Nebraska’s NCAA Match hopes had been dim after a six-game skid in January.
Since then, Brice Williams has taken over to assist propel the Cornhuskers again into rivalry.
The fifth-year guard will attempt to lead Nebraska to a fifth straight win Thursday night time when No. 25 Maryland visits Lincoln, Neb.
Williams has been at his finest since scoring simply 11 factors in a blowout loss at then-No. 18 Wisconsin on Jan. 26. He is matched a profession excessive with 4 straight 20-point video games, together with a 24-point effort in Sunday’s 79-71 house win over Ohio State.
Earlier than that, he posted 27 and 28 factors in a pair of ranked wins over Illinois and Oregon — which netted him AP Nationwide Participant of the Week honors — and adopted up with 23 in a victory at Washington final Wednesday.
“He is simply making the suitable performs,” Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg mentioned. “He is enjoying arguably in addition to anyone. He received the award for the very best participant within the nation final week. He is doing it with out being egocentric. He is simply making successful performs.”
Williams’ surge has vaulted Nebraska (16-8, 6-7 Large Ten) again into the NCAA Match image, not less than for now. The Cornhuskers held one of many “Final 4 Byes” as a No. 10 seed in ESPN’s bracket projection on Tuesday.
Selecting up a sixth Quad 1 win, although, would require Nebraska to avenge its 69-66 street loss to Maryland again on Jan. 19.
The Terrapins (18-6, 8-5) have gained 4 of 5 since that victory, a part of a 7-2 stretch that has pushed them to a No. 6 seed in ESPN’s newest mock bracket. Coach Kevin Willard’s staff narrowly stayed within the AP rankings this week by recovering from a three-point loss at Ohio State to beat visiting Rutgers 90-81 on Sunday.
Derik Queen powered Maryland in opposition to the Scarlet Knights with a career-high 29 factors to associate with 15 rebounds and 5 assists. The touted freshman tallies 15.5 factors per sport to guide 5 Terrapin scorers averaging double figures.
Queen is not Maryland’s solely key newcomer, although. Ja’Kobi Gillespie (14.3 ppg), Rodney Rice (13.2 ppg) and Selton Miguel (11.5 ppg) even have energized the Terrapins’ beginning rotation as veteran transfers who’re new to the Large Ten.
“I believe they’re beginning to respect the convention,” Willard mentioned of his new contributors. “They’re studying they usually’re understanding. And , you could possibly say, effectively, you are 12 video games in or 13 video games in — they’re all freshmen from the standpoint of studying the Large Ten.”
Julian Reese, who’s averaging 13.7 factors and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds per sport, rounds out Maryland’s double-digit scorers. The senior ahead had simply 4 factors and two rebounds Sunday however had flourished over the Terrapins’ earlier 4 video games, averaging 19.8 factors and 12 boards.
“He is been the very best participant within the Large Ten for the final month, palms down,” Willard mentioned.
Reese posted eight factors, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and two steals in Maryland’s first assembly with Nebraska. Gillespie led the Terrapins with 22 factors, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
For the Cornhuskers, Andrew Morgan scored a season-high 17 off the bench. Williams had 14 factors.
Nebraska’s offense is a bit much less various than Maryland’s, with Williams (19.4 ppg), Juwan Gary (13.1 ppg) and Connor Essegian (11 ppg) the one three gamers averaging not less than eight factors per sport.
–Subject Degree Media