The Nebraska men’s basketball team hits the road to begin a two-game road trip on Tuesday evening, as the Huskers travel to Madison, Wis., for a matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers.
Tipoff at the Kohl Center is slated for shortly after 8 p.m. and the matchup will be carried nationally on BTN with Dave Revsine and Robbie Hummel on the call.
Nebraska (7-11, 2-5 Big Ten) looks to snap a three-game losing streak after an 82-74 loss to Indiana on Saturday night. The Hoosiers used a 16-2 spurt to open the second half to build a 19-point cushion. Nebraska battled back and got to within six points and had a couple of opportunties to make it a one-possession game, but could not complete the rally. Indiana hit 51 percent from the field and hit eight 3-pointers, after entering the game shooting 25 percent from 3-point range in Big Ten play.
For Nebraska, sophomore Cam Mack led NU with 20 points and nine assists to pace four Huskers in double figures. It was Mack’s second 20-point game of the year and the sixth time he has dished out at least eight assists in a game. Thorir Thorbjarnarson added 13 points and nine boards, while Dachon Burke Jr. (12) and Haanif Cheatham (10) also finished in double figures.
On the year, Mack is third in the Big Ten in assists (6.8 apg) as he guides an attack that has six players averaging at least 7.0 points per game. With 123 assists, Mack needs just 13 assists to crack NU’s single-season top-10 list and is one assist away from matching NU’s highest assist total since joining the Big Ten (Tai Webster, 124, 2016-17).
Wisconsin (11-7, 4-3) looks to bounce back following a 67-55 loss at No. 15 Michigan State on Friday evening. Nate Ruevers had 19 points and seven rebounds, while Kobe King added 10 points against MSU. Wisconsin shot just 35 percent, while Michigan State shot 47 percent and out-rebounded the Badgers 41-32. Ruevers leads a balanced Wisconsin attack with 14.2 points per game.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Under fifth-year coach Greg Gard, the Badgers are 11-7 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten play and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten entering this week’s action. The Badgers returned three starters from a team that won 23 games and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2019. UW got off to a slow start and was 3-4 following a loss to NC State, but has posted a 7-3 mark in its last 10 games, including road wins at Ohio State and Penn State. The Badgers have three wins over ranked teams on the season and also have a 20-point non-conference win at Tennessee.
Wisconsin’s stretch is its ability to control the pace, as the Badger are 14th in scoring offense, but are third in scoring defense and lead the conference by committing just 10.6 turnovers per game. UW also leads the Big Ten, hitting 77.2 percent from the line. The Badgers rely on a nine-player rotation with seven player averaging over 7.0 points per game. Junior Nate Reuvers leads UW in scoring at 14.2 ppg, while Kobe King averaged 10.6 ppg. Ohio State transfer Micah Potter has been a boost, averaging 9.4 ppg and 5.8 rpg in eight games since becoming eligible. UW also has five players who average at least one 3-pointer per game.
Series History: Tuesday’s matchup is the 31st meeting between the two programs, as Wisconsin has a 16-14 advantage. The series dates back to the 1903-04 season, as Nebraska won the first meeting, 25-22 over the Badgers in Lincoln before Wisconsin took five of the next six meetings from 1907 to 1955. Nebraska then won eight straight games before the Badgers won the next five meetings, including the first four in Big Ten play, before the Huskers topped the No. 9 Badgers in the final regular-season game in 2013-14. The Badgers won both meetings in 2018-19, including a 66-62 in the Big Ten Tournament quaterfinals. The Huskers are 4-10 against Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten (3-9 in regular season; 1-1 in Big Ten Tournament).
LAST TIME OUT
Nebraska’s second-half comeback fell just short, as Indiana posted an 82-74 win over the Huskers Saturday night.
Indiana used a fast start to the second half, as a 16-2 Hoosier run turned a 46-41 halftime lead into a 19-point bulge only to see Nebraska rally in the final 15 minutes. The Huskers slowed the Hoosiers on the defensive end and got to within six and had several chances to pull closer, but Indiana held on for a crucial road win.
Cam Mack scored a game-high 20 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Husker offense against the Hoosiers. Mack was one of four Huskers in double digits, along with Thorir Thorbjarnarson (13 points), Dachon Burke Jr. (12) and Haanif Cheatham (10). Thorbjarnarson also added a season-high nine rebounds and three steals.
Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis led the Hoosier offense with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 13 boards. IU also got double-digit efforts from Joey Brunk (16 points) and Justin Smith (15).
