Remember Nebraska's offensive struggles against Big Ten Conference basketball teams?
They appear to have been solved -- well, at least momentarily. The Huskers have scored more than 70 points in three of their last four games, and have shot 51.9 percent in each of their last two games.
"I think everybody's clicking on offense," NU senior guard Brandon Richardson said. "Shots are falling, guys are moving the basketball. We're just getting easy shots."
Only now, the Huskers are trying to plug a leak on defense.
Yeah. If it's not one thing, it's another.
"Coach was telling us about three games ago, our defense was at the top (of the conference)," Richardson said, "and in the last few games, it's been at the bottom."
Through its first six Big Ten games, Nebraska was allowing an average of 61.6 points per game.
In their last four games, the Huskers are allowing 76.2 points. Opponents are shooting 47.2 percent in that span.
"Guys have to take more pride, including myself," Richardson said. "It starts with me. That's what we have to do."
Nebraska (11-10, 3-7 Big Ten) hosts Minnesota on Sunday. The Gophers (16-7, 4-6) are among the league's top five teams in scoring, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
Wednesday night against Northwestern, the Huskers allowed 31 three-point attempts from a team that's leading the conference in three-point makes per game (7.8). The Wildcats made 14 in an 84-74 victory.
The emphasis in practice had been to keep Northwestern from beating Nebraska with backdoor cuts and layups out of its Princeton-style offense.
"I don't think they did get a backdoor layup. We took that away, but obviously we didn't take the three-point shot away," Richardson said.
"We didn't want to play just too high, because most of their offense is around the elbow. Our emphasis was on the help side because we didn't want to give a backdoor cut."
As for Nebraska getting its offense and defense on the same page in the same game?
"I think we've had it on," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. "It's a fine line. You sit there and you score points, and in most cases, you're going to give up some points."
That doesn't mean Sadler's been pleased with his team's defense -- especially against Northwestern, when his Huskers surprisingly went underneath ball screens, early and often. That left Sadler scratching his head, both after the game on his radio show, and again before Friday's practice.
He shouldered the blame.
"Bottom line, I didn't do a good enough job preparing them," Sadler said.
Minnesota is coming off a 63-59 loss Wednesday at Iowa, its second loss to the Hawkeyes this season.
Sadler said Nebraska must handle the Gophers' pressure on defense -- in conference games, Minnesota is forcing an average of 13 turnovers a game, the third best mark in the league -- and get back on transition defense.
"They get out and get it up and down the court very, very quick," Sadler said.
They appear to have been solved -- well, at least momentarily. The Huskers have scored more than 70 points in three of their last four games, and have shot 51.9 percent in each of their last two games.
"I think everybody's clicking on offense," NU senior guard Brandon Richardson said. "Shots are falling, guys are moving the basketball. We're just getting easy shots."
Only now, the Huskers are trying to plug a leak on defense.
Yeah. If it's not one thing, it's another.
"Coach was telling us about three games ago, our defense was at the top (of the conference)," Richardson said, "and in the last few games, it's been at the bottom."
Through its first six Big Ten games, Nebraska was allowing an average of 61.6 points per game.
In their last four games, the Huskers are allowing 76.2 points. Opponents are shooting 47.2 percent in that span.
"Guys have to take more pride, including myself," Richardson said. "It starts with me. That's what we have to do."
Nebraska (11-10, 3-7 Big Ten) hosts Minnesota on Sunday. The Gophers (16-7, 4-6) are among the league's top five teams in scoring, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage.
Wednesday night against Northwestern, the Huskers allowed 31 three-point attempts from a team that's leading the conference in three-point makes per game (7.8). The Wildcats made 14 in an 84-74 victory.
The emphasis in practice had been to keep Northwestern from beating Nebraska with backdoor cuts and layups out of its Princeton-style offense.
"I don't think they did get a backdoor layup. We took that away, but obviously we didn't take the three-point shot away," Richardson said.
"We didn't want to play just too high, because most of their offense is around the elbow. Our emphasis was on the help side because we didn't want to give a backdoor cut."
As for Nebraska getting its offense and defense on the same page in the same game?
"I think we've had it on," Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. "It's a fine line. You sit there and you score points, and in most cases, you're going to give up some points."
That doesn't mean Sadler's been pleased with his team's defense -- especially against Northwestern, when his Huskers surprisingly went underneath ball screens, early and often. That left Sadler scratching his head, both after the game on his radio show, and again before Friday's practice.
He shouldered the blame.
"Bottom line, I didn't do a good enough job preparing them," Sadler said.
Minnesota is coming off a 63-59 loss Wednesday at Iowa, its second loss to the Hawkeyes this season.
Sadler said Nebraska must handle the Gophers' pressure on defense -- in conference games, Minnesota is forcing an average of 13 turnovers a game, the third best mark in the league -- and get back on transition defense.
"They get out and get it up and down the court very, very quick," Sadler said.
