After an uncomfortable win against Bethune-Cookman last Saturday, the Nebraska men’s basketball team responded positively, shooting over 43% and winning the rebound battle 43-31 in an 86-60 rout of Fairleigh Dickinson.

Juwan Gary led all Huskers with 19 points and a pair of blocks. Big man Berke Buyuktuncel added twelve with seven rebounds while Brice Williamswho was first seen without a full beard scored 10 points. Three-point shooting remained a struggle, as NU went just 7-for-28 on the night, but FDU shot at a similar pace (7-23).

Head coach Fred Hoiberg and his team now turned their sights to Sioux Falls for their biggest test of the season with a neutral field match against Saint Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s everything you need to know as Nebraska heads to the Sanford Pentagon.

How to follow

Matchup: Nebraska (3-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Saint Mary’s (CA) (3-0, 0-0 WCC)

When: Sunday November 17

Where: Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, SD

Time: 12:00 CST

Watch: B1G network

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Scout of Saint Mary

Head Coach: Randy Bennet | 24th season | 542-218 (.713) School Record | Saint Mary’s all time leader | 6x West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, 11x NCAA tournament appearances, 5x WCC championships.

Record from 2023-2024: 26-8 (15-1 WCC, 1st) | WCC Player, Coach and Defensive Player of the Year | 3x All-WCC First Team, 1x All-WCC Second Team, 1x WCC Honorable mention | L, 75-66 to Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

All-time series: Nebraska leads 2-0

Fun fact: Sunday’s game will be the first between the two schools in nearly 50 years. Saint Mary’s won the first game in 1946 and Nebraska returned the favor with a win in 1975.

Main returns: Augustus Marciulionis, G, Sr. | Mitchell Saxen, C, Gr. | Luke Barrett, G/F, R-Sr. | Harry Wessels, C, Jr. | Jordan Ross, G, Soph.

Most important additions: Paulius Murauskas, F, Soph. (Arizona) | Mikey Lewis, G, Fr. (Recruiting) | Ashton Hardaway, F, Soph. (Memphis).

Key starting points: Aidan Mahaney, G, Jr. (UConn) | Joshua Jefferson, F, Jr. (Iowa State) | Alex Ducas, G/F (eligibility) | Mason Forbes, F (eligibility) | Chris Howell, G, Jr. (UC San Diego) |

Outlook: Sunday will easily be the Huskers’ toughest test of the young new season, taking on a Saint Mary’s program that went to the NCAA tournament three straight seasons despite being in the West Coast Conference. The anticipation of returning to the dance hasn’t changed for the Gaels, who were selected second in the league’s preseason poll — just one spot behind No. 6 Gonzaga.

As a mid-major, Saint Mary’s was hurt by the transfer portal this offseason when All-WCC First Team selection Aidan Mahaney was recruited by Dan Hurley to help UConn pursue a third straight national championship. Additionally, Joshua Jefferson (10.2 PPG) was one of four players to average double-digit points last year and is now at Iowa State. Alex Ducas was the top three-point shooter for the Gaels last year (43.8%), but he exhausted his eligibility as well as forward Mason Forbes.

But the core remained at Saint Mary’s, including WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis, who posted 13.9 PPG and more than five assists per game as the starting point guard. He is joined by Mitchell Saxon, another All-WCC First Team choice with 11.8 PPG and 7.6 rebounds per game. Expect the 6-10 Saxon to close down the middle and back up his WCC Defensive Player of the Year award from last season.

Bennett decided to take advantage of the squad he returned to campus this season, so he went out and grabbed 6-8 Lithuanian forward Paulius Murauskas, who was averaging 18 points in three games. True freshman guard Mikey Lewis joined the Gaels as a top-100 recruit and has averaged 14 points per game in three games thus far.

A core three with a proven track record, combined with impact transfers, makes this a very dangerous team, which without Gonzaga would be the WCC favorite – soon moving to the Big 12. This will be a big litmus test for the Huskers on Sunday. The expectation should not be victory, but competitiveness throughout the match to assuage any initial concerns about this year’s team.

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