The nation’s longest active win streak will be on the line when No. 13 Nebraska hosts No. 9 Michigan State in a Big Ten Conference game on Friday night in Lincoln, Neb.
The host Cornhuskers (13-0, 2-0 Big Ten) have won 17 in a row dating back to last season, the longest win streak in school history. That run has already included a victory over a ranked conference opponent, as they beat then-No. 13 Illinois on the road on Dec. 13.
Michigan State (12-1, 2-0) has won four straight since a six-point home loss to then-No. 4 Duke. The Spartans have three wins over ranked foes, beating Kentucky, Arkansas and North Carolina in nonconference play.
Nebraska will need to play better in the first half than in recent games to stay unbeaten. The Cornhuskers trailed at home to both North Dakota and New Hampshire before turning it on in the second half and winning by 23 and 31 points, respectively.
“We’ve just gone one game at a time, that’s how we’ve prepared and that’s what we’re going to do,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Whatever happens you have to find a way to bounce back.”
Michigan State scored a season-high 114 points in its last game, against Cornell, but also allowed 97.
“We’re just going to outscore some people,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “I want to guard somebody again on a regular basis. We’re ranked fourth in the country in defense, and I don’t think some of these guys have been the same since we played Duke.”
Michigan State regularly plays 10 guys, with four averaging double figures in scoring. Senior guard Jaxon Kohler is posting a double-double on a nightly basis, averaging 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds while also shooting 46.7% from 3-point range.
Nebraska’s rotation lost a player in late November when guard Connor Essegian suffered a season-ending injury, but in the win over New Hampshire it saw the debut of transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius. The 6-foot-11 senior, who played last season at Central Michigan, had seven points and two rebounds in 11 minutes.
“We’re going to need that size,” Hoiberg said, noting Michigan State often has three players at least 6-foot-9 on the court. “That’s what we’re going to see every night for the remaining 18 games of our schedule.”
Rienk Mast and Pryce Sandfort are averaging 16.5 points apiece for Nebraska.
Michigan State is seeking its second consecutive 3-0 start in Big Ten play after starting 9-0 last season. It has won 12 of the last 13 over Nebraska but fell in Lincoln on the last visit in 2023.
“It’s going to be fun to go to Nebraska,” Izzo said. “That crowd is sensational. Students gone has no bearing. None. It’s a unique place.”
Nebraska has won its last two matchups with top-10 opponents, though those came in the 2023-24 season and included a 16-point victory over then-No. 1 Purdue.
In addition to staying perfect, a win for the Cornhuskers would make them 3-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2016-17.
–Field Level Media
