Nebraska Basketball Game Day: Western Illinois
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN
Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-0) vs Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-0)
Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 - 7 p.m.
Pinnacle Bank Arena
TV: None
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Internet: BTN+ (subscription required)
| NAME | HT/WT | YEAR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Alonzo Verge Jr. |
6-3/164 |
Sr. |
Averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 assists per game in Nebraska two exhibition wins. |
|
Trey McGowens |
6-4/196 |
Jr. |
Attempted just six shots and scored a total of nine points in the two exhibitions. |
|
Bryce McGowens |
6-7/179 |
Fr. |
Scored a team-high 15 points in the Huskers' exhibition victory over Colorado. |
|
Lat Mayen |
6-9/217 |
Jr. |
Had eight points and five rebounds vs. Colorado before suffering an ankle injury. Will be a game-time decision tonight. |
|
Derrick Walker |
6-9/239 |
Jr. |
Averaged 12.0 ppg on 75% shooting in NU's exhibitions. Was one of only two Huskers (Verge) to score in double figures in both games. |
| NAME | HT/WT | YEAR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Trenton Massner |
6-2/175 |
Jr. |
Transfer from Northwestern State who earned second team All-Southland Conference honors in 2020-21. Led NSU in scoring (13.1 ppg) while shooting 49.3% from the field. |
|
Colton Sandage |
6-2/190 |
Jr. |
Started 13 of 22 games last season and led WIU in assists (45) and finished second in 3-point makes (27). |
|
Will Carius |
6-7/225 |
Sr. |
All-Summit League selection in 2020-21 who led team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and 3-pointers (53) last season. |
|
Tamell Pearson |
6-10/223 |
Jr. |
Former UAB transfer who averaged 10.4 ppg and led team in rebounds (6.9 rpg) and blocked shots (20) last year. |
|
Luke Barisic |
6-10/240 |
Sr. |
Transfer from UTSA who appeared in 14 games last season before opting out due to COVID-19 concerns. Averaged 5.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 12 mpg. |
3 KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Attack the glass
There's no doubt that rebounding will be Nebraska's most significant weakness all season, and tonight will be another early challenge in that regard.
Western Illinois boasts three starters listed at 6-7, 6-10, and 6-10, which will test the Huskers on the glass all night.
But being a more competent rebounding team goes beyond just getting more production out of the frontcourt.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg has mentioned a couple of times now that NU's guards needed to be more physical in initiating first contact after a shot to prevent long opponent offensive rebounds.
There is no higher priority on Nebraska's to-do list right now after giving up a whopping 35 offensive boards over its two exhibition games.
2. Keep on shooting
There might not be a more notable area of improvement on Nebraska's roster this season than with its all-around 3-point shooting.
The Huskers showed how dominant they could be when multiple shooters got hot at the same time in the exhibition win over Colorado. They hit 12-of-27 from behind the arc and had six players with at least one made three.
Nebraska shot an impressive 47 percent from downtown in the two exhibitions and averaged 11.5 makes per game.
When NU is shooting like that and has Alonzo Verge Jr. quarterbacking the offense, it becomes a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
3. Set the tone in transition
Nebraska's roster is loaded with depth and athleticism, and those two assets need to thrive in Hoiberg's fast-paced offensive system.
With playmakers like Verge and Trey McGowens running the break and shooters at nearly every position, the Huskers have the potential to be lethal in transition.
However, the key to being able to run is getting stops and defensive rebounding. The better NU is on the glass, the more opportunities to turn games into track meets.
On the other end, Nebraska needs to continue to do a good job of getting back on defense and making opponents work for every possession. There were a couple of breakdowns in that regard when Colorado started chipping away in the second half.
QUOTABLE
PREDICTION
Nebraska (-16) 81, Western Illinois 62
Robin's season record: 0-0
vs. the spread: 0-0