Nebraska but together a strong comeback season after a disastrous start in Big Ten play. Part of that was a five-game losing streak where they fell to Ohio State back on Jan. 4. Since that was broken, the Cornhuskers earned a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament after winning 11 of 14 games. Now, they face off against the Buckeyes once again, hoping for different results.
Nebraska ended their regular season with a win over then-No. 9 Wisconsin. That set the team up for a first-round bye in the tournament and a possible NCAA tournament berth if they can make a solid run through the Big Ten over the weekend. Head coach Tim Miles was named Big Ten coach of the year after he led the Cornhuskers to their dramatic turnaround. The team's history making it to the tournament is not strong, but Nebraska is hoping to break their six-year absence.
Terran Petteway is expected to lead Nebraska throughout the tournament. The conference leading scorer is averaging 18 points per game, coming off his 11th game of at least 20 points. While he is leading the offense, Nebraska's defense is equally as strong. The team has held their past eight opponents to just 40 percent or less shooting. Wisconsin got past that, shooting 42.9 percent overall.
Ohio State did not get the luxury of a first-round bye. They lost two games before beating Michigan State in the regular-season finale. The Buckeyes rank second in the conference, shooting 40.3 percent from the field. Ohio State is looking to continue their success in the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes have played in five straight title games while winning three. The team is fresh off winning the Big Ten title last season and hope to win two back-to-back.
