Michigan State basketball faces Nebraska for the first time this season on Thursday, Feb. 20. The Spartans are fresh off of a tough loss to Maryland at the Breslin Center. Nebraska just lost to Wisconsin 81-64.
Here is a scouting report of this Nebraska team:
Placement In The Big Ten
Nebraska currently ranks ninth in Big Ten points per game with 71.4 points per game. Also, they are last in field goal percentage with 42% and eighth in three-point percentage with 33%. So Nebraska is towards the bottom of the Big Ten in terms of offensive production.
The Cornhuskers are sixth in Big Ten assists per game with 14.6 and twelfth in rebounds per game with 35.4. Michigan State ranks ahead of them in both categories. As a result, the Spartans should take advantage of this uneven offensive matchup. MSU can play Nebraska off the court with a high pace of play and good shot selection.
Guard Heavy Roster
The Nebraska roster is rather Guard heavy in terms of talent. As a result, the Cornhuskers are fifth in steals per game with 6.52. Their best guards are Haanif Cheatham, Cam Mack, and Dachon Burke Jr., and Thorir Thorbjarnarson. Each player brings something different to the table.
Thorir Thorbjarnarson is fourth in Big Ten three-point percentage, shooting 43% from deep. Cam Mack is third Big Ten assists per game with 6.6 assists per game. Also, both Mack and Dachon Burke Jr. amongst the top ten Big Ten players in steals per game.
Haanif Cheatham, Cam Mack, and Dachon Burke Jr. all rank in the top 25 Big Ten players in terms of points per game. Cheatham ranks 19 with 12.4 points per game, Mack ranks 20 with 12.4 points per game, and Burke Jr. ranks 23 with 11.4 points per game.
Note, Nebraska does give up an interior defense with this Guard heavy lineup. This program is last in Big Ten blocks per game with 2.28 blocks per game. As a matter of fact, Burke Jr. leads Nebraska in blocks per game with 0.63 blocks per game. So Michigan State can exploit this lack of interior defense with size in the paint.
The Spartans play the Cornhuskers at 8:30 P.M. on FS1 this Thursday. Tune-in to the game and stay locked on SpartansWire for plenty of coverage to come.
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