3 thoughts and a prediction for Nebraska basketball vs. UCLA

After splitting the first two games of Big Ten play, Nebraska basketball restarts the 20-game conference schedule on Saturday against UCLA (1 PM CST, Fox) with 18 games left.

The Bruins are ranked 15h in the AP poll. Like Nebraska basketball, UCLA is 11-2. They are ranked 16th according to the Kenpom rankings. The Bruins are 15th via the NET rankings. Nebraska is 44th which underlines what a huge (quad-1) opportunity this is for both teams.

It might seem strange that Nebraska and UCLA are conference rivals, but it’s a huge game in the Big Ten landscape, as well as a golden opportunity to add a marquee win to the resume.

Here are three thoughts and a prediction for Nebraska basketball against UCLA.

UCLA has an elite defense

Mick Cronin has always been known for having strong defensive teams and this UCLA team has to be one of his best.

The Bruins are 3rd in points per possession allowed (0.86) and also sixth in college basketball in scoring defense (58.7 points allowed). Opponents shoot just 29 percent from 3-point range (53rd) and 40.1 percent from the field overall (52nd).

UCLA opponents also ranked 303rd in assist rate with just 12 per game while the Bruins also force the second-most turnovers per game with 18.1 thanks to an average of 9.3 steals per game (35th).

Aday Mara blocks 1.2 shots per game in just 9.8 minutes, but outside of that, the Bruins don’t have a true rim protector. However, their perimeter defense is exceptional and will challenge the Huskers on Saturday.

Shotmaking will be at a premium

UCLA is good at guarding its yard. The Bruins force a bunch of turnovers and don’t allow many assists. Yet, the Bruins have struggled with ball-screen defense at times.

It will be interesting to see how Fred Hoiberg deploys Brice Williams. The 6-foot-7 wing is averaging 19 points per game. He’s played like an All-Big Ten performer in recent weeks, including when he won the MVP of the Diamond Head Classic.

Williams will need to make some plays and some shots in one-on-one situations. The same goes for Juwan Gary. Nebraska needs to shoot the ball well from deep too, but more importantly, they need to finish around the rim and frankly, knock down some of the contested looks UCLA presents to them.

An electric atmosphere

UCLA will get a taste of what it’s like to play in Pinnacle Bank Arena, which is sold out. The Huskers have one of the best home-court advantages in the Big Ten conference — in all of college basketball.

It’s get overlooked on the national scale but Fred Hoiberg has made it an extremely tough place to win. What’s interesting about this matchup is that it will serve as a quad-1 win for both teams.

That’s not something you see every day. Both teams have a lot on the line. They each have a chance to improve their NCAA tournament resume and this is the kind of game that makes college basketball great.

Nebraska vs. UCLA prediction

The Huskers are a 1.5-point favorite. We all know how difficult they are to beat inside the Vault. However, that’s a lesson the new Big Ten teams will need to learn, starting with UCLA. Fred Hoiberg’s team will start fast and use the defense to grind out a win.

Prediction: Nebraska 69, UCLA 63

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