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Nebraska Basketball: Nebraska Cornhuskers 2015-16 Season Preview

By Chris Godfrey

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Nebraska Cornhuskers

2014-2015 Record: 13-18 (5-13, Big Ten)

Postseason: None

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For the first time in almost forever, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had something called expectations going into last season, and it would be an understatement to say that Tim Miles’ team failed miserably under the circumstances. After the season, bad turned to worse after the team unexpectedly lost two juniors to the NBA Draft (neither were drafted). This season was supposed to be the year that Nebraska competed for the Big Ten title. Instead, this will be the year when we find out if the Huskers can bounce back from a nightmare season.

 Newcomers

G – Ed Morrow (#53 ESPN100)
F – Jack McVeigh (#146 247Sports)
F – Michael Jacobson (#225 247Sports)
G – Glynn Watson (#73 ESPN100)
G – Bakari Evelyn (UNR)
F – Andrew White (transfer from Kansas)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 17 at Villanova – It won’t take long for Tim Miles to know what he has on the roster this year. In the Huskers’ second game of the season, they’ll travel to Philly to challenge Villanova with a team that could start three freshman and a transfer. If Nebraska can start off the season with a good showing against the Big East favorites, this game could turn into a key moral victory.

Nov. 27 vs Cincinnati – Not too many teams test your toughness like Cincinnati. This home game will be a more manageable early-season test for the young Huskers. A close loss at Nova and a close win over Cincy? I’m sure Tim Miles will take that deal.

Dec. 1 vs Miami (FL) – If the Cincinnati game doesn’t go well, this becomes a must win game if the team wants to have any momentum going into Big Ten play. The Hurricanes are talented, but Nebraska has every reason to expect to be in the game on their home floor. If they can pair a win over Cincy with another win over The U, they’d have a nice pair of wins to show off on Selection Sunday.

Dec. 9 at Creighton – There isn’t too much high-level basketball talent roaming the Great Plains, which means there probably isn’t enough room for both Creighton and Nebraska to both be successful high major basketball programs. Any game against Nebraska’s favorite basketball school will always be a big deal for the Huskers. A loss here will not only hurt in the standings, but it will also hurt on the recruiting trail.

Key Players

Shavon Shields – This year, Shields was supposed to be a member of one of college basketball’s most talented trios. Instead, he finds himself as the lone senior leader of an extremely young team hoping to find an identity before they hit the rigors of their Big Ten schedule. If the Huskers turn out to be a sneakily competitive team, it will likely be due to a breakout year from Shields.

Andrew White – College basketball fans often have a short memory, and that means most have probably forgotten all about Andrew White. The sweet-stroking wing was the best player in the state of Virginia when he committed to play for the Kansas Jayhawks. However, the presence of Andrew Wiggins eventually pushed him out of Lawrence. Now he has an opportunity to be a star at Nebraska. He’ll be expected to pick up a big chunk of the scoring load left behind by the departed Terran Petteway.

Season Outlook

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are truly one of the wildcards of the college basketball season. The team sorted out much of their lineup concerns during their foreign tour, but it’s still unclear how a team with so many new additions will mesh once the games matter. There’s plenty of talent on the roster, but not a lot of size. This may not be the best recipe for success in a conference that features some of the countries best big men. However, if Tim Miles can find consistent point guard play and consistent secondary scoring options, a return to the NCAA Tournament isn’t impossible. However, the NIT seems like this clubs most likely destination.

Next: Big Ten Season Preview

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