Nebraska

Capital Projects Fund Helps Build Nebraska’s Broadband Bridge

Published

2 years ago

September 1, 2022

Press Room

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Digital Beat

“In our digital world, high-speed broadband web is fundamental infrastructure we have to develop our total state.”

—Governor Pete Ricketts

Nebraska adopted a state broadband plan in 2014 setting objectives of extending broadband service and adoption to 90 % of Nebraska households by 2020. Nonetheless in need of its connectivity objectives, the state ramped up efforts towards common broadband through the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts fueled with federal assist. This week, the U.S. Division of Treasury permitted Nebraska’s newest plans to attach everybody within the state.

The Digital Divide in Nebraska

Broadband of no less than 25 Mbps down and three Mbps up was obtainable to 84.6% of Nebraskans in 2015, up from 79.3% in 2014. Nebraska ranked thirty fourth out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia on this measure.

However common marketed obtain and add speeds in Nebraska lagged behind the USA and most neighboring states. Nebraska had a median marketed mounted obtain pace of 20.4 Mbps in comparison with the usaverage of 32.6 Mbps and a median marketed mounted add pace of 8.5 Mbps in comparison with the U.S. common of 12.8 Mbps. There have been important variations in common add and obtain speeds between the state’s extra populous and fewer populous counties. Nebraska counties with populations higher than 20,000 had a median marketed mounted obtain pace of 36.5 Mbps and a median marketed mounted add pace of 16.2 Mbps. As compared, Nebraska counties with populations lower than 20,000 had a median marketed mounted obtain pace of 16.8 Mbps and a median marketed mounted add pace of 6.8 Mbps.

Though the info would have appeared to point that there’s an urban-rural divide in Nebraska, some rural counties carried out fairly effectively on a number of of the indications. For instance, Keith County with a inhabitants of 8,062 had the best marketed add and obtain speeds within the state on the time.

Nebraska lagged behind the U.S. and neighboring states within the subscription charge to increased pace tiers of broadband (then outlined as 10 Mbps down and three Mbps up or higher). In over half of the counties in Nebraska, fewer than 20% of households subscribed to broadband at speeds of 10 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up or higher.

Nebraska’s Broadband Applications

In June 2020, Gov. Ricketts laid out his plans on tips on how to spend the primary $387 million given to the state beneath the CARES Act. Increasing broadband to rural areas was one in all 4 priorities. The state devoted $29.5 million to its Rural Broadband Distant Entry Grant Program in hopes of bettering web connectivity and offering extra alternatives for tele-health providers.

In Could 2021, the state enacted the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act, a legislation geared toward bringing quick, dependable broadband connectivity to an estimated 30,000 households. The legislation created the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program to facilitate and fund the deployment of broadband networks in unserved and underserved areas of Nebraska. The state appropriated $20 million to this program yearly starting in fiscal yr 2021-2022.

The Broadband Bridge Program was designed to help with expensive deployment tasks which may not in any other case happen with out public help. The legislation gave the Nebraska Public Service Fee the authority to grant awards to help candidates with eligible infrastructure set up prices for qualifying tasks. Qualifying tasks should present broadband Web service scalable to 1 hundred megabits per second for downloading and 100 megabits per second for importing, or higher (100Mbps/100Mbps). Candidates have been required to offer matching funds equal to no less than fifty % of the entire improvement prices of the venture. The utmost grant quantity awarded can’t exceed $5 million for a single venture.

Eligible candidates for this program can embody:

a broadband Web service supplier together with any telecommunications firm, cable tv firm, or wi-fi community supplier that gives broadband Web service;
a cooperative;
a political subdivision;
an Indian tribe. [Applications from a political subdivision or an Indian tribe shall be made as part of a public-private partnership with a broadband Internet service provider.]

A venture involving improvement of a broadband community in an unserved space or an underserved space could also be thought-about. An unserved space is an space of Nebraska by which areas lack entry to broadband Web service at speeds of no less than twenty-five megabits per second for downloading and three megabits per second for importing (25Mbps/3Mbps). An underserved space is an space of Nebraska by which areas lack entry to broadband Web service at speeds of no less than one-hundred megabits per second for downloading and twenty megabits per second for importing (100Mbps/20Mbps).

Functions involving underserved areas should additionally embody a digital inclusion plan that demonstrates entry to and use of knowledge and communication applied sciences by all people and communities within the venture space, together with probably the most deprived people and communities. The plan should describe the service’s efforts to make sure members of the group to be served will be capable to afford the providers supplied, and should describe any reductions and/or assist applications to be supplied for low-income people. Acceptable digital inclusion plans should not impose information caps on client utilization.

In 2021, the Broadband Bridge Program awarded a complete of $19.2 million in grants to 19 suppliers throughout the state. Communities that benefitted included Ansley, Arcadia, Burwell, Thedford, Mullen, and rural areas close to Ravenna.

In 2022 the legislature up to date the legislation, lowering the matching grants for tasks positioned in high-cost areas from 50 % of venture prices to 25 %. The replace additionally prolonged the deadline for purposes to be filed with the Nebraska PSC from July 1 to Oct. 1, with grants being awarded no later than Jan. 31 of the next yr, starting in 2022. Grant recipients should now decide to sustaining a minimal 100 Mbps of obtain and add speeds for all areas for which they’ve acquired grant funding and agree to supply broadband within the venture space for 15 years. The replace additionally contains provisions that:

present as much as $2 million in annual grant funding to offer precision agriculture connectivity of no less than 100 Mbps obtain and 20 Mbps add pace to speed up rural financial improvement and supply high-speed web connectivity to farm websites in unserved areas of the state;
enable the Nebraska PSC to create and preserve a Nebraska location material broadband entry map;
require the Nebraska PSC’s weighted utility scoring system to incorporate the power to supply charges in a venture space akin to charges supplied by the applicant exterior the venture space; and
present for an expedited wire-crossing allow course of for telecommunications corporations wishing to cross railroad rights of manner.

Capital Tasks Fund Assist

On August 30, 2022, the U.S. Treasury permitted Nebraska’s plan to speculate $87.7 million in broadband infrastructure tasks. The state estimates that the funding, 68% of its whole Capital Tasks Fund allocation, will assist join 23% of the areas in Nebraska that also lack broadband service. Every of the broadband suppliers funded by the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program will take part within the Federal Communications Fee’s Reasonably priced Connectivity Program—a $30 per 30 days subsidy for low-income households.

The Nebraska PSC will companion with the Nebraska Division of Financial Growth to manage the brand new funds.

“This new funding together with what’s at the moment in place will make a big effect on serving to to offer broadband to the unserved and underserved areas of our state,” mentioned Dan Watermeier, the chairman of the Nebraska PSC.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Men’s Basketball takes care of business in Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic opener

Published

3 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska Men’s Basketball takes care of business in Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic opener

HONOLULU, Hawaii (KOLN/Huskers.com) – Andrew Morgan and Connor Essegian combined for 27 points off the bench, while Nebraska’s defense held Murray State to a season-low point total in a 66-49 win in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Sunday evening.

Morgan posted his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Essegian led Nebraska (8-2) with 15 points, including five 3-pointers. In all, NU’s bench outscored the Racers, 29-11.

The Huskers held Murray State to 31 percent shooting, including just 4-of-28 in the first half as Nebraska built a 20-point halftime lead and led by double figures most of the night. NU held the Racers (6-5) to nearly 30 points below their season average. Rollie Worster was the third Husker in double figures with 11 points, as Nebraska shot nearly 50 percent from the field and enjoyed a 40-26 advantage on the glass.

Nebraska will play Hawai’i on Monday at 9:30 p.m. (central) on ESPN2 and on the Husker Sports Network.

Nebraska put on a defensive clinic in the first half, holding Murray State to just four field goals in the opening 20 minutes in building a 34-14 halftime lead. Nebraska held the Racers to 4-of-28 shooting from the field, including 1-of-13 inside the arc.

Juwan Gary got the Huskers scoring seven of NU’s first nine points in the first 5:15 of the game, as his 3-point play with 14:45 left in the half ignited a 16-0 spurt for Nebraska. The Huskers held MSU scoreless for over six minutes in building a 22-4 lead after a steal and basket from Brice Williams.

Murray State rallied behind Kylen Milton, who scored seven straight points in a 50-second span, including a four-point play to trim the lead to 22-11 with 7:44 left in the half.

Nebraska, which got 17 first-half points from its bench, responded with a pair of 3-pointers from Essegian, who finished with nine first-half points. Nebraska stretched the lead to 20 after consecutive baskets from Morgan.

The Huskers built its largest lead of the game, at 39-16 following a Williams’ 3-pointer with 18:50 left before the Racers started to chip away. Murray State cut a 21-point lead to 16 following a 3-pointer from AJ Ferguson with 14:26 left before a Braxton Meah dunk ended the run.

The teams would trade baskets and NU led 57-38 with just over seven minutes left before the Racers, who shot 48 percent from the field after halftime made one last run. MSU went on an 11-4 run to pull to within 61-49 on a 3-pointer from Kylen Milton with 3:33 left, but would get no closer as a jumper by Wooster and Essegian’s fifth 3-pointer of the night accounted for the final margin.

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Nebraska

How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball in the Diamond Head Classic: Preview, Team Breakdowns, TV Channels

Published

11 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball in the Diamond Head Classic: Preview, Team Breakdowns, TV Channels

Following a dismal 89-52 loss to Michigan State on the road, the Nebraska men’s basketball team needed a bounce back in a big way.

That bounce back came in the form of a dominant 85-68 victory over a highly-touted Indiana team at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Hoosiers were as hyped as any in the conference, being selected second in the Big Ten preseason poll while bringing in a top-five transfer class in the country over the offseason.

But IU was outclassed by Nebraska, who shot over 65 percent from the field in the first half followed by a defensive effort that stifled the Hoosiers to a 27.8 field goal percentage in the second half to run away. Guard Brice Williams went off with a game-high 30 points with Juwan Gary (14), Connor Essegian (14) and big man Andrew Morgan (10) each reaching double figures to support.

With a momentum-boosting win over a storied program, it gave the Huskers plenty to build on approaching a holiday tournament in the Diamond Head Classic, which features a field that Nebraska can come out on top of.

Here’s all you need to know as NU visits Hawaii for its lone regular-season tournament of the season.

How to Follow Along

Murray State’s Brain Moore Jr. (14) goes up against Evansville’s Chuck Bailey III (4) as the University of Evansville Purple Aces play the Murray State Racers at Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Murray State beat Evansville 81-59. / MaCabe Brown / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Murray State Scout

Head Coach: Steve Prohm | 3rd Season in Second Stint; 7th overall at MSU | 139-68 (.671) at Murray State; 236-163 (.591) Career HC | 3x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 8x NBA Draft Picks, 2x OVC Titles, 2x Big 12 titles | Previous head coach at Iowa State | Previous assistant coach at Tulane, Southeastern Louisiana and Centenary.

2023-2024 Record: 12-20 (9-11 MVC, T-7th) | 1x All-MVC Bench Team | Did not qualify for the postseason.

All-Time Series: Murray State leads 2-0 (Dec. 30, 2000 last match, 79-71 MSU).

Fun Fact: The Huskers and Racers have faced only twice in school history with both matchups going the way of the Racers. MSU won in the title game of the 1990 San Juan Shootout and a regular season win in December of 2000.

Key Returners: JaCobi Wood, G, Sr. | Nick Ellington, F, Sr. | Alden Applewhite, F, Jr. | Justin Morgan, G, Jr.

Key Additions: AJ Ferguson, G, Sr. (Southern Illinois) | Terence Harcum, G, Sr. (Appalachian State) | Kylen Milton, G, Sr. (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) | KyeRon Lindsay, F, Jr. (Texas Tech).

Key Departures: Quincy Anderson, G (Eligibility) | Rob Perry, G (Eligibility) | Brian Moore Jr., G, Sr. (Norfolk State) | Shawn Walker, Jr., G (Eligibility).

Outlook: Murray State enters an important year in the second stint of head coach Steve Prohm. From 2011-2015, Prohm helped the mid-major to new heights, making a pair of NCAA Tournaments – including a win in the First Round in 2012 – winning two Missouri Valley Conference tournament titles and posting a 104-29 record in four seasons. Prohm catapulted that success into a six-year run at Iowa State, taking over for new Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg who went to become the head coach for the Chicago Bulls.

Prohm went 97-95 in Ames before coming back to Murray State. The success hasn’t all been there for the Racers compared to Prohm’s earlier run with a 35-39 record in just over two complete seasons.

Three of the top five scorers from last year’s 12-20 squad moved on from the program, including leading scorer Quincy Anderson (12.6 PPG), Rob Perry (11.9 PPG) and Brian Moore Jr. (9.2 PPG) who transferred to Norfolk State.

However, JaCobi Wood and Nick Ellington both returned, giving the Racers a pair of returners who produced double-digit points. Wood’s game has grown as a senior, leading the team with 15 points per game. Ellington has remained productive as well with 10.3 points per contest, but Prohm went heavy into the transfer portal to supplement his roster.

Four of the top six scorers came to Murray State from other schools. 6-foot-7 senior guard AJ Ferguson has had the biggest impact with 12.3 PPG for second on the team alongside a team-leading six rebounds per game. He’s exploded on the scene after spending two seasons at Southern Illinois. Senior guard Terence Harcum was an All-Sun Belt Third Team pick last season with Appalachian State, and is now averaging 12.0 PPG. Kylen Milton rounds out the transfer trio with 11.2 points per game after three seasons at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and one year at Western Kentucky. He brings plenty of experience with now 107 games of college basketball experience. Even Texas Tech transfer KyeRon Lindsay brings a spark with 8.3 points per game.

This is a balanced team across the board with its scoring, but it emphasizes three-point shooting with a 38.6 percent mark through nine games this season. The Racers are actually better in defending the three, however, with a 27.9 three-point shooting percentage from opponents.

The Racers don’t have any bad losses on its resume, but going into Sunday they are riding a two-game losing streak with consecutive defeats to Western Kentucky (81-76) and Indiana State (84-74). If Nebraska plays up to its ability, the Huskers should take care of business while having a great chance to win the whole tournament.

Tournament Capsules

February 22, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Oregon State Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle (right) instructs center KC Ibekwe (24) against the California Golden Bears during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Oregon State

Head Coach: Wayne Tinkle | 11th Season at OSU; 19th as Head Coach | 148-179 (.453) at Oregon State; 306-270 (.531) as Head Coach | 5x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 4x Conference titles, 2x Big Sky Coach OTY | Previous head coach at Montana.

2024 Record: 8-2 (0-0 Pac-12) | Wins: Utah Tech, Weber State, Western Oregon, Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis, Idaho, UC Irvine, Sacramento State | Losses: Oregon, North Texas.

Key Contributors: Michael Rataj, F, Jr. (16.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG) | Parsa Fallah, F, R-Jr. (12.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG) | Nate Kingz, G, R-Jr. (11.0 PPG) | Damarco Minor, G, Sr. (9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG | Liutauras Lelevicius, G, R-Soph. (7.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG) | Josiah Lake II, G, Soph. (7.4 PPG).

Xavier Musketeers head coach Chris Mack calls out a play in the first half of the NCAA Big East Conference basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Georgetown Hoyas at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

020318 Xavier / Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK

Charleston

Head Coach: Chris Mack | 1st Season at Charleston; 13th as Head Coach | 286-135 (.679) as Head Coach | 1x Final Four, 9x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 3x Conference titles, 1x Big East Coach OTY, Atlantic 10 Coach OTY | Previous head coach at Louisville and Xavier.

2024 Record: 8-2 (0-0 CAA) | Wins: Southern Illinois, South Florida, Florida Atlantic, The Citadel, Northern Kentucky, Tusculum, Saint Joseph’s, Wofford. | Losses: Liberty, Rhode Island.

Nov 22, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Loyola (Il) Ramblers coach Drew Valentine on the sidelines during the first half against the Creighton Bluejays at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

Loyola Chicago

Head Coach: Drew Valentine | 4th Season at LUC | 67-40 (.626) as Head Coach | 1x NCAA Tournament Appearance, 1x MVC title; 1x Atlantic 10 title | Previous assistant at Oakland and Michigan State.

2024 Record: 9-1 (0-0 A10) | Wins: Chicago State, Detroit Mercy, Eureka, Princeton, Southern Utah, Tulsa, Eastern Michigan, South Florida, Canisius | Losses: San Francisco.

Oct 20, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies head coach Greg Kampe on the sideline in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Oakland

Head Coach: Greg Kampe | 41st Season at Oakland | 703-544 (.564) at Oakland & Career | 7x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 7x regular season conference titles, 4x tournament conference titles | 4x Summit League Coach OTY, 1x GLIAC Coach OTY. | Longest current tenured men’s basketball coach; Third active coach with 600 or more career wins; Fourth-most active career wins.

2024 Record: 3-7 (1-2 Horizon League) | Wins: Defiance College, Toledo, Wright State | Losses: (RV) Boise State, (RV) Illinois, No. 1 Kansas, Eastern Michigan, Youngstown State, No. 20 Michigan State, Cleveland State.

Key Contributors: DQ Cole, G, Sr. (12.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG) | Allen Mukeba, F, Gr. (12.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG) | Buru Naivalurua, F, Sr. (11.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG) | Malcolm Christie, G, Sr. (8.0 PPG) | Jayson Woodrich, G/F, Gr. (5.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG) | Jaylen Jones, G, Soph. (5.0 PPG, 3.9 APG, 3.8 RPG).

Jan 6, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers head coach Aaron Fearne during the second half against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Dale F. Halton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Charlotte

Head Coach: Aaron Fearne | 2nd Season at Charlotte; 15th as Head Coach | 25-16 (.610) at Charlotte | NBL Coach OTY, 2z QBL Coach OTY 2x QBL Champion |Charlotte Interim HC for 2023-2024 season before being elevated; 13 years as head coach in Australian Professional Basketball.

2024 Record: 6-4 (0-0 AAC) | Wins: Presbyterian, Richmond, Gardner-Webb, Livingstone, Georgia State, West Georgia | Losses: Utah State, Long Island, ETSU, Davidson.

Key Contributors: Nik Graves, G, Jr. (16.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.2 APG) | Robert Braswell IV, G, Gr. (13.9 PPG, 46.3 3P%) | Giancarlo Rosado, F, Gr. (12.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG) | Jaehshon Thomas, G, Jr. (10.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG) | Rich Rolf, F, R-Soph. (5.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG) | Dean Reiber, F, R-Sr. (5.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG) | Kylan Blackmon, G, R-Sr. (5.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG) | Isaiah Folkes, G, Sr. (4.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG).

March 20, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; Hawaii Rainbow Warriors head coach Eran Ganot speaks to players during a stoppage in play against Maryland Terrapins during the first half in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Hawaii

Head Coach: Eran Ganot | 10th Season at Hawaii | 162-105 (.607) at Hawaii; 165-107 (.607) Career record | 1x NCAA Tournament Appearance, 1x Big West Regular Season & Tournament title, 1x Big West Coach OTY | 3-2 as acting HC for St. Mary’s (CA.) in 2013-2014.

2024 Record: 6-3 (0-1 Big West) | Wins: Life Pacific, San Jose State, Pacific, Weber State, Hawaii Pacific, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | Losses: North Carolina, Grand Canyon, Long Beach State.

Key Contributors: Gytis Nemeikša, F, Sr. (14.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG) | Tanner Christensen, C, Gr. (12.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 69.0 FG%) | Marcus Greene, G, Sr. (11.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG) | Kody Williams, G, Jr. (8.2 PPG, 51.4 3P%) | Tom Beattie, G, Soph. (7.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG) | Akira Jacobs, F, Soph. (7.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG) | Ryan Rapp, G, Sr. (7.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG) | Harry Rouhliadeff, F, Jr. (5.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG).

MORE: Lexi Rodriguez Expresses Gratitude as She Says Goodbye to Nebraska Volleyball

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Holiday Hoops: Huskers set for Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii

Published

19 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Holiday Hoops: Huskers set for Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii

How about some Husker hoops during the holidays in Hawaii.

Nebraska (7-2 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten) begins its Diamond Head Classic slate on Sunday night in Hawaii against Murray State (6-4, 1-1 in Missouri Valley Conference). Tip for the game is set for 8 p.m. central time. It will be televised by ESPN with Roxy Bernstein and Sean Farnham on the call.

The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is a three-day tournament with games on Sunday, Monday and Christmas day on Wednesday. The action is played at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, the home of the hosting Rainbow Warriors.

Nebraska will play the winner of Hawaii and Charlotte in the second game on Monday. College of Charleston, Loyola (Chicago), Oakland and Oregon State make up the rest of the eight-team tournament field.

Here’s a look at the bracket, which can be viewed here:

Each team in the tournament will play three games in four games. That’s a lot of basketball packed into a short amount of time. That’ll no doubt be a different feeling for the Huskers, who have a schedule with a December stretch of just three games in 21 days.

Obviously, getting off on the right foot in the opener against Murray State is a must for the trip to be considered a success.

“This first one obviously is very important, to try to stay on the right side of the stay bracket,” Fred Hoiberg said during a press conference Thursday before the team departed. “We’ll worry about the second game when we get there, whether it’s Hawaii or Charlotte, and then have a day off to prepare for the third game that we will play.”

Nebraska will catch Murray State on a two-game losing streak. The Racers fell on the road at Western Kentucky 81-76 in overtime last Saturday, then dropped a game at Indiana State on Wednesday 84-74.

Hoiberg noted how Murray State dug itself in a hole early but never quit and made it a game at the end. The Racers trailed by as many as 22 points in the second half, 53-36 with 12:15 remaining, but slashed the Sycamores’ lead to a two-possession game, 78-74, with 1:37 left.

“It’s a team that shoots the ball as well or better than any team that we played to this point, and they’ve got quick, athletic guards that pose problems on both ends of the court,” Hoiberg said.

Nebraska is coming off a head-turning 85-68 victory against Indiana on Dec. 13, a solid rebound effort after getting embarrassed in a loss at Michigan State.

In the win over the Hoosiers, Brice Williams went off with an outing of 30 points, six rebounds and five assists. The 6-7 guard was named Big Ten Player of the Week and one of five USBWA Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week.

Williams also became only the second Husker in the Big Ten era to have at least 30 points and five assists in a game, joining Teddy Allen (2021).

Murray State will come into the game averaging 78.8 points per game (7th in MVC) while shooting 47.7% from the field (7th) and 38.6% from 3-point range (4th). The Racers’ defense is allowing 67.0 points per game (3rd) and have done well defending the perimeter, holding opponents to 27.9% shooting from 3 this season.

“Their ability to shoot is the thing that really stands out,” Hoiberg said. “They shoot over 40 percent as a team. Their guards are really quick, and they do a great job getting into the paint.”

Hoiberg knows Murray State head coach Steve Prohm well. Prohm was who took over for Hoiberg at Iowa State when he took the Chicago Bulls head coaching job.

“I think he’s a great guy and I think he’s a hell of a coach,” Hoiberg said of Prohm. “So they do a really good job of spacing the floor. They run a lot of really good actions, especially for their shooters when they get it going. And their bigs, the guys that do play, they’re very active going to the glass. They will throw it in there depending on matchups. I’ve been impressed with this team and their overall quickness and ability to shoot the ball. Those are the things that worry you most about this group.”

With the forecast for Honolulu calling for sunny skies and 80-degree temperatures during the days of the tournament, the Huskers want to enjoy the experience of being in Hawaii during the holidays.

But making sure winning basketball games and the tournament is the top priority.

“If we go out there and guys want to sit on the beach and do all that, we’re probably not going to be very successful,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve talked a lot to our guys about going out there, enjoying the experience and enjoying the process, but understanding when that ball goes up in the air, we got to be on point and we got to be ready to go.”

Nebraska preferred to fly to Hawaii on Thursday, but due to finals at UNL, the departure day was pushed to Friday. The Huskers landed in Honolulu on Friday afternoon local time.

Hoiberg said the Huskers had a light workout on the court after landing and will have a practice on Saturday before the Sunday game. The tight schedule won’t be an excuse, Hoiberg said, because every team in the tournament, outside of host Hawaii, is making the same trip.

“We’re all in the same boat on this trip,” Hoiberg said. “It’s something where the team that puts the distractions behind them — you got the time change, got a new ball that we’ve been practicing with all week — but it’s the same thing for everybody. It’s the short turnarounds, and the team that prepares the best will have the most success in the tournament this week.”

On Tuesday, the off day on Christmas Eve, Hoiberg said there will be a team meal with some of the family members that also made the trip. They’ll find time to fit that in between a practice and multiple film sessions.

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