The Nebraska men’s basketball program opens Big Ten play Tuesday night, as the Huskers travel to Madison, Wis., to take on the ninth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
Tipoff from the Kohl Center is set for 6 p.m
The Huskers (4-3) have played once since Dec. 11, a 110-64 win over Doane University last Thursday. Dalano Banton had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists en route to his first triple double and the second triple double in school history. Banton guided a Husker attack that put five players in double figures and five others with at least seven points. NU shot 55 percent and hit a season-high 12 3-pointers, including four by Trevor Lakes in his Husker debut.
Nebraska comes into the matchup with the Badgers averaging 81.6 points per game and have shot the ball better of late. Over the last four games, the Huskers are shooting 45 percent from the field, including 38 percent from 3-point range, after shooting just 42 percent, including 29 percent from beyond the arc, in the first three games of the season. The Huskers have four regulars averaging double figures, including junior Teddy Allen (18.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.7 spg) and Banton (13.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 5.7 apg).
Wisconsin is 6-1 on the season following an impressive 85-48 rout of then-No. 23 Louisville Saturday afternoon. Micah Potter’s 20 points and seven boards led four Wisconsin players in double figures. The Badgers shot 54 percent, including 16-of-25 from 3-point range, as they built a 26-point halftime lead and cruised to victory. Wisconsin’s only setback on the season was a loss at the buzzer at Marquette on Dec. 4. Since that loss, the Badgers have posted a trio of double-figure wins, while holding opponents to 57.7 points per game.
Tuesday’s game at Wisconsin will likely be the first of two games against nationally ranked teams this week, as NU hosts No. 19 Michigan on Christmas day.
