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The Big Ten released its conference basketball schedules for the upcoming 2024-25 season on Thursday. Here's Wilson Moore's three takes on what Nebraska will face this year. The biggest tests come early Nebraska won’t have faced a power conference team when it travels to East Lansing to face Michigan State, a tournament team and perennial conference heavyweight.
Less than a week later, Indiana comes to town, rejuvenated after a trying 2023-24 and loaded up through the transfer portal. Welcome to Big Ten play When the conference season restarts in January, Nebraska hosts UCLA before road games at Iowa and Purdue. All of it will force an NU team with nine newcomers to gel and figure out how to win together quickly.
Early Big Ten victories over Michigan State and Purdue helped propel Nebraska a season ago. They proved the Huskers could compete with the titans of the conference and helped provide enough of a cushion for NU to comfortably make the NCAA Tournament. People are also reading.
.. Those games could serve a similar function this season, an infusion of confidence into a team that will still be in the early stages of playing together.
On the flip side, the Huskers could dig themselves into a hole by stumbling in December and January. With a light nonconference slate and few opportunities outside of the Big Ten to boost its tournament resume, the first three weeks of league play will go a long way in determining the direction of Nebraska’s season. Little more balance than last season Nebraska had a week between games in the middle of the conference season last year, nothing between Michigan on Feb.
10 and Penn State on Feb. 17. There was another gap between the penultimate game of the season against Rutgers and the finale at Michigan.
Save for a six-day layoff between the first two games in December, this season’s Big Ten schedule doesn’t feature anything similar. Once the train leaves the station, it doesn’t stop. The lack of a bye week over the last two months of the season is a double-edged sword.
Obviously, there won’t be as much rest and recovery time ahead of the conference tournament. But it also means games will be a little more spread out, with fewer quick turnarounds. There are seven sets of games with only two off days between — there were eight last year — and five gaps of at least five days between contests.
There were only three such instances in 2023-24. Of course, Nebraska will rack up a few more airline miles with road games at Oregon and Washington. There was no West Coast swing last year or at any point in the history of the Big Ten.
The Huskers will also head east to visit Maryland and Penn State for two of the longer possible conference trips. The road could be tough again, but there are also more chances at a marquee win. The aforementioned Michigan State and Purdue are both opponents Nebraska only played at Pinnacle Bank Arena last season.
Both play in venues known for being harsh on opponents, and a win over either would give the Huskers the kind of resume-building win away from home it never got in 2023-24. The Huskers’ only Big Ten road wins were over a pair of teams slogging their way through disappointing seasons in Michigan and Indiana. At no point did they walk into a contender’s house and leave victorious.
The only tournament teams NU even faced on the road were Wisconsin, Northwestern and Illinois. This year, there’s another trip to Northwestern, another game in Madison. Relatively to how punishing the Big Ten can be, Nebraska got off relatively easy a season ago.
The away slate is tougher this year, but it also yields more opportunity. Photos: A look inside a Nebraska men's basketball practice — July 29 Nebraska's Andrew Morgan warms up during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska players, including Sam Hoiberg (center), huddle during a team practice Monday at Hendricks Training Complex.
Nebraska's Andrew Morgan attempts a shot during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska's Andrew Morgan attempts a shot during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg observes a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex.
Nebraska's Rollie Worster looks to make a shot during a team practice on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska's Braden Frager looks to make a shot during a team practice on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska's Jeffrey Grace looks to make a shot during a team practice on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex.
Nebraska's Nick Janowski looks to make a shot during a team practice on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg observes a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska's Ahron Ulis goes for a layup during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex.
Nebraska's Connor Essegian goes for a layup during a team practice Monday at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska's Justin Bolis goes for a layup during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Nebraska's Brice Williams goes for a layup during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex.
Nebraska's Henry Burt goes for a layup during a team practice, Monday, July 29, 2024, at Hendricks Training Complex. Subscribe for the best Husker news & commentary Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
