It will be a clash of styles when No. 25 Nebraska and Boise State meet in a nonconference game Sunday afternoon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Nebraska (3-0) brings a school-record 27-game nonconference win streak into this neutral-site game, its three wins this season buoyed by defense. The Cornhuskers are holding opponents to 60.7 points per game and 35.0 percent shooting, including 23.0 percent from 3-point range.
Boise State (3-0) reached 100 points in its first three games for the first time in school history, averaging 114.3 per game while shooting 53.4 percent overall and 41.3 percent from 3-point range.
“They’re really high paced, playing extremely fast,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “They shoot it all over the place. They’re rolling right now and clicking all over the place.”
The Broncos have six players averaging double figures led by Aginaldo Neto, at 20.0 per game. Neto had 25 in Wednesday’s 111-79 win over Oakland that also saw Damari Wheeler-Thomas drop 23.
“These guys, they’ve been great to coach,” said Boise State coach Leon Rice, in his 17th season running the program. “It’s hard to play that fast … but they’re playing so fast and putting so much pressure on the defense but yet they’re under control and making good decisions.”
Nebraska is getting 22.3 points per game from Pryce Sandfort, who has scored 20 or more in four consecutive contests including last season’s Sweet 16 loss to Iowa. Four other Cornhuskers are scoring in double figures including South Dakota transfer Damon Wilkinson, who is at 12.0 per game off the bench.
The Huskers are scoring 89.0 points per game thanks to blowout home wins over Le Moyne and Lindenwood. Their most impressive performance came in a 67-58 win over Providence in Uncasville, Conn., in which they held the Friars to 30.6% shooting.
“It’s our collective defense that gets our offense going,” Hoiberg said.
Boise State is off to its best start since 2017-18, much better than a year ago when it opened with a home loss to Division II Hawaii Pacific. The Broncos were picked to finish sixth out of nine teams in the revamped Pac-12 Conference after spending 15 seasons in the Mountain West.
“We’re still not where we want to be with our depth, and that’s going to be a key for us,” Rice said. “We need our bench to keep developing.”
Nebraska will be playing in Sioux Falls for the fifth time since 2018 and is 3-1 there, including a 105-99 win over Oklahoma last season. This is the Huskers’ second of four neutral site games this season, including upcoming matchups with Butler in Chicago and Missouri in Kansas City.
“It’s one of my favorite games of the season, I can’t wait,” Hoiberg said. “It really is one of the highlights for us. I know our fans love it as well.”
–Field Level Media
