Huskers Rematch: Can Hoosiers Avenge Sweeping Losses?

The sting of being swept in the regular season by Nebraska is still fresh for the Indiana Hoosiers as they prepare for a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal rematch with the Cornhuskers. But this veteran IU squad has rallied off five straight wins, proving their late-season swoon was only temporary.

After edging out Penn State 61-59 on Thursday, Mike Woodson’s team has new life and a chance at payback against a Nebraska club that has had their number. The Huskers rolled past the Hoosiers 86-70 in Lincoln back on January 3rd in the conference opener, then replicated that feat with an 85-70 drubbing in Bloomington on February 21st.

Those two losses epitomized Indiana’s defensive woes against the three-point shot, a glaring issue they’ll have to solve quickly. Nebraska attempted a whopping 55 threes over the two contests, burying 26 of them to outscoring the Hoosiers from deep by 39 points.

No one has tormented IU more than Keisei Tominaga, the smooth-shooting Husker guard who erupted for 28 points in the first meeting and dropped 20 more in the rematch. His ability to work himself free without the ball for open looks proved nearly impossible to contain.

“Tominaga is a handful, there’s no doubt about it,” said Woodson. “We’ve got to make someone else try to beat us from the perimeter rather than letting him get going. He’s hurt us twice now.”

Turnovers were another culprit in that opening loss, with Indiana’s sloppy ballhandling leading to 27 points off 19 giveaways for Nebraska. But the Hoosiers have tightened up that aspect, averaging just 9 turnovers per game during this current 5-game streak.

While the first two meetings were lopsided in Nebraska’s favor, Indiana does have a glimmer of hope to build upon. In the most recent loss, freshman Mackenzie Mgbako flashed his upside with a career-high 22 points and 7 rebounds. With Trey Galloway’s status uncertain due to injury, big performances from Mgbako and others will be paramount.

“These guys believe they can play with anyone right now,” Woodson stated. “Nebraska may have gotten us twice, but we’re a different team now heading into the tournament. It’s win or go home from here on out.”

The KenPom metrics reveal just how formidable an opponent Fred Hoiberg’s squad is. The Huskers rank 30th overall and boast a top 30 defense that is especially stingy at guarding two-point shots - a staple of Indiana’s offense.

Conversely, Nebraska’s calling card is raining threes, with over 37% of their points coming from beyond the arc. They attempt over 43% of their field goals from deep, tops in the Big Ten.

For the Hoosiers to survive and advance, cleaning up defensive lapses and contesting the triple will be critical. They showed against Penn State that clamping down is possible, but maintaining that level of intensity for 40 minutes against Nebraska’s versatile attack will be challenging.

Still, this is the sort of sudden-death scenario Indiana has thrived in recently with their season on the brink. With an NCAA tournament bid potentially at stake, pulling off the upset could be the spark that ignites a magical March run.

“We’ve got nothing to lose now,” declared Trayce Jackson-Davis. “Winning this tournament would mean everything after the way the regular season played out. I know our guys will come out hungry and ready to get some revenge on Nebraska.”

When the bright lights find the teams in Minneapolis Friday night, all the disappointment and frustration from those previous meetings gets erased. For the Hoosiers, it’s 40 minutes to completely alter the narrative of their up-and-down campaign.