How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball vs. No. 15 UCLA: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The Huskers welcome in the Bruins with a chance to tie a program record with a fifth-straight win.

Geoff Exstrom | Jan 3, 2025

Dec 30, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) shoots a three-point basket against Southern University Jaguars forward DaMariee Jones (1) and center Dionjahe Thomas (8) during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

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Chasing its second NCAA Tournament berth in as many seasons, everything remains possible for the Nebraska men’s basketball team, rolling past Southern 77-43 on Dec. 30 of last year in Lincoln to finish the non-conference schedule 10-1 with its first MTE title since 2000 and a second-straight road win over in-state rival Creighton.

Aside from a three-point loss to an 11-3 Saint Mary’s team on a neutral floor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, head coach Fred Hoiberg has continued the program’s momentum from last season, creating a formula for winning basketball.

The current hot streak will be put to a real test for the first time since an embarrassing 37-point defeat to Michigan State on December 7. Pinnacle Bank Arena will surely be rocking when No. 15 UCLA rolls into town for a Saturday afternoon, nationally televised showdown on FOX as NU has a chance to win its 20th-straight home win – which would tie a program record.

Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers and Bruins battle this weekend.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: Nebraska (11-2, 1-1 B1G) vs. No. 15 UCLA (11-2, 2-0 B1G)
When: Saturday, January 4
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Ne.
Time: 1:10 p.m. CST
Watch: FOX
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

No. 15 UCLA Scout

Head Coach: Mick Cronin | 6th Season; 22nd overall as HC | 126-55 (.696) at UCLA; 491-226 (.685) as Career HC | 14x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 1x Final Four, 3x Sweet 16, 4x Conference Tournament titles, 4x Regular Season Conference titles | 2x Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Sporting News MCB Coach OTY, AAC Coach OTY, OVC Coach OTY | Previous head coach at Cincinnati and Murray State | Previous assistant at Louisville and Cincinnati.

2023-2024 Record: 16-17 (10-10 Pac-12, 5th) | Pac-12 Defensive Player OTY, 1x All-Pac-12 First Team, 1x Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, 1x Pac-12 All-Defensive Team | Did not qualify for the postseason.

All-Time Series: UCLA leads 6-2 (Nov. 25, 2016 last matchup, 82-71 UCLA).

Key Returners: Dylan Andrews, G, Jr. | Sebastian Mack, G, Soph. | Lazar Stefanovic, G, Sr. | Aday Mara, C, Soph. | Brandon Williams, G/F, Soph.

Key Departures: Adem Bona, F/C (NBA Draft) | Berke Buyuktuncel, F, Soph. (Nebraska) | Will McClendon, G, R-Jr. (San Jose State) | Jan Vide, G, Soph. (Loyola Marymount) | Kenneth Nwuba, F/C (Eligibility).

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin look on during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Intuit Dome. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Outlook: Mick Cronin is one of the premier coaches in men’s college basketball today and is less than 10 victories away from career win No. 500. With 14 NCAA Tournament appearances in 21 completed seasons as a head coach, Cronin has established himself as a consistent winner, and that hasn’t stopped since leaving Cincinnati for Westwood after 13 seasons and 296 wins.

He got the Bruins to the Final Four in year two, followed by back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances and 58 wins over the last two seasons, but the bottom fell out in 2023-2024 as UCLA finished 16-17 and fifth in the final season of the Pac-12. It was only the third time in Cronin’s head coaching career a team of his finished below .500, and that was with conference Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Adem Bona, who went No. 41 overall in the NBA Draft to the Philadelphia 76ers.

A young team last year, Cronin returns three of his four leading scorers in Dylan Andrews (12.9 PPG last season), Sebastian Mack (12.1) and Lazar Stefanovic (11.5). Despite a strong nucleus returning, Cronin needed depth as proven by the dropoff from his fourth-leading scorer (11.5) to his fifth-leading scorer (4.5) from last season.

A flurry of transfer portal additions followed in the offseason led by Oregon State transfer Tyler Bilodeau who leads the Bruins with 14.5 PPG and second with 5.2 rebounds per contest. A freshman starter at Oklahoma State, 6-foot-8 sophomore Eric Dailey Jr. traded in his cowboy boots for a pair of sunglasses to come to Los Angeles and has thrived with 11.4 points – second on the team – and 4.6 rebounds per game. Plucking senior guard Kobe Johnson from crosstown rival USC was a win for Cronin as the 104-game veteran is averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while leading the team with 44 assists (3.4 APG).

Dec 21, 2024; New York, NY, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) shoots the ball while being defended by North Carolina Tar Heels forward Ty Claude (0) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. / John Jones-Imagn Images

Former Louisville guard Skyy Clark (6.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG) and South Dakota State post William Kyle III (4.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG) round out the improved depth. Kyle will make a return to his home state after being a state champion with Bellevue West. You’ll also see 7-foot-3 Spanish center Aday Mara come off the bench. Seven players averaged 10 or more minutes last season, and that number has grown to 10 this year for UCLA.

The strength for the Bruins lies in their defense, bringing a top 10 scoring defense (58.7, eighth), turnovers forced (18.2, second) and turnover margin (+6.7, seventh). They’re also second in the Big Ten in steals per game at 9.3, and can shoot the three-ball, being fourth in the conference with a 37.1 season percentage. Wins against No. 9 Oregon (73-71) and No. 19 Gonzaga (65-62) make up its two losses to an 8-6 North Carolina team and an early season defeat to New Mexico.

Picked to finish third in the Big Ten preseason poll, and now ranked No. 15, this very much feels like the Michigan State game where Nebraska has its chance to establish itself as the surprise of the conference for another season. Only this time the Huskers appear to have more confidence, and a hot Connor Essegian, who has a career-high 12.4 points per game and a team-leading 36 three-pointers, including six in the win over Southern. Call me crazy, but with PBA set to welcome in a ruckus crowd, and a streaking Essegian and Brice Williams, put me down for a Husker win and tying a program record.