Kansas vs. Nebraska Preview
LINCOLN, NE (AP) – Kansas has easily handled its past two opponents but might have a tougher time with its next one.
The second-ranked Jayhawks got all they could handle last month at home against Nebraska and will try to prevail in their final game in Lincoln as a Big 12 opponent Saturday.
Kansas (21-1, 6-1) has won three straight since having its 69-game home win streak end with a 74-63 loss to Texas on Jan. 22. With help from an inspired Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks have prevailed in their past two contests by a combined 46 points.
Current college basketball odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made Kansas 6-point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against Nebraska. Current college basketball public betting information shows that 94% of more than 408 bets for this game have been placed on Kansas -6.
Robinson had 17 points and nine rebounds in a 90-66 drubbing of visiting Kansas State last Saturday, his first game following his mother’s funeral. He matched that output in Tuesday night’s 88-66 rout at Texas Tech, and Marcus Morris had 18 points to lead five players in double figures.
“(Robinson) is a little more focused,” coach Bill Self said. “He’s playing for much more than himself right now.”
Robinson had nine points and five rebounds off the bench against Nebraska on Jan. 15, and the Jayhawks needed all the help they could get to rally from a 10-point deficit in the second half. Morris had 13 of his 16 points in the second half, including two free throws with 21 seconds left, in a 63-60 victory – Kansas’ 16th in a row over the Cornhuskers (15-6, 3-4).
“We came in here to win,” Nebraska center Andre Almeida said. “We’re not happy with it. It was a good game and we were close but almost isn’t good enough.”
Kansas has won six straight at the Devaney Sports Center, but Tyrel Reed, who had 16 points in last month’s game, knows this trip might prove tougher. Nebraska is allowing a league-low 57.1 points per game and 53.0 on its home floor, where it’s 14-0.
“I thought they played great defensively against us,” said Reed, who has played with a sore foot for the past month. “It was an extremely tough game. They weren’t rattled by our fans or anything. They haven’t lost a game at home and it’s going to be a tough game regardless.”
The Cornhuskers have suffered half of their losses this season by three points or fewer but endured their most lopsided defeat Wednesday night, 69-53 at Kansas State, as they committed a season-high 22 turnovers.
Nebraska outshot the Wildcats 44.2 to 41.2 percent but was 3 of 12 from 3-point range and made nine fewer free throws. Leading scorer Lance Jeter had 16 points for a career-best fifth straight game in double figures, but Jorge Brian Diaz was the only other player to score more than six.
Jeter started his streak by scoring 13 points in the loss to the Jayhawks. Almeida was the only other player in double figures in that game with 10.
Before heading off to the Big Ten, Nebraska will try to win for the second time in 27 meetings with Kansas. The Jayhawks lead the series 169-71 but hold just an 18-16 edge at the Devaney Center.
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