For No. 9 Nebraska, a midweek bye in the middle of a difficult Big Ten Conference schedule couldn't have come at a better time.
"We need to get right, get better," Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It comes at a good time for us to get our guys that have been banged up to get them right."
After following 20 straight wins with back-to-back losses to top 10 teams Michigan and Illinois, Nebraska will try to get back into the win column Saturday when it travels to Piscataway, N.J. for another conference clash with Rutgers.
The Cornhuskers (20-2, 9-2 Big 10) haven't played since the aforementioned 78-69 home defeat to Illinois on Sunday. They made 15 of 35 3-pointers but didn't generate enough inside offense, managing just five free throw attempts and getting outrebounded 40-27.
Hoiberg took a postgame swipe at the officials, saying that he felt Nebraska's halfcourt offense was being hindered by non-calls.
"Freedom of movement, that's gotta be enforced," Hoiberg said. "We run a pretty aesthetically pleasing offense but when you're being held, you can't run it. We are going to continue to try and do it and cut with force and do everything we can to get these guys open but it's tough at times when you're out there."
A healthier Rienk Mast should aid the Cornhuskers. Mast didn't play at Michigan after becoming ill and didn't play well against the Illini, hitting just 2 of 10 shots in 25 minutes and finishing with only five points.
Mast is second on the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg, with Pryce Sandfort tallying 17.2 on 47.5% field goal shooting.
While Nebraska has gotten time to rest and reload, Rutgers (9-14, 2-10) still is licking its wounds from a 98-66 blowout loss Tuesday night at UCLA. The
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Scarlet Knights have dropped six straight games, plagued by an inability to consistently get stops.
Rutgers has allowed 85 ppg during the skid and resembled a sieve against UCLA, permitting a ridiculous 1.55 points per possession. That's a 180-degree turn from the defense-first identity the program's boasted during coach Steve Pikiell's 10 years.
"We're young - we have seven freshmen and 10 newcomers - so we're learning," Pikiell said. "You hope they grow and learn that practices matter. Film watching and scouting reports matter. It's a long season and sometimes, guys lose focus on what needs to be done."
First-shot defense has been an issue for the Scarlet Knights, who are allowing opponents to hit 45.7 % from the field and 37.9 % of 3-pointers. By contrast,
Rutgers is making just 40.7 % from the field and only 32.2 % from the 3-point line.
Tariq Francis is scoring a team-high 16.5 ppg for the Scarlet Knights, while Dylan Grant is contributing 10.8. Troubles on the glass haven't helped as
Rutgers is getting outrebounded by two per game.
The good news for the Scarlet Knights is that their schedule, which has featured a spate of likely NCAA tournament participants during their slide, eases considerably after Saturday. They play only one ranked team - Michigan State - in their last seven games.
--Field Level Media
