3 takeaways as Nebraska basketball beats Georgetown in College Basketball Crown

Nebraska basketball didn’t mess around with Georgetown on Wednesday night, leading by double digits for most of the night. As a result, the Huskers are one win from a 20-win season and a shot at their first postseason tournament championship in 29 years.

Two days after rallying from 10 points down to beat Arizona State, Nebraska basketball played anther top-100 team according to the Kenpom rankings. But this time, the Huskers led wire-to-wire outside of a 3-3 tie.

Brice Williams opened the game with two 3-pointers. He sealed the win with a couple of treys late as Georgetown caught fire and cut the lead to seven at one point. Yet, the Hoyays never led, and Nebraska advanced to the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown with an 81-69 win.

Williams followed up a 30-point effort on Monday with 26 on Wednesday, which included five 3-pointers. Juwan Gary stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The bench accounted for 23 points, and here are three takeaways from the win.

Brice Williams set the tone

Few players in college hoops can light it up like Brice Williams and getting to watch him play a few more games for the Huskers was worth going to the College Basketball Crown.

Nebraska has beaten two top-100 teams, according to Kenpom, by double digits and Williams is a huge reason why. Gary was critical too. The Huskers need to combine for about 40 points because there just isn’t enough scoring without them, so give Juwan his due, but Williams was special, again.

Williams is averaging 28 points per game in this tournament, and I have to believe this dude is getting drafted this summer. He can score at all three levels and has one of the best jumpers in college basketball.

The Huskers were going to need Williams to dominate to win this tournament, and so far, he has.

Cale Jacobsen has another good night

Nebraska got back to being gritty this week. One reason for that has been Cale Jacobsen. The former walk-on got the start on Wednesday and responded with seven points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks, two steals, and had zero turnovers.

Starting Jacobsen was a brilliant move by Fred Hoiberg. He’s a solid defender and was stellar in his rotations and closeouts. Even if he’s out of position, he just sprints to the right spot, which prevented a wide-open three late in the game that could have cut the lead to two possessions.

That’s gritty, and that’s the definition of Jacobsen. I know it’s just two games, but Jacobsen looks like a keeper. He’s probably better served coming off the bench, but in two games, he’s made a ton of positive things happen on both ends of the floor.

Jacobsen is like Mr. Fundamental, and maybe he can earn a spot in the rotation next season, sort of like Sam Hoiberg has done by playing solid defense, making the right plays, and being tough as hell.

The Nebraska basketball bench made a huge difference

Even with Jacobsen starting the game, the Huskers’ bench dominated. Andrew Morgan scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Connor Essegian didn’t shoot as well as he did against Arizona State, however, he still scored seven points. Ahron Ulis also delivered six points off the bench. The former Iowa transfer had a key to a layup to stymie Georgetown’s momentum.

Nebraska outscored the Hoyas 23-3 in bench points. That was a key factor in the end result. Depth has been a factor in this tournament, which makes the output of Jacobsen and Ulis even more important.

For More Nebraska content, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and Subscribe to the Husker Big Red YouTube Channel. You can also find our podcast on Apple or Spotify.