How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball vs. Georgetown in the Crown: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The Huskers look to extend their postseason with their first-ever meeting against a depleted Georgetown squad.

Nebraska forward Juwan Gary dunks the ball against Arizona State in the first round of the College Basketball Crown at MGM Grand Garden Arena. / Nebraska Athletics

Just when you think the Nebraska men’s basketball team is done for, they pull you right back in. 

Trailing by 10 to Arizona State with under 15 minutes to go until their season ended, the Huskers rallied for a 14-5 run to cut the deficit to one before guard Connor Essegian poured in eight-straight points by himself to give NU the lead for good at 63-61. The Sun Devils tried to pull off a last second rally, but it wasn’t enough as Nebraska won its first-round game of the College Basketball Crown 86-78 in Las Vegas. 

Brice Williams torched ASU for a game-high 30 points in his fourth 30-point game of the season while Juwan Gary (18 points) and Essegian (17) provided the necessary support. Trailing by eight after the first 20 minutes, the Huskers popped off for 56 second half points shooting 64.5% from the field and outscoring Arizona State in the paint 44-30. 

It’s a big result for Nebraska who wins its first postseason game since 2019 and moves one step closer in locking up a nice NIL payday. The next team standing in their way is Big East foe Georgetown, who won an 85-82 marathon with Washington State later Monday night. 

Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers and Hoyas duel in the desert. 

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: Nebraska (18-14, 7-13 B1G) vs. Georgetown (18-15, 8-12 Big East) 
• When: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
• Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Time: 8:30 p.m. CDT 
• Watch: FS1
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Feb 8, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Georgetown Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley reacts to a call during the second half against the Seton Hall Pirates at Capital One Arena. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Georgetown Scout

Head Coach: Ed Cooley | 2nd Season at Georgetown; 19th overall as HC | 27-38 (.415) at Georgetown; 361-260 (.581) Career HC Record | 7x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 1x Sweet 16, 1x MAAC Regular Season title, 1x Big East Tournament & Regular Season title | 1x Naismith Coach OTY, 1x Big East Coach OTY, MAAC Coach OTY, Ben Jobe Award  | Previous head coach at Providence and Fairfield | Previous assistant at Boston College, Rhode Island, Stonehill and UMass-Dartmouth.

2024-2025 Record: 18-15 (8-12 Big East, 7th) | 1x All-Big East first team, 1x All-Big East third team, 1x Big East All-Freshman team.

All-Time Series: First all-time meeting.

Big East Tournament: L, 71-67 to No. 10 seed DePaul in Big East First Round. 

Notable Wins: *Mount St. Mary’s (79-51), *Creighton (81-57), *Xavier (69-63). 

*Signifies NCAA Tournament Qualifier

Key Absences: Micah Peavy, G/F, Gr., 17.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG (Illness) | Thomas Sorber, F/C, Fr., 14.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG (Injury/NBA Draft) | Julius Halaifonua, C, Fr., 3.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG (Injury) | Drew Fielder, F/C, Soph., 7.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG (Transfer Portal). 

Projected Lineup: Malik Mack, G, Soph. (12.5 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.7 RPG) | Jordan Burks, F, Soph. (5.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG) | Caleb Williams, F, Fr. (4.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG) | Drew McKenna, F, Fr. (1.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG) | Curtis Williams Jr., G, Soph. (4.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG). 

Georgetown Hoyas guard Malik Mack (2) could be the x-factor if Georgetown's lineup continues to be short handed. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Outlook: Georgetown has yet to get back to the NCAA Tournament two years into the Ed Cooley era – who was hired away from in-conference foe Providence after leading the Friars to seven tournament appearances in 12 seasons. This season has been a much better improvement than Cooley’s debut year when the Hoyas went 9-23 and 2-18 in Big East play. They were able to take advantage of a CBC invite, taking down Washington State 85-82 despite being short handed. 

Point guard Malik Mack was key to the victory with a career-high 37 points and he’ll once again be relied upon if Georgetown continues to be down multiple key players. Mack was the fourth-leading scorer during the regular season, but was the leading scorer – by season average – playing for Georgetown on Monday night. 

Part of that is due to roster turnover with the college basketball offseason in full swing. Second leading scorer Thomas Sorber (14.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG) is a projected lottery pick, but he sustained a season-ending injury in mid February and has already declared for the NBA draft, but he’s maintaining his college eligibility in case he doesn’t like the scouts feedback. Starter Drew Fielder (7.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG) entered the transfer portal soon after the team’s loss to DePaul in the Big East tournament. Team star Micah Peavy (17.2 PPG) and double-figure scorer Jayden Epps (12.8 PPG) were both out against the Cougars with part of it being illness. The outlook of this Georgetown team changes drastically depending on if they’re in the lineup. 

If the same lineup trots out for Georgetown against Nebraska, then it’s going to be a conditioning battle. Cooley played his starting five for essentially the whole game with the four players coming off the bench combining for 17 of the 200 minutes. 

If the Hoyas stick with their current lineup, I like Nebraska's chances to advance to the semifinals. But if Peavy and Epps return, it feels more like a toss-up.

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