3 takeaways from Nebraska’s painful loss to Purdue

The Big Ten tournament did not go as planned for Nebraska basketball.

After earning the No. 2 seed and a top-four seed for the second time in three years, the Huskers went one-and-done in the Big Ten tournament, although three of the top four seeds suffered the same fate, except for Michigan.

Against Purdue, it felt like Nebraska basketball never had a chance. They couldn’t rebound the ball, and had eight first-half turnovers. That led to a 17-5 edge in points off turnovers. More importantly, it allowed the Boilermakers to get out to a 13-3 lead.

Nebraska shot 39.3 percent from the field, 32 percent from 3-point range, but just 48 percent on 2-pointers. You can’t win like that.

Looking back at the 74-58 loss, here are three takeaways for the Huskers with an eye on the big picture moving forward.

Sloppy play has to stop

Nebraska turned the ball over on 14 percent of its possessions. That’s not terrible, but during its 20-0 start, that number was consistently under 10.

What made it even worse was the “mindless” nature of the turnovers, as Fred Hoiberg said. This isn’t new, though. Nebraska isn’t valuing the ball. It hasn’t been.

The Huskers have turned the ball over 10 times or more in eight of the last nine games. If that happens next week, Nebraska won’t be around long in the NCAA tournament.

As good as Jamarques Lawrence was earlier during the season, his play has fallen off a cliff. He’s turning the ball over, can’t make a shot, and the great guard play that drove this team earlier this season has completely disappeared.

Lawrence has 25 assists and 12 turnovers in the past five games, but he’s shooting just 20 percent from the field. He’s made three of his last 21 3-point attempts.

He’s got to get out of the funk. Just like Nebraska needs to take better care of the ball.

Did Nebraska peak too soon?

Nebraska started 20-0. They beat Illinois and Michigan State. However, since that showdown with Michigan, the Huskers are 6-6. They have beaten two teams with a winning record.

On three different occasions, they were held under 60 points in that stretch. Nebraska has scored fewer than 70 points in five of the past 12 games.

Lawrence is struggling. He’s not alone, though. Rienk Mast hasn’t been himself since a mid-season sickness. Even Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager haven’t been the same. At least not quite as effective as they once were.

Those guys need to find their game. Playing non-Big Ten teams will help. The league is tough and physical, and the seven-man rotation of Nebraska took its toll.

A first-round win seems far from guaranteed

We will find out who and where Nebraska will play in the NCAA tournament on Sunday. The Huskers are expected to be a No. 3 seed.

They were a No. 3 seed in 1991, after a 26-win season, and got bounced by Xavier. In the NCAA tournament, nothing is guaranteed.

What’s worse is that Nebraska is going in with zero momentum. Their players don’t feel confident. That can change quickly. Momentum is fickle.

But the Huskers have to find themselves, quickly, or the dream season will end with another NCAA tournament nightmare.

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