3 keys and a prediction for Nebraska basketball against Maryland

Nebraska basketball got back on track last Saturday against Penn State. The Huskers hope to build on that momentum on Wednesday, as another team with a losing record invades the Vault.

There have been some sleepy performances from the Huskers over the past few weeks. The game against Penn State wasn’t one of them.

Nebraska shot the ball well. Played solid defense, and looked like the team we saw during the first 20 games. Nebraska is still technically alive for the Big Ten title. It would need to win four straight and have Michigan lose its last three.

A more realistic goal is clinching a top-four finish in the Big Ten standings. That should secure at least a No. 3 seed in the NCAAA tournament, plus a triple bye in the Big Ten tournament.

There is plenty on the table to achieve, but first things first, the Huskers need to take care of business as a 17.5-point favorite on Wednesday.

As poor as Maryland has been, the Terps have won three of their past five games. 11 different players have started games for Maryland this season and nobody has started all 27.

Elijah Saunders and Darius Adams have played the most. David Coit (14.4 ppg) and Andre Mills (11.3 ppg) are the Terrapins leading scorers, and they lead a solid backcourt at 5-foot-11 and 6-foot-4.

Maryland’s best player, Pharrel Payne, has only played in 10 games this season. Once he went down, things really went south for the Terps, who are 4-12 (14th in the Big Ten).

Buzz Williams’ team has really struggled, but in the Big Ten, no one can be taken for granted, especially when there is so much on the line, like there is for Nebraska. The Huskers can’t afford any slip-ups. With that in mind, here are three keys and a prediction for Maryland.

Keep Maryland off the glass

One thing that the Terps have going for them is offensive rebounding. Maryland is averaging 10.1 offensive rebounds per game (3rd in the Big Ten). The Huskers are allowing 8.6 per game (9th in the Big Ten). It’s been a recurring issue in losses — every team that has defeated Nebraska basketball has rebounded at least 30 percent of its misses.

The Huskers can’t let Maryland do it, or it could allow the Terps to hang around.

Don’t settle for too many 3-pointers

Maryland is atrocious defending the 3-point shot, allowing 39.2 percent (17th in the Big Ten). The Huskers should have a field day shooting from beyond the arc.

However, they need to attack the bucket first. Maryland is just as bad at defending the bucket, allowing 56.7 percent on 2-pointers in Big Ten play, which is also 17th.

Rienk Mast, Braden Frager, Berke, Pryce Sandfort, and even Sam Hoiberg need to attack the rim, get to the paint, and take advantage of Maryland’s poor interior defense. That will lead to open 3-point looks, too.

Win the turnover battle

Maryland has a turnover ratio of -2.8 per game in Big Ten play. Nebraska has struggled with turnovers recently, though it did a solid job against Penn State, a team that thrives on pressure. Maryland only forces 7.6 turnovers per game in league play. So under no scenario should Nebraska get more than 10 tonight.

That would be disappointing. It might not lead to loss, but double-digit turnovers would keep this game closer than it needs to be.

Prediction: Nebraska 81, Maryland 62