3 keys and a prediction for Nebraska basketball vs. Maryland

Halfway through the Iowa game, Nebraska basketball looked like it could be one of the better teams in the Big Ten. Had the Huskers won that game, a game they led by 15, they would have been 3-1 in the Big Ten.

Instead, they lost. Nebraska basketball then lost the next two games and are now 2-4 in the Big Ten with a road game against Maryland up next on Sunday.

The Terps aren’t world-beaters. They are 13-5 and 3-4 in the Big Ten. However, Maryland is 24th in the Kenpom rankings with a top-30 offense and a top-30 defense. Nebraska football has dropped to 48th. The defense has fallen off a cliff.

Nebraska is allowing 83.5 points per game during Big Ten play, which is 17th. The Huskers have limited 2-point attempts but teams are making 37.7 percent of their 3-pointers in six league games. Nebraska has consistently lost the turnover battle and been out-rebounded.

The team hasn’t recovered from the collapse against Iowa. Now, they are running out of time. Rutgers felt like a must-win and the 20-game home-winning streak was snapped. Sunday’s game will start at 11:00 PM CST (Big Ten Network). Here are three keys and a prediction.

Stop the bleeding on defense

Nebraska has allowed 48 3-pointers over the last three games. Purdue and Iowa are great 3-point shooting teams but Rutgers hit 12. That was way too many. The rotations haven’t been good and neither has the transition defense.

The Huskers haven’t defended ball screens well either. But they can’t have another huge 3-point differential in favor of their opponent. Maryland has made 1.4 more 3-point field goals per game during conference play than their opponents and if the defense no-shows like it has the last 2.5 games, Nebraska basketball will lose again.

Don’t allow extra possessions

Maryland ranks 12th or lower in every rebounding category. The Huskers have been outrebounded by an average of 5.7 per game in the Big Ten. That’s a recipe for disaster. Combine that with a negative turnover ratio and it’s hard to win games, especially on the road.

Nebraska was winning those battles, at least when they were winning games. The offense is struggling and the last thing it can afford to do is have 12-15 turnovers. The defense, which has struggled to get stops, can’t allow second-chance points.

Something has to give and Nebraska has to improve in those two areas. More offensive rebounds would help too.

Get tough

Nebraska needs to get tougher physically and mentally. That was the message from Fred Hoiberg after the loss to Rutgers and this will be a huge challenge. All five Maryland starters average in double figures. They defend well and rank among the top 100 in assists, steals, and blocked shots.

Derik Queen, a 6-foot-10 freshman, has been a force, even in Big Ten play connecting on 51 percent of his shots and averaging 15 points and eight rebounds. Julian Reese is a familiar name. Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel are always scoring in double figures.

The point is that this won’t be easy. Nebraska needs to be sharp and put their best foot forward. They will need to battle a lot harder than they did in their last 60-some minutes on the road.

Fred challenged them after the loss to Rutgers and we’ll see how they respond.

Prediction: Maryland (-9.5) 79, Nebraska 74 

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