a 5-seed in Joe Lunardi's ESPN Bracketology's NCAA projections.

The eventual large margin of victory shouldn’t disguise that there are ways to beat Nebraska, both universal and specific.

Want a formula for losing a college basketball game? Let us count some of the ways.

Poor distance shooting

In the first half against North Dakota, Nebraska was 2-of-18 from distance. This percentage will get you eaten alive in the Big Ten, and also will give you an early ticket home from an NCAA Tournament game. If Nebraska shoots that poorly in a first half against a Big Ten opponent, the halftime margin won’t be two points. The Huskers bounced back and shot 4-of-9 in the second half as they pulled away from North Dakota. Nebraska ranks 18th in the nation in three-point attempts, with 30.8 per game — so it’s an important part of its game. But the Huskers rank only 136th in the nation in made three-pointers at 34.86 percent.

Playing a more physical team

This could be the Huskers’ biggest problem. Nebraska has good size but how physical inside — especially in the Big Ten — are the Huskers? Leading scorer Rienk Mast was 2-of-6 from the floor and finished with seven points against North Dakota. Mast has controlled games with his outside shooting, precise passing and physical presence. That didn’t happen against North Dakota. What will happen in the conference? Stronger teams inside can mean deflating offensive rebounds and put-back baskets.

Playing a quicker team

This could be another serious Nebraska issue. A quicker opponent can cut off passing lanes, deny the ball and get steals. A quicker opponent can blow by man-to-man defenders and shred zones. Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska’s second-leading scorer, had trouble shaking North Dakota’s defenders who were focused on him. He shot 3-of-10 from the floor but many shots were forced or under pressure. Sandfort can expect this kind of attention moving forward. Will Nebraska’s guards get bullied in the conference by more physical, quicker guards? They held their own against Illinois. We’ll see what happens Jan. 2 against Michigan State.

An unstoppable opponent

Some games, an opponent is going to light it up. Does Nebraska has the defensive scheme or enough talent on defense to shut down a hot player? When you get an opponent firing from distance, and making them, that could be a problem. Sometimes, one player can make a difference. This isn’t uniquely a Nebraska problem, but it’s reality. Remember, Sandfort lit up Illinois for 26 points in the first half.

Foul trouble and depth

Nebraska has depth and Hoiberg hasn’t been afraid to go to his bench. Nine players average at least 9.7 minutes per game. Foul trouble can force a team into using players for more minutes than is believed ideal. Foul trouble can result from playing a quicker team and you’re a step behind or reaching on defense.

Missed foul shots

Nebraska made 16-of-19 from the line against North Dakota and the Huskers are shooting .743 from the line for the season, 104th in the nation. Get in a tight game, this could hurt, especially when a team needs to add two points and might walk away with nothing.

Turnovers

The Huskers take care of the basketball. Their average of 9.5 turnovers per game ranks 13th-best in the nation. For all teams, a high turnover rate can be the difference between a win or loss. If the Huskers play to form, turnovers shouldn’t be an issue. But what if those passes that connect against inferior competition are being picked off by quicker opponents? But what if they get into that physical, rough road game that could be decided on the last possession — as what happened at No. 13 Illinois? The Huskers will want to protect possessions the way they know how.

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