Everyone likes a good rivalry, right? Many Nebraska fans will argue that there really isn’t a rivalry between Creighton and Nebraska. They contend that a majority of Creighton basketball fans are Nebraska football fans and thus this can’t be a rivalry.
Whether that is true or not, a majority of fans will be wearing blue at the CenturyLink Center when the Huskers make the trip up I-80 for Sunday afternoon’s game. Although Nebraska-Omaha is making the move to Division-I sports, it is this annual matchup that will determine bragging rights as the best college basketball school in the state.
With Nebraska moving to the Big Ten, there are questions about whether this matchup will continue down the line. But the reality is, Creighton provides a bump to Nebraska’s schedule and they need this game. With failed opportunities against Oregon and Wake Forest, you can bet that Nebraska should want to give Creighton everything they have to try and get back on track before the Huskers’ conference season starts.
The loss on Wednesday night against the Demon Deacons in the final seconds might have been a crushing blow, but who knows for sure? Luckily, Brian Rosenthal from the Lincoln Journal Star follows the Nebraska basketball team and he shares some insight before the 4:05 p.m. game on Sunday.
White & Blue Review: Nebraska started off kind of hot but has lost two recent games at home against Oregon and Wake Forest at the wire. What has kept them from winning those games in the final minutes?
Brian Rosenthal: Nebraska is 10-14 under Doc Sadler in one-possession games. Many of those games have been the result of poor game management and/or lack of offensive execution in the final minute. Such was the case against Wake Forest, when Nebraska had a foul to give on Wake’s last possession (and didn’t foul) and had no timeouts remaining after Wake scored the go-ahead basket. Plus, Nebraska took a bad shot on its previous possession after showing little movement on offense.
WBR: The addition of Bo Spencer has seemed to ignite the offense a bit for the Huskers. What does he bring to the team?
BR: He’s a scorer, particularly a guy who can create for himself, something Nebraska’s lacked in recent years. He also brings a swagger and confident, winning attitude, having led LSU to the NCAA Tournament. If the shot clock is winding down, Spencer will likely be the guy who makes something happen.
WBR: Doc Sadler teams are known for defense, but the Huskers have struggled on defense so far this season. What has been the problem?
BR: Opponents’ offensive numbers have been up in part because Nebraska’s been scoring at a higher clip, meaning more possessions and scoring opportunities for both teams (until Wake Forest, at least). So that’s skewed the numbers a little bit. That said, Nebraska hasn’t been guarding well off the dribble and hasn’t been rotating as well as Sadler’s teams normally have. That’s something Sadler will likely have fixed by the time Big Ten play starts.
WBR: Besides Spencer, who do the Bluejays need to look out for that might have a big game on Sunday?
BR: Dylan Talley has proven he’s a capable scorer. He’s strong from three-point range but even better on the “lost art” of mid-range jumpers. Caleb Walker, until Wake Forest, had also been shooting well from the perimeter.
WBR: What kind of things will Nebraska employ to try and stop Doug McDermott in the post?
BR: Look for 6-10 junior Brandon Ubel to be the main guy on McDermott. He’s a smart player, and one of Nebraska’s top defenders. He won’t stop McDermott, though. I’m not sure anybody can. The question will be whether Nebraska will help, if so, who they help off of?
WBR: What kind of weaknesses does Nebraska have that Creighton could exploit?
BR: As noted above, Nebraska hasn’t been as fundamentally sound on defense, meaning Creighton could take advantage of some lapses and get some easy, open looks.
WBR: Does Nebraska have a team that will ultimately do better this season than last season?
BR: Talent-wise, this is Doc Sadler’s most complete team. The unknown is how Nebraska will fare in the Big Ten. This year, it’s a better league than the Big 12, and it’s certainly a more physical, grinding league in general. Nebraska must game plan for 11 new opponents, too. If Nebraska is going to have a better record, it must strategize better in the final minute of close games (and there will be some).
WBR: This series has been in place for several years. With Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten, there is talk that this yearly series could end. How important is it for this series to continue and do you think it will continue in the foreseeable future?
BR: I think both schools find a way to keep this going, although scheduling is becoming more and more difficult for many reasons. This is a big series for Creighton because its playing a BCS-level opponent with a chance to boost its RPI, while Nebraska always seems to have more to lose than to gain, from a big-picture standpoint. But it’s a spirited rivalry for the fan bases, and good for the state.
WBR: What is your final prediction? What will be the key if Nebraska wants to leave the CenturyLink Center with a win?
BR: Look for Nebraska to run shot clock and make Creighton work on defense on every possession. As is usually the case with Doc Sadler, he’ll try to shorten the game and its number of possessions. He won’t want to get into a shooting match with a hot-shooting team. If that happens, and if Creighton cools even a little bit from what it’s been shooting, Nebraska can make this a game. But home-court advantage favors the Bluejays. I’ll say Creighton 72, Nebraska 64.