Nebraska basketball will face another early non-conference test tonight when Bethune-Cookman comes to Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the Huskers’ showdown with the Wildcats…

Who, what, where, when

Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0, 0-0) vs. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (0-1, 0-0)

Saturday, November 5, 2024 – 7:00 PM CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)

Television: None

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/streaming: B1G+

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Nebraska predicted starters

Bethune-Cookman predicted starters

3 keys to victory

Finish on the glass

Head coach Fred Hoiberg held a “long” film session with his team after the season opener against UTRGV. A heavy focus was rebounding, especially finishing defensive possessions on the glass. The Huskers were +10 on the boards in the opener, but they also allowed nine offensive rebounds to the Vaqueros for 15 second-chance points. Bethune-Cookman will present a very different attacking approach tonight. UTRGV lived behind the three-point line, while the Wildcats relied heavily on an isolation/midrange approach. If NU needs to limit BCU to one shot per possession and convert defensive rebounds into transition offense.

Control the pace

If there’s one hallmark of a Reggie Theus team, it’s that it thrives on pace and transition. Bethune-Cookman will slow things down if he has to, but if there’s an opportunity to get out and run, the Wildcats will take it. Hoiberg said Nebraska was “speeded up” at times against UTRGV, leading to nine goals in the first half alone. The Huskers took care of business in the second half and eventually let them pull away. They need to continue that control tonight and not let BCU dictate the pace. Take the fastbreak opportunities when they come, but don’t let the pace turn into sloppy possession.

Find ‘a killer mentality’

After struggling to put away Texas Rio Grande Valley in the first half, Nebraska finally jumped out to a 15-point lead with 15 minutes to play. Instead of closing the door on victory, NU let the Vaqueros hang around. Seven minutes of play later the lead was reduced to four. The Huskers eventually put the game out of reach and won by 20, but they made it far more awkward than it needed to be. Hoiberg challenged his team this week to develop a “killer mentality.” If Nebraska takes another 15-point lead in the second half tonight, Hoiberg wants his team to push that lead to 25 or 30 and never look back.

Quotable

“The other thing is developing a killer mentality and finding a way when you get up 15 to hopefully push that thing to 25 or 30 and not drop it in five minutes, and that’s what happened (vs. .UTRGV). Setbacks, I thought we handled them pretty well for the most part.

-Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg of his team must finish games better than against UTRGV.

Prediction

Nebraska (-25) 86, Bethune-Cookman 60

Robin’s season record: 1-0

versus the spread: 1-0

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