Nebraska Basketball: Making NCAA Tournament still possible for Huskers
Nebraska basketball and March Madness aren’t usually paired together, but the Cornhuskers could still go dancing this March if they keep playing how they have lately.
Nebraska basketball had an exciting week, beating Illinois on a buzzer beating three pointer on Monday and then absolutely dismantling 23rd ranked Michigan on Thursday night. That 20 point beatdown over the Wolverines was the first time the Huskers had defeated Michigan in basketball since moving to the Big Ten and the first overall victory against them since 1964.
It was also an important victory because it’s just what the Cornhuskers need if they want to keep playing past the regular season. It’ll be tough to get “respectable wins”, as the Big Ten just isn’t all that great in hoops this year, but that also means victories themselves will be easier and the win-loss record will be a little more padded in Nebraska’s favor.
The Big Ten will probably have four teams for sure make the tournament and those are Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State, and the team the Huskers just beat in Michigan. Beating good teams at their best (well, at least when they’re ranked) is always a good thing and that will give Nebraska some life when it comes to their tournament destination.
It seems bleak for the Cornhuskers to make it into the tournament.
The Huskers have already faced the Spartans and the Boilermakers, losing to both. They got destroyed by Michigan State early in the season, but played a surprisingly close game against Purdue.
On Monday, the Cornhuskers travel to Columbus for a date against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This game looms even larger now because if Nebraska can get a win against one of the top teams in the Big Ten, it’ll definitely pad their resumé.
The NCAA Tournament hasn’t been something that Nebraska basketball has partaken in much, only going seven times and failing to win a game in postseason play. Their appearance in the 2014 tournament was their first in 16 years and it’s been a very tough road for the Huskers in March Madness.
Can they get back in 2018? It’ll be tough. Thomas Beindit of BT Powerhouse wrote that Nebraska probably isn’t a likely contender to go dancing this spring. Beindit wrote,
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"To start, we should look at what Nebraska has done to date. As of Friday morning, Nebraska sits at 14-7 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten play this season. The Huskers are rated 65th on KenPom and 63rd in RPI. All told, it’s a pretty “meh” resume.While Nebraska has separated itself from the basement of college basketball, being ranked in the 60s in those kind of statistical measures isn’t exactly great."
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"Unfortunately, with a down Big Ten and very little to show from non-conference play, that 20-win mark probably isn’t all that telling for this Nebraska squad. The Huskers played a lot of sub-200 teams in non-conference play and it’s going to hurt the team’s profile heading into the postseason."
As big of a Nebraska fan as I am, even I’ll admit it seems bleak for the Cornhuskers to make it into the tournament. While winning out would certainly earn them a spot, that’s probably not going to happen. The Huskers play in a weak conference this year and already have seven losses on the year.
The biggest hope is that Nebraska can keep racking up wins and maybe make a run in the Big Ten Tournament. If they can stay relevant and in the win column, then the Huskers definitely have a chance to punch their ticket to the dance.
Go Big Red!