Minnesota Basketball: Previewing Nebraska

The Gophers almost pulled a miraculous upset over the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, but came up short in overtime. A short bench and even shorter starting lineup eventually doomed Minnesota, who just doesn’t have the firepower or stamina to keep up with great (or even good) teams these days. A positive coming out of the game was an impressive performance from Isaiah Washington, who has drawn the ire of fans for under-performing for much of the season. Washington scored 26 points, grabbed six boards and dished out three assists in a very efficient 32 minutes off the bench.

The death march, however, continues with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who are having a surprising season in something of a make-or-break year for Tim Miles. The Huskers find themselves at 8-4 in the conference with a very soft ending to their schedule. In fact, they’re conceivably looking at a 12-4 finish if things go according to plan. And that’s for a team that was expected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten this year. They decimated the Gophers in Lincoln in the first matchup, and that was with a full Gopher lineup. Hard to imagine it goes much differently this time around.

Essentials:

Who are the Gophers playing?

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-8, 8-4)

What time are they playing?

Tues., Feb. 6 @ 8 p.m. CT.

Where are they playing?

Williams Arena

Can I watch the game on TV?

Yes, BTN.

Can I listen to the game on the radio?

Yes, 103.5-FM/1130 AM KTLK

Days until next season:

277

Gopher basketball memory that doesn’t suck:

On Dec. 20, 2008, Al Nolen scored a game-high 18 points, grabbed five rebounds and delivered five assists as Minnesota upset #9-ranked Louisville 70-64.

#GopherHaiku for the game:

How do you contend

When you have no players left?

Not much longer now.

Prediction

KenPom somehow likes the Gophers in this one by one, 73-72. The homecourt advantage is negligible these days, however, and the Huskers are riding high. I’ll take them by seven.