The Nebraska men's basketball team's first road trip in the National Invitation Tournament was an easy 50-mile taxi on Interstate 80 to Omaha. Now, the Huskers should get the ultimate test of their endurance.
After spending most of Sunday traveling halfway across the Pacific Ocean to the island of Oahu, NU meets Hawaii today at 10 p.m., looking to advance to the NIT quarterfinals.
"I think they've got good energy," Barry Collier said of his club. "The bottom line is we're going to play a 40-minute game."
Nebraska is 18-12 after beating Creighton 71-70 on Tuesday and Niagara 78-70 on Friday. In both games, the Huskers had to have plenty of leg drive down the stretch.
Against Creighton, NU overcame a nine-point deficit in the final five minutes. And on Friday, it had to battle to the finish after Niagara made up a nine-point hole to take a lead with less than 13 minutes remaining.
"Every player - especially the seniors - is playing like this could be their last play or their last game," said junior forward John Turek. "We just want to keep this thing going as long as we can."
Tonight, the Huskers also will have to fight through the atmosphere of the first sellout crowd in 10,300-seat Stan Sheriff Center since the 2001-02 season. The locals got juiced on Wednesday by Hawaii's 85-74 road upset of No. 25 Utah State.
Collier can see why they should be, too.
The Rainbow Warriors (20-11) start four seniors, including 6-foot-5 guard Michael Kuebler, who averages 18.3 points a game, and beefy 6-10 center Haim Shimonovich.
Collier said that duo reminds him of Colorado's sharp-shooting Blair Wilson and 7-foot center David Harrison. Kuebler has made 91 three-pointers while shooting 40.3 percent from outside the arc.
"They execute, offensively, really well," Collier said. "Kuebler scores 18 a game, so he's a lot of where you start."
NU senior guard Nate Johnson sounded impressed with Hawaii's attack. The Rainbow Warriors are averaging 70.4 points and 46 percent shooting.
"We know they like to run their sets a lot, and they want to run, so we need to play good transition defense," Johnson said.
Nearly a decade ago, Johnson traveled to Hawaii with his AAU team. Like then, his focus remains on playing a game.
"We feel gratified we're still playing," he said. "We also feel as though anything can happen and we've got to understand their seniors will play as hard as we will."
Nebraska and Hawaii are the only squads in their half of the NIT bracket to win on the road. In all tournament games, home teams have gone 19-5.
The Huskers or Rainbow Warriors will move on to face either Michigan or Oklahoma (the Wolverines are playing host to the Sooners tonight) in a Wednesday quarterfinal that has tentatively been set for an 8 p.m. (CST) tip off.
The NIT semifinals and championship game are in New York City's Madison Square Garden on March 31 and April 1.
"We're playing good," Johnson said. "As long as we get out and play with the energy we have been, I feel we can get all the way to New York."
After spending most of Sunday traveling halfway across the Pacific Ocean to the island of Oahu, NU meets Hawaii today at 10 p.m., looking to advance to the NIT quarterfinals.
"I think they've got good energy," Barry Collier said of his club. "The bottom line is we're going to play a 40-minute game."
Nebraska is 18-12 after beating Creighton 71-70 on Tuesday and Niagara 78-70 on Friday. In both games, the Huskers had to have plenty of leg drive down the stretch.
Against Creighton, NU overcame a nine-point deficit in the final five minutes. And on Friday, it had to battle to the finish after Niagara made up a nine-point hole to take a lead with less than 13 minutes remaining.
"Every player - especially the seniors - is playing like this could be their last play or their last game," said junior forward John Turek. "We just want to keep this thing going as long as we can."
Tonight, the Huskers also will have to fight through the atmosphere of the first sellout crowd in 10,300-seat Stan Sheriff Center since the 2001-02 season. The locals got juiced on Wednesday by Hawaii's 85-74 road upset of No. 25 Utah State.
Collier can see why they should be, too.
The Rainbow Warriors (20-11) start four seniors, including 6-foot-5 guard Michael Kuebler, who averages 18.3 points a game, and beefy 6-10 center Haim Shimonovich.
Collier said that duo reminds him of Colorado's sharp-shooting Blair Wilson and 7-foot center David Harrison. Kuebler has made 91 three-pointers while shooting 40.3 percent from outside the arc.
"They execute, offensively, really well," Collier said. "Kuebler scores 18 a game, so he's a lot of where you start."
NU senior guard Nate Johnson sounded impressed with Hawaii's attack. The Rainbow Warriors are averaging 70.4 points and 46 percent shooting.
"We know they like to run their sets a lot, and they want to run, so we need to play good transition defense," Johnson said.
Nearly a decade ago, Johnson traveled to Hawaii with his AAU team. Like then, his focus remains on playing a game.
"We feel gratified we're still playing," he said. "We also feel as though anything can happen and we've got to understand their seniors will play as hard as we will."
Nebraska and Hawaii are the only squads in their half of the NIT bracket to win on the road. In all tournament games, home teams have gone 19-5.
The Huskers or Rainbow Warriors will move on to face either Michigan or Oklahoma (the Wolverines are playing host to the Sooners tonight) in a Wednesday quarterfinal that has tentatively been set for an 8 p.m. (CST) tip off.
The NIT semifinals and championship game are in New York City's Madison Square Garden on March 31 and April 1.
"We're playing good," Johnson said. "As long as we get out and play with the energy we have been, I feel we can get all the way to New York."
