After a huge road upset over in-state rival Creighton, Nebraska hopes to keep things moving tonight against South Dakota.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the Huskers’ home game with the Coyotes…

Who, what, where, when

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1, 0-0) vs. South Dakota (6-2, 0-0)

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 – 5:30 PM CT

Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,500)

Television: BTN

Radio: Huskers Radio Network

Internet/streaming: BTN+

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Nebraska predicted starters

South Dakota predicted starters

3 keys to victory

The KenPom projections have Nebraska’s best remaining chance of a win tonight (along with Southern) with a 96% chance of victory. However, if the Huskers think they can show up at the PBA and go through the motions, South Dakota could make things a little awkward. The last time NU upset Creighton in 2022 came with a 16-point loss to Indiana. Obviously USD isn’t the Hoosiers, but the Coyotes are annoying enough to make life difficult if Nebraska isn’t ready to play. This is a game that will require all those veteran leaders to step up and make sure the Huskers don’t have an emotional hangover.

Stay in control and execute

There’s a reason why head coach Fred Hoiberg compared South Dakota’s style to what Nebraska saw in the season opener against Texas Rio Grande Valley. Like the Vaqueros, USD will present some unique challenges on both ends of the floor. The Coyotes pose almost the same threat at the rim, but they crash the offensive glass with all five players (and rank 12th nationally with an average length of possession of just 15.3 seconds). The Huskers need to keep things under control keeping control on offense and not letting South Dakota lure you in. Defensive rebounding will be a top priority, as will foul-free defense in the top 100 with a 38.2 free throw percentage (FTA distributed by). FGA).

Continue to get Essegian going

Nebraska did just about everything right in the win at Creighton. One of the most potentially remarkable developments, however, was the way in which obtaining it was prioritized Connor Essegian more involved offensively. The transfer guard from Wisconsin had a modest impact through his first four games as a Husker. He scored in double figures just once while shooting 38% from the field and 35% on three-pointers. However, Essegian was as active, assertive and effective in Omaha as he has been all year. That started with his off-ball move. There were possessions where he never stopped moving and used multiple screens to get the ball. The next part was how Essegian didn’t just settle for three-point looks. Of his six shots against the Bluejays, only two were threes. Keisei Tominaga did the same things to engineer his breakout finish in 2022-2023, and Essegian would do well to follow a similar path.

Quotable

“If you’re happy, if you go out and have a little hangover from the Creighton game, it’s not going to end well. We try to warn our guys and talk to our guys about that a lot over the last few games.”

-Head coach Fred Hoiberg on why Nebraska needs to turn the page after the Creighton win and focus on South Dakota.

Prediction

Nebraska (-18) 87, South Dakota 66

Robin’s season record: 4-1

vs. the spread: 3-2

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