The Nebraska team will play its final game of the season on the road against Northwestern.
Although this game has no NCAA tournament, or even NIT implications, it still has meaning for Nebraska in terms of Big Ten tournament seeding.
Here?s how it works: The Huskers currently sit at No. 11 in the conference standings (6-11 league record), but have a chance to move up. With a win against Northwestern and a Penn State (who is also 6-11 but has the timebreaker against Nebraska) loss to Illinois, the Huskers would move into the 10th spot, and thus receive a bye in the first round.
However, last time Nebraska squared off with Northwestern, freshman Derek Pardon manhandled NU in the paint with 28 points and 12 rebounds en route to an 81-72 Wildcat win in Lincoln. Since that game, which was the first appearance of Pardon?s career, his best scoring night is 12 points.
There?s good news and bad news to take from the first meeting. The good is that Northwestern is not playing as well as it was when these two squads squared off for the first time. Northwestern was 12-1 coming to Lincoln, now the Cats are 19-11.
The bad news is Northwestern?s senior center Alex Olah is playing at a high level. Olah, who did not play in the first meeting, has scored in double figures in five of his last six contests. Olah also is four inches taller and averages three more points a game than Pardon, who started in his place against Nebraska the first time.
The Huskers will also have to deal with the Wildcats? leading scorer Tre Demps. Demps is averaging 15.4 points, but the senior guard has been even better than that as of late. Since Jan. 31, he is scoring 20.2 a game and has finished with 14 or more in all eight games.
Although this game has no NCAA tournament, or even NIT implications, it still has meaning for Nebraska in terms of Big Ten tournament seeding.
Here?s how it works: The Huskers currently sit at No. 11 in the conference standings (6-11 league record), but have a chance to move up. With a win against Northwestern and a Penn State (who is also 6-11 but has the timebreaker against Nebraska) loss to Illinois, the Huskers would move into the 10th spot, and thus receive a bye in the first round.
However, last time Nebraska squared off with Northwestern, freshman Derek Pardon manhandled NU in the paint with 28 points and 12 rebounds en route to an 81-72 Wildcat win in Lincoln. Since that game, which was the first appearance of Pardon?s career, his best scoring night is 12 points.
There?s good news and bad news to take from the first meeting. The good is that Northwestern is not playing as well as it was when these two squads squared off for the first time. Northwestern was 12-1 coming to Lincoln, now the Cats are 19-11.
The bad news is Northwestern?s senior center Alex Olah is playing at a high level. Olah, who did not play in the first meeting, has scored in double figures in five of his last six contests. Olah also is four inches taller and averages three more points a game than Pardon, who started in his place against Nebraska the first time.
The Huskers will also have to deal with the Wildcats? leading scorer Tre Demps. Demps is averaging 15.4 points, but the senior guard has been even better than that as of late. Since Jan. 31, he is scoring 20.2 a game and has finished with 14 or more in all eight games.
