Indiana Basketball vs Nebraska: Know your opponent, preview, and prediction

Indiana basketball looks to rebound following a loss against Rutgers, and secure its first road victory of the season against Nebraska.

There is no question that winning on the road in the Big Ten is extremely difficult, no matter who you are playing. On Saturday, however, Indiana basketball needs to find a way to come away with a win against Nebraska, splitting its road games this week.

The Hoosiers are sitting at 13-4 (3-3) and have yet to find success on the road this season, losing by an average of 15 points in their three games.

For Nebraska, the Cornhuskers are sitting at 7-10 (2-4) and have won just three games since the matchup against Indiana in Bloomington on Dec 13. Losing three of its last four games, the lone win against a good Iowa team, Fred Hoiberg is looking to come away with a solid win and hopefully leapfrog them in the Big Ten standings.

The Cornhuskers are allowing teams to shoot just 42.8 percent from the field, and an even better 29.2 percent from three (42nd in NCAA), on the season. For Indiana, its 29.7 percent from deep is ranked 309th nationally, so facing a good three-point defense won’t help the cause.

It is the same duo for Nebraska that leads them on the floor every night, Haanif Cheatham and Cam Mack. Cheatham is averaging a team-high 12.9 points per game but isn’t the spark plug of the offense. That is left for Mack. The do-it-all guard had a double-double against the Hoosiers in December and followed it up with a triple-double the following outing.

Previous Matchup

The first matchup took place in Bloomington and it was all about freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. In a game that was much closer than originally thought, going into overtime, Jackson-Davis scored 22 of his season-high 25 points in the second half and grabbed 15 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Nebraska, who were down by eight points with four minutes left in the game, rallied and saw Dachon Burke Jr drain a three with one second left to send it into OT. He tied Jackson-Davis with a game-high 25 points. The Hoosiers took control in the extra period, and won 96-90. Justin Smith added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Rob Phinisee chipped in 16 points and four assists.

Key storylines

Indiana:

Can IU find an offensive rhythm? Can they play a full 40 minutes? The Hoosiers out rebounded Nebraska 54-31 in the first matchup, can they do it again? Who in the backcourt will take control of this team and be a leader and consistent member of the roster? Al Durham needs to be more aggressive looking for his shot. Can Trayce Jackson-Davis bounce back after his worst game in his young IU career? Can IU get its first road win of the season?

Nebraska:

The Cornhuskers are looking to end a two-game skid. Can they protect their own home court? Nebraska needs to keep the pace to a minimum as they give up nearly 75 points per game. Despite that, they hold opponents to 29 percent from three, so if IU can start to find any rhythm, it will be a long night for the Cornhuskers.

Key Players

Indiana:

Trayce Jackson-Davis (14.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Justin Smith (12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Devonte Green (11.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg), Al Durham (10.7 ppg, 2.6 apg)

Nebraska

Haanif Cheatham (12.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Cam Mack (12.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.7 apg), Dachon Burke Jr. (11.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Jervay Green (9.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Prediction: Indiana 71, Nebraska 64