Hoosiers Vs. Huskers Preview: The Key Factors
Wednesday night, Coach Tom Crean takes his young Hoosiers into Lincoln to clash with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The contest marks the start of conference play for both schools. What better way to finish off 2014 than by kicking off the Big Ten basketball season! Santa’s come and gone, but I sent him a long email earlier today explaining how important starting off with a W in the Big Ten was. The fat man does wear red, but I have no way of knowing if it’s Huskers red or Hoosier crimson. I reminded him of the year I’d asked for a puppy while sitting on his lap in the mall. I never got the puppy, so the way I see it, the big guy owes me one. You can thank me later.
All joking aside, here’s what to look for in the Hoosiers’ Big Ten debut:
Fresh off of a hard-fought, yet disappointing loss to the Georgetown Hoyas this weekend, Indiana hopes to rebound with a tough road victory against the favored home standing Huskers. For the second year in a row, IU starts the Big Ten season with two road games. It figures to be a challenge for the young Hoosier ball club that has no seniors on the roster, and starts two freshmen and a sophomore.
Maybe it’s just me, but it sure seems like whoever sets up the conference schedules meters seems to do Indiana any favors. When a young team needs some confidence, it certainly would be nice to start the conference slate win a few home games, and never seems to happen. Maybe it’s just the conspiracy theorist in me talking, but I’m sure I’m not the only Hoosier fan whose blood pressure rises slightly when the Big Ten schedules come out each year.
The Hoosiers come in with a record of 10-3, with impressive wins over SMU, Pitt, and Butler. The Huskers start conference play at 8-4, with some pretty embarrassing losses to Incarnate Word, Hawaii, and Rhode Island. Their fourth (and a little more respectable) loss came to in-state rival, Creighton. Don’t let their record or those bad losses fool you. Tim Miles will have his Huskers ready to play. Keep in mind this is the same Huskers squad that has given IU fits the last two years (and caused me several gray hairs along the way). Add to that the fact that they’re a much improved basketball, and it’s the Hoosiers first true road game of the season, and you have the makings of potential long night, but hey, it’s New Years Eve. Since most of you will be ingesting adult beverages anyway, it might make the game a little less stressful.
The Huskers have one of the most potent 1-2 punches in the Big Ten, with forwards Terran Pettway, and Shavon Shields. Both players combine to average roughly 37 points per contest, and both are big, physical, and versatile players that present quite a few match up problems for Crean’s Hoosiers. Starting a three-guard line up in every game so far this season, finding a way to stop both of Nebraska’s go-to scorers may be a challenge for the Cream and Crimson.
Nebraska also boasts a roster with four players 6’9 or taller, which will spell more headaches for Coach Crean and his staff. The Cornhusker’s size and physicality will be an issue that Indiana needs to overcome if they are to pull off the tough road victory. IU will need to continue to get good rebounding from all positions if they want to walk out of Lincoln with smiles on their faces.
Can Nebraska keep up with IU’s shooters? This will be a common theme all year-long with the sharp-shooting Hoosiers. Indiana has the best, and deepest three-point-shooting team in the conference. The phrase “live by the three, die by the three,” has likely never been more apropos. Hit their perimeter shots, and IU will win a lot of games. Are the Huskers quick enough to contain the Hoosier penetration and still protect against Indiana’s long-range bombers? That’s a tough question.
Will Troy Williams put up another stellar performance? #5 has been putting on a show for Hoosier fans in the last several games. Can he do it on the road? Nebraska is one of few teams that actually have a few defenders that match up well with Williams in Pettway and Shields. The match ups certainly look intriguing, to say the least. If Williams has another strong outing, and the Hoosiers don’t have an off shooting night, they can win the game.
This is where I normally make a prediction of the outcome of the game, but to be totally honest, I really don’t know how this one is going to end up. Facing their first true road test of the season, Indiana could come out intimidated and timid. Then again, they could come out guns-a-blazing, itching to get the taste of the Georgetown loss out of their mouths. The prognosticators in Sin City are calling this game a virtual toss-up. I can’t claim to know more than they do.
Let’s just hope that old St. Nick comes through on an old debt. I really wanted that puppy, but I’ll take a Big Ten road win and be elated. Time heals all wounds…