Nebraska at Purdue: 2018-19 game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Nebraska and Purdue will meet this weekend in a match-up of teams heading in opposite directions; do the Cornhuskers have a chance to win in West Lafayette?
TV schedule: Saturday, February 9, 8:30 pm ET. BTN
Arena: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana
A promising start to the season has all been erased for Nebraska (13-10) as their struggle continues. Tim Miles has a hot seat, seeing his Cornhuskers lose six straight games since scoring an upset win at Indiana. Earlier in the year, they knocked off teams like Seton Hall, Clemson, and Creighton, but this team has clearly fallen apart.
Nebraska is led offensively by senior guard James Palmer (19.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), who actually scored 30 points during that big win against Creighton back in December. Junior forward Isaiah Roby (11.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg) is another competent scorer, but both players have been ice-cold from the field during their current six-game slide. This team starts four upperclassmen, signaling that things could be even worse next season, but let’s not think about that right now.
This season’s Cornhuskers have fallen to 33rd in KenPom and are costing themselves an at-large bid with their recent play. They’re still 25th in defensive efficiency, and they’ve needed that defense with how bad the offense has been lately. Nebraska scored just 45 at home against Maryland on Wednesday; have they hit rock bottom yet?
Everything is going completely opposite for Purdue (16-6), who enters this game on a seven-game winning streak. The Boilermakers are just 0.5-game behind Michigan and have really stepped up since Big Ten play began. The non-conference slate lacked a standout win, but they’ve clearly made up for that.
Any discussion about Purdue begins with junior guard Carsen Edwards (24.5 ppg). Edwards is by far the Boilermakers top scorer, pouring in 38 points against Penn State last week. Another player to keep an eye on is sophomore center Matt Haarms (8.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), who scored 15 in their last game against Minnesota. The only other double-digit scorer is Ryan Cline (12.9 ppg), but Edwards has clearly provided enough for this team.
Buoyed by his contributions, the Boilermakers are 3rd in offensive efficiency, clinging to 10th in KenPom as a result. They’ve played the 3rd toughest schedule in the nation, and the success speaks for itself. On offense, they rank in the top-50 in a number of important categories, including 3-point shooting and turnovers.
For the Cornhuskers, they’ll need Palmer and Roby to finally break out, especially if their defense can’t contain Edwards. Purdue’s offense (and especially Edwards) might be slowed by Nebraska’s defense, but this certainly isn’t the toughest test these Boilermakers have faced, especially in a home game.
Next. Bracketology Projected Field of 68. dark
Don’t expect this one to be too much of a contest. These are two teams headed in opposite directions. Nebraska needs to catch fire, especially from distance, to avoid falling out of the game early. If this doesn’t happen, Purdue’s high-powered offense could pull away pretty quickly, making this a laugher.