Nebraska @ Northwestern preview
Allstate Arena
Last Meeting ( Jan 26, 2017 ) Nebraska 61, Northwestern 73
Northwestern has rebounded from a disappointing start to the season and will try to keep the positive momentum going when it hosts Nebraska in Big Ten action Tuesday. The Wildcats have won four straight meetings with the Cornhuskers, including two wins last season.
The Wildcats had three missteps in November, including a blowout loss to Texas Tech and bad one-point loss at Georgia Tech, but they played much better in December. Northwestern has won five of its last six and is coming off a 95-73 rout of Brown on Saturday. The Huskers are in search of a season-best fourth straight win after enduring a tough shooting night to hold on for a 71-62 win over Stetson on Friday. Nebraska is 0-3 on the road and has dropped all three games by double digits.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
ABOUT NEBRASKA (10-5, 1-1 Big Ten): The Cornhuskers like to let it fly from 3-point range, averaging 21.5 attempts per game as guards James Palmer Jr. (15.1 points) and Glynn Watson Jr. (12 points) lead the offense. Forward Isaac Copeland (12.1 points, 6.7 rebounds) is the most effective big man in a frontcourt that is a bit undersized. Reserve guard Anton Gill (10.6 points) is the Huskers’ top 3-point shooter and leads a bench that has averaged 24.4 points per game overall and 33.6 over the past three games.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (10-5, 1-1): Guards Scottie Lindsey (14.7 points) and Bryant McIntosh (13.3 points, 5.5 assists) and swingman Vic Law (13.5 points) are the Wildcats’ offensive leaders. Big man Dererk Pardon (12.1 points, 6.3 rebounds) has had the hot hand lately, though, going 23-of-31 from the field over his last four games, and he has quite a track record against the Huskers. Pardon has enjoyed two of his best performances against Nebraska, racking up a career-high 28 points and 12 rebounds at Nebraska in December 2015 and collecting 19 points and a career-best 22 boards last January.
TIP-INS
1. A fifth straight win over Nebraska would match Northwestern’s five-game streak against Rutgers as its longest against a Big Ten foe since topping Minnesota six straight times from 2003-07.
2. The Huskers are averaging 75.8 points – their highest average through 15 games since 1995-96 – and are 10-1 when scoring at least 70 points.
3. Watson and Northwestern G Jordan Ash were backcourt mates on the 2015 Illinois Class 3A state championship team at St. Joseph High School near Chicago.
PREDICTION: Northwestern 74, Nebraska 71