Nebraska visit marks a first for Hoosiers

For the first time in 70 years, the No. 11/13 IU basketball team will travel to Lincoln, Neb., in the inaugural conference meeting between the Hoosiers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Hoosiers (15-3, 3-3) will be seeking to rise back above .500 in the Big Ten when they take on the Cornhuskers (9-8, 1-5) at 7 p.m. tonight in their only regular season meeting this year.

A third of the way through the Big Ten season, the Hoosiers have not seen the same defensive success they saw during their undefeated non-conference schedule.

After not allowing more than 75 points in any of IU’s first 12 games, the Hoosiers have given up 77 points or more four times in six conference games.

IU Coach Tom Crean said he wants to see his team create more turnovers.

“I think the intensity is good, but I think the urgency and the awareness is not where it needs to be,” Crean said of his team’s defense.

Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Nebraska is averaging a Big Ten-worst of 61.1 points per game and have scored more than 55 points just once in six conference games.

The Cornhuskers have battled injuries all season long and have had nine different players start a game.

Nebraska Head Coach Doc Sadler said his team is starting to feel more comfortable and confident in making the adjustment to the Big Ten.

In the past three games, the Cornhuskers have suffered five-point defeats on the road to Illinois and Wisconsin sandwiched in between their first-ever Big Ten win against Penn State on Jan. 11.

Even though IU will be making its first trip to Lincoln since 1942, Crean has split his two previous meetings with the Cornhuskers.

“We’ve been there before at Marquette, and it will be a very, very tough environment,” Crean said. “I think Doc Sadler is an excellent coach. I think he’s one of the more underrated guys around.”

Sophomore guard Victor Oladipo once again will have the task of stopping the opponents’ lead guard as former LSU transfer Bo Spencer tops the Cornhuskers with 14.8 points per game.

“He’s experienced, likes to score a lot and does whatever it takes to help his team win,” Oladipo said.

“I’ve been watching film on him and I’m going to have to guard him during the game, so we’ll see if I can shut him down.”

The Hoosiers will be looking for their first Big Ten road win in the Crean era against a team other than Penn State tonight.

In making the move from the Big 12, Sadler was quick to point out two main factors as to why the Big Ten is ranked as the top conference in the nation this season.

“The home court advantage and the coaching in this league is, to me, probably as good as there is in the country,” Sadler said.

“Everybody’s got good coaches, but not everybody has the home court advantage that this league has. When you add those two things together, then it makes it very, very difficult,” he added.