After finishing in last place in the Big Ten in consecutive seasons, Nebraska is hoping for improvement in its third year under coach Fred Hoiberg.
The journey begins Tuesday when the Cornhuskers open the 2021-22 season against Western Illinois in Lincoln, Neb.
Nebraska went 7-20 overall and 3-16 in conference play a year ago, only winning consecutive games on two occasions.
Some key newcomers have been added to the mix, most notably senior guard Alonzo Verge Jr., who averaged 14.3 points per game in two seasons at Arizona State, and freshman guard Bryce McGowens, whose older brother Trey is the Cornhuskers’ top returning scorer at 10.7 points per game.
The Huskers tuned up for the regular season with a pair of exhibition games, including an 82-67 home win over Colorado on Sunday. Nebraska forced 16 turnovers in that scrimmage, something Hoiberg hopes can become a trend for his team.
“If we can get deflections and get turnovers, that leads to great offense,” Hoiberg said. “I believe we gave at least 50 percent of the shots back to them, and if we can cut that in half and get extra possessions, it will make things a lot easier.”
Western Illinois, a member of the Summit League, comes to Lincoln in search of its first victory over a Power 5 conference school since opening the 2015-16 season with a win at Wisconsin. The Leathernecks were 7-15 last season, finishing seventh in the nine-team Summit at 5-9.
Transfers should also factor into Western Illinois’ play this season, with ex-Northwestern State guard Trenton Massner and former UTSA forward Luka Barisic both starting in recent exhibition wins over Illinois-Springfield and Monmouth College.
“We can have a dynamic offensive team,” Western Illinois coach Rob Jeter said after the Monmouth win. “We still have to get that marriage of offense and defense, but when everyone is on the same page, maybe we can have some fun.”
Nebraska, which went 6-9 at home last season, is 5-0 all-time against the Leathernecks, most recently beating them 73-49 in November 2018.
–Field Level Media
