Hoosier State of Mind
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Can IUBB Upset Nebraska?

The Hoosiers were 0-2 against the Cornhuskers this year, both losses by double-digits. What does Indiana have to do to pull an upset on Friday night?

By Dante Pryor

Penn State v Indiana
Penn State v Indiana / David Berding/GettyImages
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Out of the frying pan and into the fryer. It is good that the Hoosiers are playing their best basketball of the season because of the odds stacked against them. They slayed their first Goliath, defeating Penn State 61-59 on an Anthony Leal putback with seven seconds left in the game. Now, another giant is staring at the Hoosiers, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Both Penn State and Nebraska are awful matchups for the Hoosiers. First, both teams have outstanding guard play. While both the Huskers and Nittany Lions surrender size, they don't mind getting physical and banging with Kel'el Ware, Malik Ware and company in the low post.

Nebraska does all of the little things well. They take care of the basketball, they don't foul, and don't give away possessions. If Indiana wants to win this game, they have to take the game. Nebraska isn't going to give it away to them.

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Stop Keisei

Thursday night, the Hoosiers had to contain Ace Baldwin; Friday night, they had to figure out how to slow Keisei Tominaga. The All-Big Ten selection averaged 24 points on 56 percent shooting, including 42 percent on threes. Once again, Indiana's perimeter defense has to rise to the occasion again. Gabe Cupps, Xavier Johnson, and Anthony Leal have to fight over the top of screens to contest jump shots.

Other than his 31-point performance against Illinois, Tominaga has played better against Indiana than any other team in the conference.

Indiana should not have an issue guarding the low post; Nebraska does not have anyone in the frontcourt that is a consistent scoring threat. The Hoosiers have to be weary of active hands, Ware and company have to squeeze the basketball coming down for rebounds.

Mackenzie Mgbako has played better basketball during this five-game winning streak. However, he was good, not great, against Penn State. He needs to have a better game for the Hoosiers to have a shot at the Cornhuskers on Friday as well.

Can the Hoosiers find one more stone in its sling against an another Goliath?

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