The Wisconsin Badgers are set to face a difficult Nebraska Cornhuskers team in the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln tonight for a second Big Ten Conference game.
Nebraska has gotten off to a red-hot 9-0 start after finishing last season with four wins and a College Basketball Crown title. The Cornhuskers have had an intriguing start to the season with wins over Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Creighton. The Cornhuskers also won the Hall of Fame Classic this season while scoring a season-high 105 points against the Sooners.
Wisconsin has been able to mount a 7-2 record with recent wins over Northwestern and Marquette. The Badgers have already played a Big Ten game this season, but Nebraska will open the conference season against Wisconsin. The Badgers beat down the Cornhuskers last season with an 83-55 performance against a much different team.
Wisconsin Badgers face Difficult Challenge in Defending Rienk Mast, Braden Frager
Nebraska relied upon guards Brice Williams and Connor Essegian last season while feeding forward Juwan Gary in the paint. The Cornhuskers went 21-14 while scoring 75.4 points per game and putting together the best basketball down the stretch.
Entering this season, Nebraska has a renewed focus on playing down-low while focusing on giving the basketball to versatile scorers such as Rienk Mast, Braden Frager, and Pryce Sandfort. The Iowa Hawkeyes transfer, Sandfort, has primarily been the heart of the team while averaging 30.1 minutes per game. The forward does a bit of everything for the team with 12 steals, a team-high 27 three-point field goals made, and just four turnovers.
Sandfort has been a great addition to the team this season, and another quality addition has been the redshirt freshman Frager. The forward did not appear in any games for Nebraska last season, but already has two 20-point performances this season.
Perhaps the biggest offensive threat to Wisconsin will be Mast, a versatile inside-out forward with the ability to take over a game with his shooting. Mast scored seven three-point field goals against Winthrop after starting the season with a double-double and a triple-double in back-to-back games. Mast will certainly test the Badgers in the paint given his experience and strong 250-pound frame.
How can the Badgers Defeat the Nebraska Cornhuskers?
Beating Nebraska will take the entire Wisconsin team and crafty defense in order to slow down the offense. The Cornhuskers pass well across the board with 18.6 assists. Mast and Sandfort combine for nearly six assists per game while serving as the top two scorers for the team.
Nebraska is going to pass the ball given the track record of the team which means Wisconsin will have to find a way to stop the team from doing so. Closing down passing lanes into the paint will be important as the hoop-and-harm in the paint has been working for the Cornhuskers. The Badgers need to force mistakes and the easiest place to start is in the passing lanes.
The paint is not the only place Nebraska will target as the Cornhuskers have been an impressive team from beyond the arc. Nebraska has five players currently shooting 35% or higher from the perimeter with Mast currently being the most effective outside shooter on the team (45.2%). Defending the triple will be crucial as Nebraska can heat-up from outside quickly.
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