After securing its best non-conference record in over 80 years, the Northwestern Wildcats (12-1, 0-0 Big Ten) travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to open the Big Ten season against the Cornhuskers (8-5, 0-0 Big Ten). With Northwestern's Alex Olah out due to a foot injury, Nebraska almost mirrors Northwestern due to its reliance on rangy, outside-in players to score.
The Huskers boast two double-digit scorers in Andrew White III and Shavon Shields. While both players are six-foot-seven, they score in complementary ways. White, playing in his first season since transferring from Kansas, is a strong three-point shooter who also is adept at attacking the rim efficiently. Shields, a senior, has become a really effective scorer in the Big Ten. Shields does like to step out on the perimeter a bit, especially against bigger forwards and centers he's matched up with, but has a really balanced midrange game.
Shields is really the only scoring threat for Nebraska in the paint and even he doesn't do most of his damage down there. In that sense, Nebraska is a nice matchup for Northwestern in its first Big Ten game in the post-Olah period. Center Joey van Zegeren, who has now been thrust into a starting role after overcoming his own foot injury, is a good athlete and could pound the smaller Huskers on the glass.
But where Northwestern holds its biggest advantage is in the backcourt. Bryant McIntosh is coming off a career-high 33-point performance and should continue to look to score to make up for Olah's absence. His fellow guard, Tre Demps, has yet to play up to expectations, but will need to in order to keep Northwestern competitive in Olah's absence.
Broadcast Information
Game Time: 3 p.m. CT
TV: ESPNU
Online: WatchESPN
Mobile: WatchESPN App
Radio: WGN AM 720
Betting Line: Nebraska -3.5 (opened at Northwestern -2)