Scouting Notes: Nebraska

Indiana basketball is back on the floor on Wednesday night looking to avoid a third straight loss as Nebraska comes to town.

Nebraska enters Wednesday’s matchup at 18-8 overall and 8-7 in Big Ten play. It’s the best start for Nebraska in three decades and the best and deepest team Fred Hoiberg has had in his five seasons. The Huskers rank 42nd in the country with an offensive efficiency rating of 115.5. Defensively, they rank 51st overall with a rating of 99.7. Overall, they rank 41st in KenPom’s ratings.

Here is a deep dive into some of the challenges Nebraska could give the Indiana basketball program.

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Key Players

Leading the Huskers is Keisei Tominaga. Tominaga is a tremendous shooter and has been scorching hot since the first matchup with Indiana when he had 28 points and four 3s. He was shooting 33 percent from three before the IU matchup and has been at 41 percent on 2.8 made 3s per game since. Tominaga is going to look for 3s on his first, second and even third look before either driving or passing. 56.1 percent of his shot attempts and 46.1 percent of his made field goals this year come on 3s. Tominaga is a difficult player to defend because of how much he moves without the ball. He utilizes numerous off ball screens to get open and typically does a great job at reading the defender. Indiana can’t lose him off the ball like it has struggled with this year.

In the backcourt with Tominaga is Brice Williams.  The Charlotte transfer is effective both on and off the ball and can score at all three levels. He’s shooting 38.5 percent on 1.8 made 3s per game and a major reason for that is limiting the forced looks from the perimeter over the last month — attempting about one less three per game. Most of his looks do come off of the catch, however, so Indiana will have to be aware of the space they give him. Williams has very good length and size that helps him rise up over big defenders. He has fluid athleticism but isn’t going to typically play above the rim. He loves to draw contact on drives or at the rim, getting to the line nearly four times a game (84 percent).

Center Rienk Mast is going to be a matchup issue for Indiana. The 6-foot-10 big is an extremely versatile forward who can play both in the paint and on the perimeter. He’s shooting 36.2 percent per game from three on 1.4 made 3s a game. Mast is also a terrific post player who has great footwork and patience. He does a tremendous job getting deep in the paint and utilizing a variety of moves to score over and around defenders. He is averaging 3.1 assists per game with a top-15 assist rate in the Big Ten, so IU needs to be aware of cutters when he has the ball.

Juwan Gary is back in the starting lineup over the last few games after dealing with a calf injury. His versatility is something that will give Indiana basketball fits. He’s a 6-foot-6 forward who plays closer to 7-feet + with his length and motor. Gary can play on the perimeter or on the block. He ranks sixth in the Big Ten in efficiency rating, fourth in the Big Ten in offensive rating and eighth in box +/-.  Gary averages nearly three offensive rebounds per game so Indiana needs to keep him off the glass.

Josiah Allick is another member of the front court for the Huskers. Allick is a very defensive-minded forward who has good length and shot-impact ability. He’s not a tremendous shot blocker but makes life extremely difficult on opponents with his length. Allick gets most of his work on the offensive end off of offensive rebounds.

Coming off the bench is CJ Wilcher — a 6-foot-5 wing. Wilcher was extremely streaky in the first few years of his career but now consistelty lights it up from three. 58.6 percent of his made field goals this year are 3s, shooting 43.3 percent on the season. Wilcher is out there to shoot and most of it is off the catch. If Indiana can push him off the three-point line, that will be critical in making him much less effective. He has struggled in the last four games, averaging just 3.5 points and just 2-of-15 from three.

Key Tendencies

Nebraska is going to live and die by 3s. Six players attempt at least three 3s per game and as a team the Huskers take 25.8 3s per game — ranked 35th nationally. 44 percent of their total shot attempts come from three, 36th in the country. And, 36.1 percent of their total points are 3s – 41st nationally. The Huskers lead the Big Ten with 9.3 made 3s per game. They are going to play fast, utilize their versatile forwards and spread the floor when they are in the half court, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will push the tempo in the open floor. The Huskers have seen a massive dip in offensive rebounds, however. After averaging 13 offensive rebounds a game heading into the first matchup against Indiana, that number has dipped to just 5.3 offensive rebounds a game in the last 12 games. They are also last in the Big Ten in offensive rebound percent.

Defensively, Nebraska makes its opponents work and they do so without fouling. Nebraska ranks 28th in the country in foul rate as well as allowing just 15.9 percent of opponents points coming from free throws — 319th worst for opposing teams. What Nebraska struggles with, however is defending the three. The Huskers are seeing opponents make 8.7 3s per game while seeing 37.3 percent of their total points come from three — 15th worst from a defensive perspective.

Overall, Nebraska has versatility all over the floor on both ends. Indiana basketball needs to be ready for major floor spacing on the offensive end. All five players on the floor for the Huskers will be able to shoot from the perimeter. IU’s ability to play 1-on-1 defense will be critical but there is nothing to show that it will limit the over helping on dribble drives that Nebraska will likely create. Indiana needs to find some way to knock down open 3s, something it will likely see a lot of, as well as find some way to take advantage of the free throw line when it gets there.

Projected Starters

G – Keisei Tominaga (Senior; 6-2, 179)

Stats: 14.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 37.6% 3pt

G – Brice Williams (Junior; 6-7, 213)

Stats: 12.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 38.5% 3pt

F – Juwan Gary (Senior; 6-6, 221)

Stats: 11.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.2 spg

F – Rienk Mast (Junior; 6-9, 240)

Stats: 13.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 36.2% 3pt

F – Josiah Allick (Senior; 6-8, 231)

Stats: 6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 apg

Key Notes

• Nebraska has won its 17 games dating back to last season when holding an opponent to 70 points or less — this season, the Huskers are 13-0
• NU’s 18-8 record is the best 26-game record since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12
• Nebraska leads the Big Ten with 9.3 made 3s per game
• NU’s bench is averaging a conference-best 23.1 points per game

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