Nebraska plans not to get caught sleeping vs. South Dakota

Nebraska will be trying to preserve its perfect in-state record when it hosts South Dakota on Wednesday night in a nonconference game in Lincoln, Neb.

The Cornhuskers (4-1) are 3-0 at home and also won Friday at then-No. 14 Creighton, beating their in-state rivals on the road for the second straight time. But the last time they did that, in 2022, they followed that win with a 16-point loss at Indiana to open Big Ten Conference play.

"Believe me, we've addressed a lot of things," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. "A lot of people are saying some really positive things. You've got to find a way to put that behind you. I've liked how our team has responded and come back to work after that great win at Creighton."

Brice Williams leads the Cornhuskers with 18.2 points per game and was one of five players in double figures against Creighton. Juwan Gary topped the list with 16.

South Dakota (6-2) comes to town off a 112-50 home win Monday night over Randall, the third non-Division I school it has beat. The Coyotes' last game against a D1 opponent was Friday at Southern Indiana, resulting in a 92-83 loss.

This will be South Dakota's second nonconference game against a Big Ten opponent, after a 96-77 loss at Iowa on Nov. 12. In December, the Coyotes also visit Santa Clara, hovering near the top 100 in KenPom adjusted efficiency, before jumping into Big Sky play.

"The schedule is very good and that should help us," third-year South Dakota coach Eric Peterson said before the season. "We have some good nonconference games that should help prepare us for the end of the season."

Nebraska has held four of its opponents to 67 or fewer points, with Saint Mary's the only one to top that number in the Cornhuskers' lone loss. Opponents are shooting 38.1 percent this season.

South Dakota shot below 40 percent in its two previous games before shooting 62 percent against Randall. Isaac Bruns, who scored 20 to lead South Dakota in the Randall game, paces the Coyotes with 12.9 points per game.

--Field Level Media