Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.LINCOLN — After playing one game the past 11 days, the Nebraska men's basketball team embarks on a four-games-in-10-days stretch, starting Thursday night at Northwestern.
How the Huskers (11-9, 3-6) will react to so much time away from games in the middle of conference play is a mystery to coach Doc Sadler.
"We've not been through something like this," he said. "I guess if we win, we'll look back and say they knew how to handle it. If we don't play good, it will be something we'll have to change up."
Sadler used his open time for recruiting, while giving the players a few days off entering the heavy load ahead.
When at practice, Nebraska worked on figuring out the Princeton-style, back-cutting offense run by Northwestern (12-8, 2-6). The Wildcats have the Nos. 1 and 3 scorers in the Big Ten in 6-foot-9 John Shurna (19.0 average) and 6-5 Drew Crawford (17.2).
Having faced that offensive style two years ago when Colorado ran it under coach Jeff Bzdelik should help Nebraska, junior forward Brandon Ubel said.
"We know a little bit of that style, and that we've had success against it in the past," he said. "If we can translate that over and contain those two guys, we should have a really good chance."
Shurna and Crawford have posted 30-point games this season. Shurna went for 37 against LSU, while Crawford hung 34 on Creighton.
Northwestern leads the Big Ten and is 15th nationally in 3-pointers made (8.5 a game). The Wildcats tied the Big Ten record for made 3s in a game with 20 against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 2.
After a 10-1 start this season, Northwestern has lost six of its past seven games. But three of those Big Ten losses were by a combined five points.
"They've been playing well," Ubel said, "but are a little similar to us in that they haven't been able to close out some games down the stretch."
Northwestern coach Bill Carmody has been impressed with Nebraska's recent improvement.
"They play together and are very well-coached," he said. "It seems like they are getting better from what I've seen on tape.
"They execute their stuff. It's a very solid team. They execute with precision on offense, and they are a very solid defensive team. They don't seem to beat themselves."
Nebraska is coming off just its second conference road win in the past 20 tries, a 79-73 decision at Iowa. On this trip, the Huskers will play in 60-year-old Welsh-Ryan Arena, an 8,117-seat facility with a mostly light-purple floor and few fancy creature comforts.
"It will be interesting," Ubel said. "We haven't played in a place like that before. Color-wise, it will be similar to K-State. But it will be cool to play in an older building."
• NOTES: Northwestern is one of Nebraska's four "single-play" foes this season. The other Big Ten teams NU faces just once are Michigan, Indiana and Purdue. ... Two players in Northwestern's regular playing rotation are doubtful because of injury — 6-11 center Luka Mirkovic (ankle) and 6-3 guard JerShon Cobb (leg). ... Tickets for $5 are available for Nebraska's next home game, which is noon on Super Bowl Sunday against Minnesota.
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402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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