Nebraska Basketball Draws Dangerous Opponent in Latest Bracketology

The Huskers are moving up higher into the field of 64 in the latest NCAA Tournament projections. However, their projected opponent could be a very dangerous matchup.

Brice Williams reacts after a basket against UCLA. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska basketball's huge win Saturday over UCLA has changed the Huskers' season outlook.

After being on the bubble for the last few weeks, Nebraska is now firmly holding a spot in the Field of 64 and would be in the NCAA Tournament if the season ended today. ESPN's Joe Lunardi recently updated his bracketology projections and had Nebraska on the way up.

UCLA's Skyy Clark drives against Nebraska's Brice Williams. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Huskers are now projected to be the No. 8 seed in the East Region. They would be facing No. 9 seed Arkansas in Milwaukee in the scenario that these projections have laid out. The Huskers are still searching for the program's first-ever victory in the NCAA Tournament, and any chance to accomplish that goal will be met with immense support from the Huskers' passionate fan base.

However, a matchup with Arkansas would be difficult. The Razorbacks are led by new head coach John Calipari, the winningest active head coach in all of college basketball. When he left Kentucky for Arkansas, it sent shockwaves throughout the college basketball world.

He has brought a lot of talent to Fayetteville and has turned Arkansas into one of the most athletic and dangerous teams in the country on any given night. If the Razorbacks play up to their potetnial, they have a much higher ceiling than most No. 9 seeds in the NCAA Tournament have.

Arkansas head basketball coach John Calipari. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This matchup would also not be ideal because of the distance from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It would be a trip of well over 500 miles for most Husker fans. That is a lot to ask for even one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. Nevertheless, there would undoubtedly be tons of Husker red inside the arena for Nebraska's first-round matchup.

The Huskers are now on the brink of the top 25 and are looking to continue their momentum into the bulk of their conference schedule. Nebraska will take on Iowa tonight in a game that will be a tough road test for the Huskers and another chance to improve their NCAA Tournament résumé.

The win over UCLA showed how much this team has already improved this season. It also shows how difficult it is to beat Nebraska at home. However, the next two conference games will be on the road, providing a test for the Huskers to see what they are made of in difficult environments.

After facing Iowa tonight, the Huskers will play at Purdue. The Boilermakers are known to have one of the toughest home-court advantages in all of college basketball. On the other hand, these tough games give Nebraska opportunities to pick up résumé-building victories to improve their chances at a higher seed in March.

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