After losing for the first time this season in their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin, Indiana bounced back Tuesday night by defeating UConn in the 2019 Jimmy V Classic. The Hoosiers, now 9-1, return back to Bloomington to take their second conference game of the season on Friday night.
The Fred Hoiberg-led Nebraska Cornhuskers will visit Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall with a 4-5 record overall and a 0-1 record in the Big Ten. The newly formed Huskers replaced nearly their entire roster during the offseason and have been struggling quite a bit to establish an identity. They are currently ranked 157 in KenPom at the time of writing, which factors in adjusted offensive and adjusted defensive rankings in the 160s.
With a win, Indiana can finish off the first part of Big Ten play with a .500 conference record before returning to their remaining non-conference slate of games.
How to Watch
| What | Indiana Hoosiers vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| When | Friday, December 13, 2019, 8 p.m. ET |
| Where | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall – Bloomington, Ind. |
| Tickets | Find the Lowest Ticket Prices on SeatGeek |
| Watch | BTN |
| Stats | Live Stats |
| Listen | IU Radio Network |
| Spread | IU -17.5, Over-Under 147.5 |
-
“Indiana Space” – Ultrasoft Tri-Blend T-Shirt$24.95 – $31.45 -
“Thrash Indiana” – Champion Hoodie$49.95 – $51.95
Getting to Know the Cornhuskers
Nebraska sits at 4-5 on the season and are coming off back-to-back losses against Georgia Tech and Creighton. The Cornhuskers lost both matchups by a combined 36 points while struggling on the defensive end of the floor. Coach Hoiberg’s squad has lost three out of their last four games and look to pick up their first conference win against the Hoosiers.
Indiana leads the all-time series 12-7 with the Huskers having won the last three meetings against IU. None of the Cornhusker players who will suit up against Indiana have ever played the Hoosiers.
Offensively, Nebraska is averaging 73.6 points while shooting 43.3% from the field per game. Four players are scoring in double figures led by Marquette and FGCU transfer Haanif Cheatham. The senior guard is averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while leading the team with a 57.3% field goal percentage.
Although Cheatham certainly helps the Huskers with scoring, he can also become a liability for Nebraska on the defensive end. To his credit, he has been improving over the season, but it is not uncommon for him lose his assignment. Between not paying attention to off-ball movement and not having the lateral speed to keep up, Cheatham frequently needs help-defense from his teammates. Hoosiers may find this as an area they can exploit on Friday evening.
