Huskers Host No. 18 Illinois Thursday NightHuskers Host No. 18 Illinois Thursday Night
Men's Basketball

Huskers Host No. 18 Illinois Thursday Night

MBB vs Maryland - LK036

Game 21
Opponent: No. 18/20 Illinois
Date: Thurs., Jan. 30
Tipoff: 7:30 p.m.
Location:  Lincoln, Neb.
Arena: Pinnacle Bank Arena

On the Air
Radio:
Thursday's game will be carried on the Huskers Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen on the call, including KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln, KXSP (590 AM) in Omaha and KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington. The pregame show begins an hour before tipoff and will also be available on Huskers.com and the Huskers app. 

TV/Online: Thursday's game will be on FS1 with Kevin Kugler and Nick Bahe on the call. It will also be available online on the Fox Sports app.

Huskers Host No. 18 Illinois Thursday Night
The Nebraska men's basketball team looks to bounce back on Thursday night, as the Huskers welcome No. 18 Illinois to town. Tipoff from Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. and the contest will be televised on FS1 and carried on the Huskers Radio Network, as well as on Huskers.com and the Huskers app. The game will also be available on the Fox Sports App.  A limited number of 300 Level tickets are available for purchase for Thursday's matchup by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or at the PBA box office beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Nebraska (12-8, 2-7 B1G) is in the middle of three straight games against ranked opponents following Sunday's loss to now-No. 17 Wisconsin. The Huskers rallied from an early 17-point deficit to get within three points midway through the first half but were unable to cool off a Wisconsin team that went 17-of-37 from 3-point range. Brice Williams led the Huskers with 11 points but ended up as the only Husker in double figures, as Nebraska dropped its sixth straight contest. Juwan Gary grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and has grabbed at least seven boards in three of the past four games. 

Williams comes into the contest as one of the Big Ten's top scoring threats, as the senior is averaging a team-high 18.2 points per game and has been in double figures in 18 of 22 contests. The 6-foot-7 guard has eight 20-point games and is on pace to set career bests in both assists and steals. He was also 29 of 30 from the foul line over the last six games before going 1-of-2 from the line at Wisconsin. As a team, NU got to the line a season-low eight times. 

Illinois (14-6, 6-4 B1G) comes off an 83-74 win over Northwestern on Sunday. Kylan Boswell's 17 points led five Fighting Illini in double figures while Morez Johnson Jr. had 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.  Kasparas Jakucionis totaled 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, as Illinois enjoyed a 50-27 advantage on the glass in avenging an earlier loss to the Wildcats. 

Following Thursday's game, the Huskers will begin a two-game swing through the Northwest on Sunday as Nebraska faces No. 16 Oregon and Washington.

Numbers to Know
2014
- Nebraska will look for its third ranked win of the season on Thursday night. The last time NU won three games against ranked teams was during the 2013-14 campaign.

72.2 - Sam Hoiberg is shooting 72.2 percent from the field in the month of January entering Thursday's game with Illinois. The junior guard has provided a spark off the bench and is  averaging 5.1 points per game with a 2.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in that stretch.

30 - Fred Hoiberg has 30 wins over ranked opponents, including 11 career wins against top-10 teams, in his collegiate coaching career. In addition, his four road wins against ranked opponents is second only to Danny Nee's seven all-time among NU men's basketball coaches.

70 - Over the last two-plus seasons, Nebraska has been exceptional when holding opponents to 70 points or less. The Huskers are 41-5 (.891) when holding opponents to 70 points or less. The Jan. 19 loss to Maryland snapped a streak of 36 straight wins when holding opponents to 70 points or less.

Worth Noting

  • With 11 points last Sunday at Wisconsin, Brice and his father, Henry, became the seventh father-son duo to combine for 4,000 career points at the college level. Brice now has 1,619 career points and is now only 182 points away from reaching 1,000 as a Husker. Henry Williams, who passed away in 2018, was Charlotte's all-time leading scorer with 2,383 career points.  

Father-Son Duos with 4,000 Points

No.

Father (College)

Years

Points

Son (College)

Years

Points

Total

1.

Dell Curry (Virginia Tech)

1983-86

2,389

Stephen Curry (Davidson)

2006-09

2,635

5,024

2.

Mike Davis (Alabama)

1979-83

1,211

Antoine Davis (Detroit)

2018-23

3,664

4,875

3.

Steve Burtt Sr. (Iona)

1980-84

2,534

Steve Burtt Jr. (Iona)

2002-06

2,034

4,568

4.

Dell Curry (Virginia Tech)

1983-86

2,389

Seth Curry (Duke/Liberty)

2009-13

2,101

4,490

5.

Steve Alford (Indiana)

1983-86

2,438

Bryce Alford (UCLA)

2013-17

1,922

4,360

6.

Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa)

1984-88

1,033

Doug McDermott (Creighton)

2010-14

3,150

4,183

7.

Henry Williams (Charlotte)

1988-92

2,383

Brice Williams (Charlotte/Nebraska)

2019-25

1,619

4,002

• Nebraska looks for its third ranked win of the season when the Huskers host Illinois on Thursday. NU is 2-2 against ranked opponents this season, and a win against the Fighting Illini would give NU three wins over ranked teams for the first time since 2013-14. NU is 7-9 in its last 16 games against ranked teams dating back to March 1, 2022. 

• Nebraska is 5-10 (.333) all-time against teams ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll. All five wins have been in conference play, including the most recent one against Ohio State in 2013-14.

• In four of the six games during NU’s current losing streak, Nebraska has been within three points in the final 10 seconds of regulation.

• Thursday's game will be the second of three straight games against ranked opponents. This will mark the first time since Dec. 4-10, 2022, where NU will face three straight ranked foes. 

• Nebraska is No. 62 in the NET on Jan. 27 and has plenty of opportunities to jump in the coming weeks. Six of the Huskers’ next seven games are against Quad 1 opponents beginning with NET No. 10 Illinois. Eight teams are currently in the top 30 of the NET while all 18 teams are inside the top 100 as of Jan. 27.  

• Thursday's game will feature the second-annual football dunk contest at halftime, while fans can get their picture with the Pinstripe Bowl trophy, as the trophy will be on the North Concourse (Section 103) from 6-7:15 p.m.

Connor Essegian has been one of the Big Ten's best sixth men, as the junior guard enters Thursday's game with No. 18 Illinois averaging 11.3 points per contest. He is one of only four Big Ten reserves currently averaging double figures while making five or fewer starts.

• Following his 27-point night against USC on Jan. 22, Juwan Gary has as many 20-point games in his last 10 games (three) as in he did in his first 114 games of his career. 

• A pair of Huskers eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for their career on Jan. 19 at Maryland. Andrew Morgan reached the mark in the first half on his way to a season-high 17-point effort, while Juwan Gary reached the milestone late in the second half. NU's roster now has five career 1,000-point scorers (Brice Williams, Rienk Mast, Rollie Worster, Andrew Morgan and Juwan Gary). 

• Nebraska looks to regain its defensive edge to return to its winning ways. NU is now 42nd nationally in defensive efficiency heading into Thursday's game. NU is 10-0 when holding opponents to under one point per possession, but 2-8 when opponents are above 1.0 PPP. Nebraska has won its last 27 games dating back to the 2022-23 season when holding an opponent under 1.0 PPP.

• When Brice Williams and Juwan Gary both went over 20 points against Rutgers on Jan. 16, it marked the 15th time in Fred Hoiberg's tenure that Nebraska had multiple players score 20+ points in a game. 

Ahron Ulis dished out a career-high 10 assists on Jan. 19 at Maryland. It more than tripled his previous season high of three and marked the first time a Husker had 10 assists in a game since Alonzo Verge Jr. in 2022.  It also marked the first 10-assist game by a Husker reserve since Tom Wald had 11 in a win over Appalachian State on Dec. 31, 1994.  According to Stathead.com, Ulis became the first Big Ten player to come off the bench and have 10 assists in a Big Ten game since A.J. Huggard had 10 assists against Purdue in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament. 

• Over the last 24 games dating back to last season, Brice Williams is averaging 18.5 points per game on .476 shooting and has 11 20-point efforts in that span. He has been in double figures in 22 of 24 games in that stretch. He averaged just 12.5 ppg over his first 30 games at Nebraska in 2023-24.

• With its 12-8 start in 2024-25, Nebraska is 41-22 over the last 63 games dating back to the start of February 2023. NU's .651 winning percentage ranks fourth among Big Ten programs in that stretch.  NU went just 33-80 from the start of the 2019-20 season until Feb. 1, 2023.

• NU has relied on its depth with six players averaging at least 7.2 points per game. Eight players have posted double-figure efforts, while three players (Brice Williams, Connor Essegian and Juwan Gary) have recorded 20-point games.  Williams is the only Husker in the top 30 of the Big Ten in scoring as of Jan 27.

Brice Williams is just the sixth Husker in the Big Ten era to have multiple 30-point games.  He had 30 points in the win over Indiana on Dec. 13 and tied his career high with 32 points against Hawai’i on Dec. 23. He is one of eight Big Ten players with multiple 30-point games this season.

• Nebraska comes into Thursday's game with Illinois averaging 75.3 points per game.  NU has scored 70+ points in 12 of 19 games, including seven games with at least 80 points. Last season, NU averaged 77.7 points per game for 34 games, its highest offensive total since the 1995-96 season. 

• For most of the season, Nebraska was one of the most prolific teams in the Big Ten in getting to the foul line. Nebraska averaged 26.8 attempts per game during  the first 14 contests but has been to the free throw line an average of 16 times per game over the last six contests. NU was just 3-of-8 from the foul line in Sunday's loss at Wisconsin.

• Nebraska is averaging 7.8 steals per game to rank fourth in the Big Ten as of Jan. 27. Fiver Huskers average at least one steal per game led by Sam Hoiberg, who is 12th in the conference with 1.4 spg. Of the 45 Big Ten players averaging at least one steal per game as of January 27, Hoiberg is one of two players who averages less than 20 minutes per game. 

• The Huskers are 37-6 over the last two seasons when out-rebounding opponents. NU had won 27 straight games when out-rebounding opponents before the streak was snapped against Saint Mary's on Nov. 17. Nebraska has been out-rebounded just four times in 20 games this season.  

• NU went 10-1 in non-conference action, only the seventh time since WWII that NU finished its non-con slate with one loss (also 10-1, 2023-24; 10-1, 2018-19; 10-1, 2003-04; 12-1, 1991-92; 15-1, 1990-91; 11-1, 1977-78).

• Nebraska's 2024 Diamond Head Classic title marked the program's first MTE event title since the 2000 San Juan Shootout. With the win, Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg became the first coach to win multiple Diamond Head Classic titles, as he coached Iowa State to the 2013 championship.

Brice Williams earned MVP honors at the Diamond Head Classic, as he averaged 22.0 points per game on 56 percent shooting, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Williams averaged 19.3 ppg on 57 percent shooting in seven December games following his 11-point, seven-rebound effort against Southern. 

• Nebraska saw its school-record 20-game home win streak snapped against Rutgers on Jan. 16.  The 20 straight home wins tied the mark set on two previous occasions, most recently from 2017 to 2019. Over the past three years, Nebraska is 37-7 (.841) inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

• Nebraska comes off one of its most successful seasons in program history. The Huskers went 23-11 in 2023-24 and tied for third in the Big Ten standings before reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013-14. The Huskers’ 23 wins were the most since setting a school-record with 26 wins in 1990-91, while NU’s 12 conference wins also ranked second in school history.

• Nebraska has increased its win total in each of the past three years, marking the first time NU has done that since the mid-1960s (1963-64 to 1965-66). If Nebraska can improve its win total this year, it would mark the first time since a four-year stretch from 1945-46 to 1948-49 that the Huskers improved their win total in four consecutive seasons.

• Over the past two seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24), NU has won 21 conference games, the highest two-year total since the 1965-66 and 1966-67 teams won 22 conference tilts. The last two seasons under Fred Hoiberg mark just the fourth time in school history that Nebraska has won 20 or more conference games in a two-year span.

About Illinois
Illinois comes into Wednesday's game with a 14-6 record following an 83-74 win over Northwestern on Sunday. The Fighting Illini were tested in non-conference action, as their only two losses were a neutral-site loss at Alabama and a two-point loss to Tennessee. Illinois swept their west coast trip, including a 32-point win at Oregon, and is 3-2 on the road and at home in conference action.

The Illini retooled their roster after losing four starters, including All-Big Ten performer Terrence Shannon Jr., from a team that went 29-9, won the Big Ten Tournament title and reached the Elite Eight.  Brad Underwood is in his eighth year at Illinois after previous coaching stops at Oklahoma State and Stephen F. Austin. Underwood guided the Illini to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. 

Illinois is led by one of the top freshmen in the country in Kasparas Jakucionis, as he averages 15.9 ppg and 5.4 assists per game to pace the Illini in both categories. Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell is at 12.4 ppg while dishing out nearly four assists per game, while Trey White is averaging 10.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg. Tomislav Ivisic has been one of the top frontcourt newcomers as he averaged 13.0 ppg on 50 percent shooting and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game, but he has missed the last two games with mono. As a team, Illinois averages 85.8 ppg and is out-rebounding teams by 11.5 per game to lead the nation.

Series History: Illinois leads the all-time series, 23-8, over Nebraska in a series that dates back to 1921. Nebraska is 6-16 against Illinois since joining the Big Ten, and the Illini have won nine straight meetings dating back to the 2018-19 season. That was Nebraska's last win in Lincoln. Illinois won both meetings last year, an 87-84 overtime thriller in Champaign and a 98-87 triumph in the Big Ten Tournament. Prior to Nebraska joining the conference in 2011-12, the Huskers and Illini had played only once since 1976 - a 100-73 Husker victory in the 1990 San Juan Shootout.