Nebraska Basketball: 2018-19 keys for Cornhuskers vs. Northwestern

Nebraska Basketball continues to be in a must-win situation towards the end of the regular season. How can they beat Northwestern coming up?

Nebraska was pegged to make the NCAA Tournament in the preseason by most bracketologists. They looked primed and ready to make a nice run, jumping to an 11-2 start, including wins over Clemson, Seton Hall, and Creighton.

However, the Huskers had lost seven in a row before getting back on track with a last-second free throw against Minnesota last game. On Saturday, a struggling Northwestern team comes to town. Nebraska is still clinging to the bubble, but need as many wins as they can get, and this game is a great chance to bank another win.

Northwestern is sitting at .500, but are just 3-10 in conference play and have lost five in a row. This is a squad that’s ripe for the picking. What do the Huskers need to do to start a winning streak of their own?

Keep the momentum going

Sometimes during a seven-game losing streak, all it takes is one win to get things back going. Against Minnesota, the Huskers needed two late free throws by James Palmer to seal that win. There were times during the losing streak where it felt like the next win would come in 2020 to some fans. It was a nice change of pace to see things fall the Huskers way.

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The schedule sets up pretty nice these next couple weeks, with Northwestern, and then traveling to Penn State, and then Purdue comes to Lincoln. Purdue has never won at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Huskers gave the Boilers a lot to handle for most of the game up in West Lafayette.

It is imperative that the Huskers jump out fast, and get a lead. A team with little depth plays better with a lead, especially at home. If they can jump on a reeling team and hit their shots, then Nebraska should have no trouble picking up a win.

Get to the line

This team is better when they drive the lane and get to the line. James Palmer is one of the best in the country at drawing fouls, just ask Minnesota. Isaiah Roby does a good job of getting himself some free shots, and Glynn Watson has his moments as well. Getting to the line represents free points, and the Huskers need as many as they can.

Nebraska isn’t a great shooting team, so they need to manufacture points other ways, and they are at their best when they are putting pressure on the defense and drawing fouls. The Huskers hadn’t been doing a very good job of getting to the line in recent games, and they only shot 13 vs Minnesota, but the difference is they made them, making 70 percent of their free throws against the Gophers.

Make your shots

Of course this is a key, but looking at the Huskers’ shooting percentages the past few games, this is a big key.

For perspective, Glynn Watson’s 19 points against the Gophers were more than he had the past four games combined. James Palmer had 24, and the bench contributed six points. Bench scoring has been a big issue all year and probably will be for the rest of the season, so anything they can contribute is a plus.

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A last second win like their last game can give a team confidence in all phases of the game. It will be interesting to see how Nebraska jumps out of the gate and if they continue to ride the adrenaline of the Minnesota win. If the Huskers do that, they have a good chance at a win.

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