Preview: No. 5 Iowa WBB vs. Nebraska
WHO: Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-6 overall, 5-3 Big Ten)
WHEN: 1:00 PM CT (Saturday, January 27)
WHERE: Carver Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
TV: Big Ten Network
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network
ONLINE: https://www.foxsports.com/live
MOBILE: https://www.foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaWBB | @IowaonBTN
Two years ago, Nebraska seemed poised to join the upper echelon of Big Ten teams. The Huskers finished 24-9 that year, made the NCAA Tournament as an 8-seed, and had an exciting young core to build around.
Then the Huskers took a step back last season. They finished 18-15 overall and missed the NCAA Tournament. Suddenly the seat was getting warm for head coach Amy Williams. She had been at Nebraska for seven seasons and only made two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Huskers hadn't gotten out of the first round in either trip. She needed a bounce back season to prove she was the right person for the job.
Thus far, Nebraska has had that bounce back season. The Huskers sit 13-6 overall, and are tied for fourth in the Big Ten at 5-3. ESPN has Nebraska projected as a 9-seed in its latest Bracketology.
In non-conference action, Nebraska's only win of note was over 13-7 Georgia Tech. The Huskers suffered losses to Creighton, TCU, and at Kansas.
In conference, Nebraska has big wins at Michigan State, and at home against Maryland and Michigan. The Huskers also lost at Minnesota, at Penn State, and lost at Indiana by 22 points.
Overall, the story of Nebraska's season thus far has been inconsistency. The Cornhuskers have big wins over the teams they're competing with for fourth in the conference, but they also have a few confusing losses that drag their resume down some.
All statistics for this preview are from HerHoopStats.
Top Players
6'3" forward Alexis Markowski is finally realizing her potential. Two years ago, she was Big Ten Freshman of the Year, but took a step backwards in many statistical categories last year. This year, she's become one of the best players in the conference. She's averages 16.8 ppg and 10.5 rpg, while shooting 52.9% on 2-point attempts and 26.0% from behind the arc.
5'9" point guard Jaz Shelley has been a solid scorer for Nebraska for three years now. Her shooting percentages have fallen this year, though, as she's shooting just 43.5% on 2-point attempts and 32.8% on 3-point tries. She's averaging 12.1 ppg, 5.3 apg, 4.2 rpg, and 1.8 spg.
6'2" freshman forward Natalie Potts is Nebraska's final player averaging double figures. She's averaging 10.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg, while shooting 67.3% inside the arc and 21.2% from deep.
Play Style
Nebraska averages 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks in the 43rd percentile. That's down from 71.6 possessions per 40 last year, and 72.9 possessions per 40 2 years ago.
Offensively, Nebraska averages 74.6 points per game, which ranks 48th nationally. The Huskers have shoot much better on 2-point attempts (50.4%, 44th) than on 3-point tries (32.6%, 116th). The Huskers are a strong offensive rebounding team. They average 14.3 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 36th. They also share the basketball well, as their 16.7 assists per game ranks 36th.
Defensively, Nebraska has been surrendering 61.7 points per game, which ranks 101st. Nebraska has allowed opponents to shoot 45.9% on 2-point attempts, which ranks 209th. The Huskers are much better at guarding the three-point line, allowing teams to shoot 27.3% from deep, which ranks 38th. The Huskers don't generate many steals (6.8 per game, 246th) or blocks (2.0 per game, 317th).
X-Factor
Don't dwell on the Ohio State loss. Losing to a Top 15 team (Ohio State is #12 in the AP Poll this week) on the road won't hurt Iowa's resume much. Iowa still controls its own destiny for winning the regular season Big Ten conference title. A loss to Nebraska in Iowa City would hurt Iowa's resume, though, and it would also make winning a Big Ten title much tougher.
If Iowa plays well, the Hawkeyes should beat Nebraska. If the Hawks aren't fully focused on Nebraska, though, they could struggle. This game could be anything from a comfortable 15-20+ point victory to a back and forth scare like Michigan State offered in early January.