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    IU basketball game day essentials: Indiana faces off against undefeated Nebraska

    Owen GrahamBy IU Basketball 6 Comments
    Photo by Mike Schumann, The Daily Hoosier

    Game Day Essentials:

    Indiana (12-3, 3-1) vs. No. 10 Nebraska (15-0, 4-0)

    • Tip Time: Noon Eastern, Saturday
    • Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222), Bloomington, Ind.
    • Television: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Bruce Weber)
    • Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
    • Stream: Fox Sports
    • Point Spread:  Indiana is around a 4.5-point favorite
    • KenPom Projected Score:  Indiana 76  Nebraska 73
    • History: Indiana leads the series, 19-11
    • Last Meeting: NEB 85, IU 68 on Dec. 13, 2024, in Lincoln
    • Tickets (via our StubHub affiliate link)

    Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg

    Hoiberg is now in his seventh season as the head coach of Nebraska men’s basketball. Across Division 1 coaching, he’s compiled a 214-164 (.566) overall record. After some early struggles with the Cornhuskers, Hoiberg has built some momentum in recent seasons.

    Hoiberg began his coaching career with Iowa State as their head coach in 2010. After a 16-16 first season, Hoiberg led the Cyclones to four straight 20-win seasons, along with four NCAA Tournament appearances. After his stint with Iowa State, Hoiberg got an upgrade to the NBA with a head coaching job with the Chicago Bulls. Hoiberg did lead the Bulls to the playoffs in the 2016-17 season, but was fired in 2018.

    Hoiberg did not stay out of coaching long. Nebraska announced him as their head coach in the Spring of 2019. Hoiberg struggled to find success early, finishing with just seven wins in his first two years, and didn’t finish with a record over .500 until the 2023-24 season. However, since then, Hoiberg has finished with two 20-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He was also named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2024.

    Nebraska’s results and roster

    DATE OPPONENT LOCATION RESULT
    11/3/2025 West Georgia Lincoln, Neb. W 86-53
    11/8/2025 FIU Lincoln, Neb. W 96-66
    11/11/2025 Maryland-Eastern Shore Lincoln, Neb. W 69-50
    11/15/2025 vs. Oklahoma Sioux Falls, S.D. W 105-99
    11/20/2025 vs. New Mexico (Hall of Fame Classic) Kansas City, Mo. W 84-72
    11/21/2025 vs. Kansas State (Hall of Fame Classic) Kansas City, Mo. W 86-85
    11/25/2025 Winthrop Lincoln, Neb. W 80-73
    11/29/2025 South Carolina Upstate Lincoln, Neb. W 72-63
    12/7/2025 Creighton Lincoln, Neb. W 71-50
    12/10/2025 Wisconsin Lincoln, Neb. W 90-60
    12/13/2025 at No. 13 Illinois Champaign, Ill. W 83-80
    12/21/2025 North Dakota Lincoln, Neb. W 78-55
    12/30/2025 New Hampshire Lincoln, Neb. W 86-55
    1/2/2025 No. 9 Michigan State Lincoln, Neb. W 56-54
    1/5/2025 at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio W 72-69

    Nebraska Game Notes (via Nebraska Athletics)

    HUSKERS CLIMB INTO TOP-10 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1966

    • The Huskers earned one of their highest rankings in school history this week when they were ranked 10th in the AP poll. NU was also 11th in this week’s coaches poll.
    • It marks the first time that Nebraska has been ranked in the top 10 since a No. 9 ranking on Feb. 28, 1996. That season is the only season in program history that Nebraska has been ranked in the top 10 in the AP Poll, spending four straight weeks in the poll (Feb. 7-28). NU climbed to a program-best eighth on Feb. 21, 1966. That season, the Huskers went 20-5, including 12-2 in the Big Eight to finish second to Kansas, but did not advance to postseason play.

    RETURN OF MAST ANCHORS HUSKER POST

    • The biggest addition of the offseason is the healthy return of Rienk Mast to the Husker lineup. Mast averages 16.3 points per game on 49 percent shooting along with 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
    • He ranks among the Big Ten leaders in scoring (13th), rebounding (16th) and double-doubles (3, ninth).
    • Is one of 11 players nationally averaging at least 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
    • Mast has reached double figures 13 times this season, including four 20-point efforts.

    NEW FACES MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS

    • Of the eight healthy players averaging at least 10 minutes per game, two are in their first season at Nebraska while a third returned to the program in 2025-26.
    • Pryce Sandfort has started all 15 games and enters the Indiana game averaging 15.9 points per game while chipping in 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He leads NU with 45 3-pointers on the year and is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.
    • Braden Frager redshirted last year after reclassifying into the class of 2025. Frager, who turned 19 on Nov. 10, is third on the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg while shooting 53 percent from the field. The Lincoln Southwest product led NU with 22 points in his collegiate debut, the third-highest debut by a Husker freshman in school history.
    • Jamarques Lawrence returned to Nebraska after spending last season at Rhode Island. The senior guard is averaging 9.4 ppg and a career-high 3.6 apg while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range.

    BENCH SUPPORT

    • Nebraska has received outstanding play from its bench, averaging 23.1 ppg through the first 15 contests. The Huskers have gotten 14 double-figure efforts from their bench (Braden Frager-9; Cale Jacobsen-3; Connor Essegian-2; Jared Garcia-1).

    No. 21 Nebraska’s KenPom notable numbers:

    (out of 365 teams)

    Tempo – No. 174 (Offense No. 102 / Defense No. 300)

    Offensive Efficiency – No. 45

    • Nebraska holds an effective field goal percentage of 55.3 percent on the year (No. 58). The Terps are shooting 33.8 percent from three (No. 177) and 60 percent on 2s (No. 18).
    • Although they’re efficient on the inside, Nebraska gets a majority of its points from beyond the arc with a 38.2 percent point distribution on 3s. They also have a high three-point attempt rate at 50.4 percent (No. 15).
    • Nebraska has done a great job of limiting turnovers with a 13.7 percent rate (No. 15).
    • They don’t haul in many offensive rebounds at a 27.5 percent clip (No. 286).

    Defensive Efficiency – No. 16

    • Opponents hold a 45.7 percent effective field goal percentage against the Huskers (No. 28). Teams are shooting 30.4 percent from three (No. 51) and 45.9 percent on 2s (No. 33).
    • Nebraska has given up a majority of points from beyond the arc, with a 43.5 percent distribution of total points (No. 2).
    • Numbers suggest the Huskers aren’t a high-fouling team, with an opponent free-throw rate of 22.4 percent rate (FTA/FGA, No. 4)

    OG’s Pick

    Overall: 13-2

    Indiana has a chance to make a statement win at home against the nation’s longest active win streak with Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have had a few statement wins in the Big Ten season against Illinois and Michigan State, but they also have a lot of closer games coming down to the last few possessions. I think this one is similar, where the better defensive team down the stretch will win the game.

    Nebraska has given up looks from beyond the arc, and Indiana can take advantage. Nebraska has the size advantage with Rienk Mast, so they could take advantage of that.

    Well, three is more than two. Why not.

    Pick: Indiana 85 – Nebraska 80

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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