Meet the Opponent: The Struggling Nebraska Cornhuskers
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana certainly didn't want to be playing in the opening-round games on Wednesday night, when the league's four bottom seeds play in the Big Ten tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
But Nebraska, Indiana's opponent in the second game of the night that should start around 8:30 p.m. ET, probably doesn't want to be there at all.
The Cornhuskers, in a major rebuild under first-year coach Fred Holberg, haven't won a game in two months, losing 16 games in a row in the Big Ten to finish dead last in the league with a 2-18 record.
Nebraska actually played Indiana tough in its two meetings, which came early in the Big Ten season. The Cornhuskers lost in Assembly Hall on Dec. 13, falling 96-90 in overtime after Indiana blew a six-point lead in the final minute of regulation. Indiana won at Nebraska 82-74 on Jan. 18.
“We played this team twice, obviously, going back to the first time, all the way back to our first Big Ten game on the road back in December and I thought we played one of our more complete games of the season,” Hoiberg said. “Where they beat us that game was on the glass. They’re very long and athletic and have great size across the board.”
Here are three things you should know about the Cornhuskers.
1. Suspensions thin out starting lineup
Poor play is one thing, but player problems really can be a pain this time of year. That's happened at Nebraska, where Holberg has suspended Nebraska starters Cam Mack and Dachon Burke Jr. Nebraska will have only seven scholarship players dressed for Wednesday's game. Mack (12.0 points per game) and Burke (12.2) are big losses. "We’ve tried to set a culture of accountability, and when a rule is violated, we’re forced to take action,'' Holberg said.
Hoiberg is trying to remain optimistic, but it isn't easy. “That’s been the message to our guys is everything that happened over the course of the regular season is thrown out right now,” Hoiberg said. “All of us are going in with an opportunity and we’re 0-0.”
2. Two football players added to roster
Nebraska needed bodies so bad for the Big Ten tournament that Holberg brought a couple of football players with him to Indianapolis. The Cornhuskers added quarterback Noah Vedral and offensive tackle Brank Banks to the roster for the conference tourney that begins Wednesday in Indianapolis, coach Fred Hoiberg said.
3. Losing streak something of a surprise
When Indiana saw Nebraska early in the Big Ten season, the Cornhuskers were actually playing good basketball. They started off the Big Ten season 2-2, beating Purdue and Iowa at home and playing the Hoosiers tough on the road in that overtimes loss.
Then came the 16-game losing streak and a bunch of blowouts, which I didn't see coming. They are 2-18 in the Big Ten and 7-24 overall. They are in "get it over mode now,'' losing to Michigan by 24and Minnesota by 32 last week.
