Nebraska men’s basketball finishes its 2024-25 regular season on Sunday when the Huskers host Iowa for Senior Day.
The Huskers (17-13, 7-12 Big Ten) will tip-off at 11:30 a.m. CT with the Hawkeyes (14-14, 6-11 Big Ten) in a game on Fox with Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe on the call.
The game will also be carried on the Huskers Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen on the call.
Fans are encouraged to be seated by 11 a.m., as pregame ceremonies begin at 11:05 a.m. The Huskers will recognize seniors Jeff Grace III, Braxton Meah, Rollie Worster, Andrew Morgan, Ahron Ulis, Juwan Gary and Brice Williams for their contributions to Husker basketball.
“Forever be grateful for Brice Williams and Juwan Gary for everything that they have done for our program. Been through some pretty special moments within the history of Nebraska basketball. I’m just so proud of both of those guys for everything they have accomplished not only on the court but off the court.”
Both teams are fighting for their postseason lives. Nebraska comes into the game 12th in the Big Ten standings and is looking to get back on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Iowa is looking to stay out of the bottom three and miss the Big Ten tournament altogether. The Hawkeyes are in a tie for 16th in the league, only the top 15 teams will make the Big Ten Tournament.
Nebraska had a chance to secure their spot in the Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday against Ohio State, but a double-overtime loss, the Huskers fourth straight, put them in a must-win situation on Sunday.
“I know Iowa is going to come in here hungry as well,” Fred Hoiberg said. “There is a lot at stake in this game for all of us. We just got to be on point, hopefully go out there and hopefully execute the plan and get off to a good start in an early game.”
Managing emotions of the pregame senior day program will be key for the Huskers. Especially for a team that has struggled to get off to fast starts the entire season.
“There is so much at stake for us with this game,” Hoiberg said. You just can’t let your emotions get out of control.”
“You got to have your emotions in check with this game and I think our guys will; they have prepared well after an absolute gut punch of a loss, three of them in a row now. Excited to see what we have tomorrow.”
Numbers to Know
It will be a matchup of strength versus strength, as the Huskers are ranked 44th in the nation in defensive efficiency (KenPom). While the Hawkeyes have the nation’s 30th ranked offensive efficiency.
Nebraska’s three-point defense has improved throughout league play. The Huskers are now 185th (33.9%) in three-point defense and 13th in conference play (36%).
Iowa is averaging a league-worst 68.8 points per game in league play and is ninth at 75.7 opponent points per game during Big Ten play.
Nebraska is averaging 74.6 points per game this season, which is on pace to be the program’s second-highest scoring average since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12. The Huskers have scored 70 or more points 18 times, including nine games with at least 80 points.
In Big Ten play, the Huskers are 17th with a 71.6 points per game average and tied for 13th in opponents’ points per game average at 76.7.
It is a good matchup for one of Nebraska’s season-long defensive deficiencies as Minnesota averages 32% of their points from three-point range, good for just 267th in the nation.
Scouting Iowa
The Hawkeyes rank second in the Big Ten in scoring at 82.3 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor.
Iowa is also among the Big Ten leaders in 3-pointers per game (9.7) while shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.
With the season-ending injury to Owen Freeman (16.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Iowa has relied on Payton Sandfort and Josh Dix to carry a lot of the offensive load.
Sandfort, an All-Big Ten performer last season, is averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while pacing the Hawkeyes with 72 3-pointers. Dix is at 14.1 ppg while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.
In the Hawkeyes’ 97-87 overtime win in Iowa City on January 7, Sandfort and Dix combined to score 61 points and shot 13-20 from behind the arc.
Key Factors
The Huskers will need to get off to a good start, not just in the first segment of the game but the first segment of the second half. That has been a focus for this team all season.
In the first matchup, Iowa jumped on Nebraska early and led 21-14 after the first ten minutes.
“Teams are playing and they are fighting and clawing and scratching,” Hoiberg said before the Huskers game against Minnesota last Saturday. The same can be true for both Iowa and Nebraska on Sunday.
“If you can get in a conference tournament, anything can happen in that setting.”
Another consistent theme with Nebraska this season is not being able to shut a player off when they get hot. Dix started the game hot in the last meeting and Sandfort scored 27 of his 30 in the second half and overtime. The Huskers can’t afford to let that happen again and need to be locked in, similar to how they were against Michigan defensively.
Iowa is not great defensively, and that is an understatement. The Hawkeyes are last, 18th in the league in defensive efficiency, 119.3. They are last in defensive effective field goal percentage 58.5, last in defensive field goal percentage 58.7% and second to last (17th) in three point field goal percentage 38.7%.
Nebraska needs to get paint touches and not settle for contested three-point shots.
