15. Nebraska (23-4)
Even though they’ve picked up some losses in recent weeks, this is already a historic season at Nebraska with almost no comparison. The Cornhuskers ran off 20 wins to start the season and remain a very legitimate contender in the Big Ten, honing in on a pretty nice slot in the Big Dance. Remember, the Cornhuskers as a program have never won an NCAA Tournament game, though let’s just assume they’ll break that streak this season.
Another woeful showing began this week, as Nebraska fell 57-52 at Iowa in one of their worst offensive games of the year. Pryce Sandfort had 13 points but as a team they shot poorly from outside the arc and just couldn’t overcome the Hawkeyes. Saturday went significantly better in every aspect, as the Cornhuskers beat Penn State 87-64. Sandfort again stood out but this time with an impressive 33-point, 9-rebound affair.
Any team that wins twenty in a row is doing something right, and that’s still the case even with Nebraska’s recent struggles. This team still sits in a very good spot at 12-4 in the Big Ten and has been among the best defensive teams in the land even during these struggles. Before the regular season wraps up there’s still the west coast trip, as after hosting Maryland next week this team heads out to USC.