Huskers Look for Back-to-Back Wins over Ranked Teams

Huskers Look for Back-to-Back Wins over Ranked Teams
The Nebraska men's basketball team has a golden opportunity to make a push up the Big Ten standings this weekend, as the Huskers travel to No. 14/14 (AP/Coaches) Illinois on Sunday.  The tipoff from the State Farm Center in Champaign is set for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on BTN and available on the Huskers Radio Network.

Nebraska (16-6, 6-5 Big Ten) comes off an 80-72 overtime win over No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday. The Huskers rallied from a 19-point deficit to force overtime and then outscored the Badgers, 13-5, in the extra period. C.J. Wilcher scored 16 of his career-high 22 points in the second half, while Rienk Mast and Brice Williams combined for 10 points in the overtime period. 

The win was NU's second over a top-10 team in the last month, as the Huskers knocked off then No. 1 Purdue on Jan. 9. It marks the first time since 2013-14 that Nebraska has knocked off two top-10 teams in the same season. 

Wilcher has emerged as a frontrunner for Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting over 52 percent from the field and 48 percent from 3-point range. Over the last five contests, he is averaging 14.8 points per game while shooting 58 percent from both the field and 3-point line. He has reached double figures in each of the last five contests. 

Nebraska enters the weekend in fifth place in the Big Ten race, just a half game between fourth-place Northwestern, which hosts the Huskers on Wednesday night in Evanston. Sunday's game is a Quad 1 opportunity for the Huskers and a chance to pick up their first Big Ten road win. 

Illinois (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) comes off an 87-75 win over Ohio State on Tuesday evening. Terrance Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask had 23 points apiece as the Illini shot 51 percent, including 7-of-17 from 3-point range. Ty Rodgers also added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 

Worth Noting 
• Nebraska matched its 2022-23 win total with 16 with Thursday's win over Wisconsin, and a win against Illinois on Sunday would mark the first time since the mid-1960s (1963-64 to 1965-66) that the Huskers increased their win total for three straight years.

• Nebraska enters the weekend with three Quad 1 wins (Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin). Currently, only 16 programs have more Quad 1 wins than Nebraska as of Feb. 2. Sunday's game is a Quad 1 contest for the Huskers, as Illinois is No. 12 in the NET. 

• Nebraska enters Sunday's game with a 16-6 record, matching the program's best mark after 22 games since opening the 1990-91 season with an 18-4 mark. NU was also 16-6 in 1994-95 and 1991-92. With a win on Sunday, NU would be 17-6 for the first time since 1991-92. 

• The Huskers will be looking for their third consecutive win over a ranked team when they take on No. 14 Illinois on Sunday. A win Sunday would mark only the sixth time in program history that NU has won three straight vs. ranked foes. Nebraska won three straight against ranked teams spanning the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons (No 22 OSU, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 7 Creighton).

• With Thursday's win over No. 6 Wisconsin, Nebraska has two top-10 wins for the first time since 2013-14 and the sixth time in school history (2023-24, 2013-14, 1993-94, 1991-92, 1990-91 and 1957-58). 

• NU has an opportunity to end another long losing streak on Sunday. The Huskers have lost seven straight games to Illinois dating back to 2019. NU has already snapped four other streaks of at least seven games this season: Michigan State (11 games); Kansas State (seven games); Indiana (seven games) and Northwestern (seven games).

• Nebraska enters the Illinois game averaging 77.4 points per game to rank fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense.  It is NU's highest points per game average since the 1995-96 season (80.2 ppg). NU has climbed from 149th to 35th nationally in offensive efficiency in KenPom as of Feb. 2. NU's highest average since joining the Big Ten was 73.3 points per  game in 2021-22.

•  Nebraska leads the Big Ten with 9.5 3-pointers per game as of Feb. 2. NU has 210 3-pointers this season and is seven 3-pointers away from cracking the program's top-10 chart (217, 2009-10). NU could climb quickly, as ninth (220, 2015-16), eighth (221, 2005-06) and seventh (224, 2021-22) place are all within striking distance.

•  The Huskers are 22-9 over the last 31 games dating back to Feb. 1, 2023, which ranks second in the Big Ten in winning percentage as of Jan. 29.

•  Keisei Tominaga enters the Illinois game needing one 3-pointer to break into NU's top-10 career chart. Tominaga has 144 3-pointers for his career. He is one 3-pointer behind Tyronn Lue (145, 1996-98) for 10th place and two behind Cookie Belcher (146, 1997-01). Both Lue (Head Coach) and Belcher (Player Development/Video Coach) are on the Los Angeles Clippers coaching staff.

• Nebraska enters Sunday's game ranked fourth in the Big Ten in free throw shooting at 75.1 percent.  It is on pace to be one of NU's highest season percentages. NU has not shot over 74 percent from the foul line since the 2011-12 season when NU shot a school-record 76.6 percent.

• One strength of the Huskers has been getting to the free throw line. NU has shot more free throws in 16 of 22 games in 2023-24 and its +103 differential is fourth in the Big Ten as of Feb. 2. Nebraska has made nearly as many free throws (334) as opponents have had attempts (342).

• NU ranks third in the Big Ten in 30th nationally in fewest fouls per game (14.8 per game. The Huskers allow just 15.5 free throw attempts per game to rank fourth in the Big Ten as of Feb. 2.   Illinois also excels in that area, committing just 14.2 fouls per game to rank second in the Big Ten.  

• The Huskers are now 24-5 under Fred Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 19-2 over the last three seasons. Both losses have come in overtime (104-100 in 4OT at NC State on Dec. 1, 2021; 87-82 in OT at Rutgers on Jan. 17, 2024). NU had won its last 17 games when reaching the 80-point plateau before the OT loss at Rutgers.

• Nebraska's bench has provided a spark, averaging 24.0 points per game. The Huskers' leading scorer has come from the bench eight times (Hoiberg-Lindenwood; Wilcher-five times; Gary-Stony Brook; Allick-Iowa) and NU has had 21 double-figure efforts from its bench in 2023-24.

• The Huskers finished non-conference action with a 10-1 mark, matching their best non-conference record since joining the Big Ten (also 2018-19).

Numbers to Know
1458 - Prior to Thursday's comeback win over No. 6 Wisconsin,  AP Top 10 teams had won 1,458 consecutive games when leading by 16+ points at halftime. The last such loss by an AP Top 10 team before Thursday was by No. 6 Kentucky at Mississippi State on Jan. 5, 2002. (h/t OptaSTATS)

9.5 - NU leads the Big Ten with 9.5 3-pointers per game as of Feb. 2, an average which is on pace to challenge the single-season school record for 3-pointers per game (9.5/gm, 2001-02). The Huskers are 9-3 this season when hitting at least 10 3-pointers.

15- Nebraska has won its 15 games dating back to last season when holding an opponent to 70 points or less. This season, NU is 11-0 following the win over Ohio State on Jan. 24.

11 - Fred Hoiberg has 11 career wins against top-10 teams and 28 wins over ranked opponents in his collegiate coaching career.

2- Rienk Mast became only the second Husker in the last 25 years to post a 30-point, 10-rebound game with his performance against Ohio State on Jan. 24. He joined Aleks Maric, who accomplished the feat four times in his career from 2005 to 2008.

20 - Nebraska has held 20 of 22 opponents under 50 percent shooting. Dating back to last season, NU has held 25 of its last 29 opponents to under 50 percent shooting from the field. 

About Illinois
Brad Underwood is in his seventh year at Illinois after previous coaching stops at Oklahoma State and Stephen F. Austin. Underwood guided the Illini to three straight NCAA Tournament appearance and look to be on track for another NCAA bid in 2024. The Illini returned three starters from a team that won 20 games last year, including All-Big Ten performer Terrence Shannon Jr. 

Illinois went 9-2 in non-conference action, including a neutral-site win over Florida Atlantic, and enters the weekend in third place in the Big Ten standings, one game behind Wisconsin for second in the conference race. 

Illinois averages 82.3 points per game and has four players averaging double-figures. Shannon paces the Illini with 20.1 ppg while transfer Marcus Domask is at 15.5 ppg while dishing out a team-high 3.4 assists per game. As a team, the Illini hit 8.3 points per game and have six players with at least 20 3-pointers. Illinois also excels on the glass, out-rebounding opponents by 9.4 rebounds per game to rank second in the Big Ten.

Series History: Illinois leads the all-time series, 21-8, over Nebraska in a series that dates back to 1921. Nebraska is 6-14 against Illinois since joining the Big Ten, and the Illini have won seven straight meetings. Nebraska has won once in Champaign since joining the Big Ten, a 76-67 win on Jan. 16, 2016. Prior to Nebraska joining the conference in 2011-12, the Huskers and Illini had played only once since 1976 - a 100-73 Husker victory in the 1990 San Juan Shootout.

Last Meeting: Sam Griesel had a game-high 21 points, but a second-half cold spell proved costly in Nebraska’s 72-56 loss at Illinois on Jan. 31, 2023. Nebraska used a 9-0 run to take a 50-48 lead after a 3-pointer from Keisei Tominaga with 11:57 remaining but hit two field goals the rest of the way. Griesel finished with 21 points and six rebounds while Keisei Tominaga added 11 points off the bench, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Nebraska shot just 28 percent in the second half after shooting 52 percent in the opening 20 minutes. Matthew Mayer led four Illinois players in double figures with 16 points, while Terrence Shannon Jr. (13) and Jayden Epps (12) combined for 25 points. 

Last Time Out
C.J. Wilcher had a career night, as Nebraska overcame a 19-point deficit to stun No. 6 Wisconsin, 80-72, in overtime on Feb. 1.

Wilcher matched his career high with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, as the junior guard rallied NU back in the final 20 minutes. Wilcher had 12 of his 16 second-half points in a 20-3 spurt, helping Nebraska nearly erase a 47-29 deficit. The Badgers led 65-59 with 3:33 left before the Huskers made another push. NU scored six straight points to tie it at 65-all on a Rienk Mast 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining. The Huskers got a stop on the defensive end and Brice Williams capped the 8-0 run with a pair of free throws with 30.4 seconds left. AJ Storr basket tied it at 67 to get the game to OT 

Nebraska, which led for less than 10 seconds in regulation, finally took control in overtime. NU trailed 68-67 before Mast’s basket gave NU the lead and the junior forward found Juwan Gary for a 3-point play to make it 72-68 with 3:54 left in overtime. 

Storr, who finished with a game-high 28 points for Wisconsin made it a one-point game before Williams’ basket pushed the margin back to three, at 74-71. The Huskers held Wisconsin to 1-of-7 shooting in the extra period and put the game away as a basket by Mast and four Williams free throws provided the final margin.  Mast added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Williams had 17 points and nine rebounds.

Postgame Notes
• The 80-72 OT win over Wisconsin marks the first time that Nebraska has knocked off two top-10 teams since the 2013-14 season. 

• Nebraska erased a 19-point deficit in the game to tie for its largest comeback of the Big Ten era (also vs. Iowa on 2/23/13)

• According to CBB Sports Reference, Wisconsin had been 120-0 since 2000 when leading by 15 or more points at halftime. UW led 43-27 at the break.

• C.J. Wilcher tied his career high with 22 points, including 16 points in the second half. It marked his third career 20-point game and first since his 22-point effort at Indiana on Dec. 4, 2022. Wilcher also tied a career high with five 3-pointers, originally set at Rutgers on Feb. 14, 2023.

• Rienk Mast joined Wilcher with a 20-point game, as Mast had 20 points for the third time this season and for the 11th time in his career.

• Nebraska’s defense forced Wisconsin into committing a season-high 16 turnovers and turned those into 18 points.