Nebraska to Face Team This Week That Just Scored 115 Points

The Week Ahead: After a solid win over Providence, the Huskers next play Lindenwood, of the Ohio Valley Conference

Nebraska's Pryce Sandfort (21) is congratulated by Cale Jacobsen and Braden Frager after win over Providence on Saturday night. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska men’s basketball faces a non-league opponent this week that knows how to light up the scoreboard.

The Huskers’ opponent Wednesday night will be the visiting Lindenwood Lions, a Division I team that plays in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Lions, based in St. Charles, Mo., defeated the East-West University Phantoms, 115-44, on Saturday.

Forgive us for not knowing, but East-West appears to be a real school from Chicago — thank you, internet search engine — and is described as an independent team competing in Division II of the United States College Athletic Association. The Phantoms have five games scheduled this season.

On the Phantoms’ website is this request: “Join the team, practice and play!”

Anyway, back in the world of scholarships, Nebraska (2-0) passed a solid early-season test Saturday night over Providence, 67-58, in front of a rowdy and enthusiastic pro-Friars crowd in Uncasville, Conn.

Providence provided Nebraska with a quality experience in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic. Huskers coach Fred Hoiberg wants to challenge his NCAA-quality team before the Big Ten schedule begins on Dec. 2 against Ohio State. Providence, a Big East team that was 15-17 last season but with a new coach in Bryan Hodgson, gave the Huskers all they wanted.

Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort, looking even better than he did last season, scored 25 points. He shot 9-of-14 from the floor and looked smooth doing so. Sandfort was 3-of-8 from distance.

Lindenwood at Nebraska

When: Wednesday, 8 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska 2-0; Lindenwood 2-1
TV: FS1

Lindenwood-Nebraska analysis

Lindenwood also has a win over Central Bible University (120-46) and a loss to the Big 12’s TCU, 98-59. The Huskers have defeated Le Moyne (106-64) and Providence.

Lindenwood’s game against TCU is the only way to gauge how good the Lions are, or aren’t — and they got blown out.

Nebraska had three other players score in double figures against Providence — Boden Kapke (13 points), Braden Frager (12) and Cale Jacobsen (11). The Huskers went on an 11-0 run to take a 30-19 lead.

Nebraska forward Boden Kapke looks to pass against Le Moyne forward Kaden Stuckey (12) during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nine players got into the game against the Friars. With a rebuilt roster around Sandfort, Frager and Jacobsen, Hoiberg will use non-league games to see what he has in actual competition, and to set his rotations as much as he can depending on game situations.

Nebraska’s defense — a source of pride for Hoiberg during last season’s 28-7, Sweet 16 run — looked solid against Providence and will be something to watch against Lindenwood, and moving forward. Providence shot 19-of-62 (31 percent) from the floor, and 7-of-38 (18 percent) from distance.

There are going to games the offense isn’t clicking — against Providence, for example, the Huskers shot 45 percent from the floor but only 21 percent from distance — but defense can be a stabilizing factor. Lindenwood shot 57 percent from the floor against East-West, and 42 percent from distance.

Nebraska is more talented that Lindenwood, but we want to see the Huskers’ defensive patterns, how quickly and efficiently they challenge shooters, how smoothly they switch, and if they can create turnovers. Providence had 18 turnovers against Nebraska, which turned over the ball 15 times.

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.