Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg Aware of Everything the Bruins Have Going for Them

No. 15 UCLA will be facing a Nebraska team that will be ready for anything to Bruins throw at it.

Nov 22, 2024; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg points to the team against the Creighton Bluejays during the second half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

UCLA men's basketball is a tough team to beat right now.

The Bruins are the 15th-ranked team in the nation and have only lost two games. Not to mention, as they head back into Big Ten play, there shouldn't be any uneasiness, as UCLA is already 2-0 in conference play, including a win over one of the best teams in the league, Oregon.

On Saturday, the Bruins will face Nebraska on the road. Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg knows what to expect with this UCLA team, but he also knows that doesn't mean his squad can keep it from doing what it does well.

"I mean, their physical toughness is as good as anybody in the country," Hoiberg said when he addressed the media on Thursday. "And when you look at their numbers defensively, it's one through five. Those guys guard anybody, their physicality, their steel percentage, -- they're No. 1 in the nation in steal percentage -- they're going to be in gaps; we can't play in a crowd. That's going to be as important as anything in this game. If you do, they're going to take it from you, and there's nothing you can do about it. We're not going to be the first team all of a sudden that can get by their first line of defense.

"We have to make simple plays all game long. And they're going to keep that thing out of the paint. That's what they do. And they're really, really good at it. And then they fly around in rotations as well, and they're a very good rebounding team. So yeah, I think ... 58 points a game that they give up. And they've already been tested with their schedule and won a big game on the road at Oregon, already, in our league. So, they know how to do that. It's one of those games we've got to be on point for 40 minutes. If we have any type of lull in this game, on either end, this could be a long afternoon. So, Mick's [Cronin] teams are always as tough as anybody, and we got to go in there and hopefully match that."

UCLA will look to extend its perfect conference record to 3-0 on Saturday. Tip-off is at 11 a.m. PST, 2 p.m. EST.

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