How to watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball vs. Bethune-Cookman: Preview, Breakdown, TV

The Nebraska men’s basketball The team earned a season-opening win over Texas Rio Grande Valley on Monday with an 87-67 win Pinnacle Bank Arena. Despite a slim six-point halftime lead against a program that has a first-year head coach, the Huskers pulled away as a returning defense in the final 20 minutes Brice Williams scored 27 points on 8-for-18 shooting, including a 10-for-11 performance in the charity stripe.

Three other Huskers reached double figures: Transferred to Utah Rollie Worster (18 points), former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian (13) and big man Andrew Morgan (10). NU shot 49.1% from the field while going 6 of 19 from distance. The 20-point win over UTRGV could be considered a solid win again, as the Vaqueros ousted No. 15 Creighton on Wednesday night in a 99-86 loss in which Bluejay center Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a CHI Health Center record 49 points had to achieve.

Nebraska will look to improve its season record to 2-0 when it returns to Lincoln to host Bethune-Cookman in the PBA on Saturday.

Here’s everything you need to know as the Huskers take on the Wildcats on Saturday night.

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Bethune Cookman Scout

Head Coach: Reggie Theus | 4th season | 38-59 (.392) School Report | He serves as Bethune-Cookman’s MBB head coach and athletic director Former HC for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings as well as Cal State Northridge and New Mexico State.

2023-2024 record: 17-17 (11-7 SWAC, T-5) | 1x All-SWAC First Team, 1x All-SWAC Second Team | L, 86-85 against Arkansas State in the first round of the RO College Basketball Invitational.

All-time series: Nebraska leads 1-0 (last game 2004, 70-26 NU).

Fun fact: Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg and Theus are two of 19 Division I coaches who played in the NBA this season. Additionally, Theus’ time as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2009-11) overlapped with Hoiberg’s stint in the Timberwolves’ front office.

Important returnees: Reggie Ward Jr., F, Sr. | Seneca Willoughby, G, Jr.

Important additions: Brayon Freeman, G, Sr. (Coastal Carolina) | Gianni Hunt, G, Gr. (Cal State Northridge) | Daniel Rouzan, F, Jr. (Manhattan College) | Antwann Jones, G, Gr. (UCF) | Jesus Carralero Martin, F, Gr. (Missouri) | Trey Thomas, G, Jr. (Bowling Green) | Jerome Beya, F, Jr. (Tennessee Tech) | Jarrell Love, F, Jr. (Baton Rouge CC) | David Onanina, C, R-Soph. (Eastern Kentucky).

Most important departures: Jakobi Heady, G/F, Sr. (Central Michigan) | Zion Harmon, G, Jr. (Seton Hall) | Dhashon Dyson, G (Eligibility) | Derrick Carter-Hollinger Jr, F/C, (Eligibility) | Elijah Hulsewe, C, Jr. (UCF) | Damani McEntire, G (Eligibility) | James Henderson Jr, C, Jr. (Niagra) |

Outlook: Former NBA player and Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus enters his fourth season as Bethune-Cookman men’s basketball coach (and athletic director) and is looking to improve on last season’s overall record of 17-17, which was the program’s best Since the 2019-20 season they finished 16-14.

Despite the success, of the nine players who played at least 28 games last season, only two are returning to the team, while the others either move on or are no longer eligible to play. These include two wildcast conference artists, Jakobi Heady (Central Michigan) and Zion Harmon (Seton Hall), who moved on to larger programs. The Wildcats also lost both of their centers as 6-foot-1 Elijah Hulsewe returned to his hometown of UCF while James Henderson Jr. transferred to Niagara.

The only two returning were forward Reggie Ward Jr. and guard Seneca Willoughby. Ward Jr. was the leading scorer with 15 points in Bethune-Cookman’s season-opening loss to Texas Tech. Seneca played 14 minutes but failed to score any points, going 0-3 from the field and 0-2 from three.

Theus is no stranger to the equivalent of free agency, and he had to do so through the transfer portal, bringing in nine new players to fill out the roster. Coastal Carolina senior and transfer Brayon Freeman made the biggest impact Tuesday with 12 points. Trey Thomas scored nine goals in his Wildcat debut after transferring from Bowling Green, where he played in 28 of BGSU’s 34 games last season.

Eleven players saw playing time for the Wildcats on opening night, but only four had 20 or more minutes. Guard Gianni Hunt, a Cal State Northridge graduate, had a tough game with no points, while Missouri transfer Jesus Carralero Martin added just three points in 21 minutes.

It will most likely take some time for this team to come together and find its groove, but with 13 players on the roster with at least three years of college basketball experience, it will be interesting to watch this group progress through the SWAC in which they Despite one vote for first place, they were scheduled to finish eighth out of twelve places.

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