The Big Ten tournament begins next week, but Nebraska and Ohio State already are feeling the pressure heading into Tuesday’s game in Columbus.
Nebraska (17-12, 7-11 Big Ten) has lost three straight and four of five to fall into danger of not only missing the NCAA Tournament, but the Big Ten tourney as well with two games left.
The top 15 teams make the conference tournament and the Cornhuskers are in a four-way tie for 11th with Minnesota, Northwestern and Rutgers while Iowa and USC are lurking at 6-12. According to a simulation of 100,000 potential seeding scenarios conducted at the start of the week, Nebraska faces a 17 percent chance of missing the Big Ten tournament.
“Something’s got to change,” Nebraska guard Brice Williams said. “We have the ability. We have the want. We’ve got to have it more consistently. It’s there, but we have to go out there and take it. Nobody is going to give it to us, especially in this league.”
The Buckeyes (16-13, 8-10) are 10th in the league after an 87-82 win Saturday at USC snapped their three-game losing streak. Coach Jake Diebler hopes the energy from the home finale can help avenge a 79-71 loss at Nebraska on Feb. 9 and boost their NCAA Tournament hopes.
“We’ve had some great environments in here for some of our home games,” Diebler said Monday. “It’s important. We need another great environment (Tuesday) in a huge game.”
He also expects veterans like Bruce Thornton, Evan Mahaffey and Micah Parrish to show the way.
“Leadership is critical, and I think we’ve had some great, great stretches of that this year,” Diebler said. “It’s been a little inconsistent at times, and some of it is guys growing into new roles.”
Thornton, who will be playing and starting his 100th game for the Buckeyes, has averaged 20.5 points while recording eight assists and no turnovers in the past two games.
Williams is doing his best to keep the Cornhuskers afloat. He is second in Big Ten scoring at 19.7 points per game and had 20-plus in eight of the past nine games, but these are desperate times.
“Got to throw everything we got at (Ohio State),” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We’re running out of chances. We’re running out of bullets.”
–Field Level Media
