The late-season collapse for Nebraska men’s basketball is over.
The Huskers lost their chance at a Big Ten Tournament trip and the opportunity to play their way into the NCAA Tournament as well Sunday with an 83-68 loss at home to Iowa.
“We just didn’t have very much margin where we could afford to have a game like this,” Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Sometimes in this business, it’s make or miss. We had so many shots, I felt, that went in and out, shots around the rim that we just didn’t convert. It’s a crusher, It kills me to know that we are not going to be able to go to Indy and extend this thing from that standpoint.”
The collapse probably started on Jan. 7 in Iowa City.
The Huskers had a record of 12-2 heading into that game, you know, the one where Nebraska was leading by 15 with 14:54 left in the game and lost in overtime.
Since that loss, Nebraska has posted five wins to 12 losses. The final loss also was to Iowa, at home in an ultimate must-win situation to even make the Big Ten Tournament against the team’s rival. Instead, the Hawkeyes claimed the final spot in the 15-team Big Ten TOurnament, leaving Nebraska, Penn State and Washington at home.
Unlike Jan. 7, the Huskers started fast with Juwan Gary knocking down a step-back 3-pointer on the Huskers’ first possession of the game. Gary then hit another 3 and it was off to the races for Nebraska.
“I thought the urgency out of the gate, we built an eight point lead right away,” Hoiberg said. “We were out there, we were flying around, we hit some shots … When shots fall I’m a lot better coach, and things are a lot prettier when it’s going in.”
After Nebraska held an 18-10 lead with 12:03 left in the first half, the game changed. The Hawkeyes went on an 11-0 run in 1:44 and took a 21-18 lead.
Nebraska settled for too many 3-pointers and finished the game 3-of-24 from deep in the final 37 minutes of the game.
Iowa adjusted to Nebraska’s defense, sending a cutter to the middle of the paint off of the Nebraska post double team. If they weren’t doing that, they were finding cutters on the backside of the double team.
Gary gave Nebraska a chance, scoring a game-high 24 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but he fouled out with just under two minutes to play. Fellow senior Brice Williams finished with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting, ceding the Big Ten scoring title to Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli in the process.
Nebraska finished the season 4-6 at home in Big Ten Play. Last season, the Huskers went 10-0 at home.
“We did not do a good enough job of protecting this place this year,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve got to be better protecting this home court.”
Twenty-two days ago Nebraska, their fans, the media — yes, me — bracketologists and virtually everyone in the college basketball world were wondering if Nebraska could get to the seven seed line in the NCAA Tournament. Now, the Huskers hope for an invitation to the NIT, CBI or whatever the Crown Tournament in Las Vegas is.
“I think we will play in the postseason,” Hoiberg said. We’ve got to regroup and we get to continue on with our journey, and that is important. I’m excited to continue to be around this group and hopefully go out there and play well, whatever tournament we’re in.”
