Wisconsin will look to bounce back after failing to sweep its games out west with a home game on Sunday afternoon against a spiraling Nebraska squad. 

The Badgers have asserted themselves as one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season, and with that comes taking care of business against the likes of a bottom feeding team in the conference like the Cornhuskers. 

Can Wisconsin return home and win in a big way? 

Let’s find out below.

Spread

Moneyline

Total: 151.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Nebraska

Brice Williams: The veteran forward has struggled to shoot in Big Ten play, down to 32% after flirting with 40% shooting from behind the three-point line in non conference play. While he is a consistent scorer, it hasn’t been as efficient which has coincided with the Cornhuskers overall Big Ten struggles.

Wisconsin

John Tonje: One of the best newcomers to any team in the country, Tonje responded to his quiet effort against USC last weekend in which he scored zero points to pour in 24 points on six three-point makes against one of the best defenses in the nation in UCLA. While it was a loss, Tonje is the straw that stirs the drink for the Badgers high octane offense. 

Nebraska has struggled on both sides of the floor in Big Ten play, and I don’t see it getting better in this matchup against Wisconsin. 

The Cornhuskers compact defense yields the three-point shot, allowing opponents to post a near-49% three-point rate this season that ranks in the top 10 in the country. However, this plays right into the hands of Wisconsin, a fantastic three-point shooting team (85th in the country) on a top 40 rate in the nation. 

With the ability to run its preferred offense, the Badgers should dictate the terms of this one while also contending nicely on the defensive side of the floor. The Cornhuskers’ three-point shooting is limited and is reliant on getting to the rim, but that’s tough to come by on the Badgers, who rank top 80 in the country in average shot proximity, per Haslametrics. 

Nebraska has been competitive despite being mired in a five game Big Ten losing streak, losing its last three games by five points or less, but the matchup edges side with Wisconsin that I can’t look past laying it with the home team. 

PICK: Wisconsin -7.5

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The Nebraska women’s basketball team may be able to give some pointers to Nebraska men’s basketball. 

As the men continue to fall apart, the Husker women have the train rolling, crushing Wisconsin 91-60 Monday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena to extend its winning streak to five games thanks to a balanced scoring attack, including a team-high 17 points from Kendall Moriarty off the bench. Jessica Petrie (15), Britt Prince (14), Alexis Markowski (12) and Petra Bozan (10) made up the five double figure scorers for NU who shot over 54% from the field while going a staggering 16-for-32 from beyond the arc. 

It was a perfect tune up game as Nebraska puts that winning streak on the line against a top-12 Ohio State team with only one loss on its schedule in 18 games. 

Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers battle the No. 12 Buckeyes Sunday in Lincoln for the “Pack PBA” game. 

How to Follow Along 

No. 12 Ohio State Scout

Head Coach: Kevin McGuff | 12th Season at Ohio State; 23rd as HC | 216-103 (.676) at Ohio State; 471-202 (.699) Career Record | 13x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 2x Elite Eights, 3x Sweet 16s; As AC: National Champion (2001) | 4x B1G Regular Season titles, 1x B1G Tournament title, 3x A10 Regular Season titles, 4x A10 Tournament titles | 1x B1G Coach OTY (2024) | Previous Head Coach at Washington and Xavier | Previous Assistant at Notre Dame and Miami (Ohio). 

2023-24 Record: 26-6 (16-2 B1G, 1st) | 1x All-American, 1x All-American Honorable Mention, B1G Defensive Player & Coach OTY, 2x All-Big Ten First Team, 2x All-Big Ten Second Team, 2x All-Defensive Team, 2x Honorable Mentions | L, 75-63 to Duke in NCAA Round of 32.  

All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 14-9 (February 14, 2024 last matchup; 80-47 OSU).

Key Returners: Cotie McMahon, F, Jr. | Taylor Thierry, G/F, Sr. | Madison Greene, G, Gr.

Key Additions: Chance Gray, G, Jr. (Oregon) | Jaloni Cambridge, G, Fr. (Recruit) | Ajae Petty, F, Gr. (Kentucky) | Ava Watson, G, Fr. (Recruit) | Elsa Lemmilä, C, Fr. (Recruit). 

Key Departures: Jacy Sheldon, G (Eligibility) | Celeste Taylor, G (Eligibility) | Rebeka Mikulášiková, F (Eligibility) | Rikki Harris, G, Gr. (Dayton) | Emma Shumate, G, R-Jr. (Michigan State) | Taiyier Parks, F (Eligibility) | Eboni Walker, F (Eligibility). 

Outlook: With at least 24 wins in seven of his 12 seasons, including an Elite Eight and three Sweet 16s, Kevin McGruff has established Ohio State as a perennial contender in the Big Ten, and that hasn’t changed so far through the 2024-2025 season. 

Coming off 26 wins and an appearance in the NCAA Round of 32, OSU lost a ton of production which included All-Big Ten AP All-American Jacy Sheldon and All-Big Ten second team pick Celeste Taylor who was also named the conference defensive player of the year by the coaches. In total, 62% of last season’s minutes departed the program including the transfer of Rikki Harris to Dayton after playing in 31 of the 32 games for the Buckeyes. 

Despite the turnover, McGruff and OSU returned two of its biggest stars with AP All-American Honorable Mention Cotie McMahon coming back for her junior season in Columbus. She’s been leading the charge for Ohio State despite missing four games with a team-high 16.6 PPG while grabbing 4.6 rebounds per contest. Hybrid guard Taylor Thierry is back for her senior season and is once again averaging double digits (10.2 PPG) while shooting over 58% from the field and grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game which is second on the team. 

A trio of newcomers replenished the star power lost by OSU over the offseason. Oregon transfer Chance Gray has poured in 15.9 points per game through her first 18 games as a Buckeye while shooting 40.6% from three. More impressively, true freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge has cracked the starting lineup and has taken off with 15.4 points per game and leads the team with 4.1 assists per game. The other big addition through the transfer portal has been Kentucky’s Ajae Petty who has come into Columbus averaging 10.6 PPG and 7.9 RPG as a 6-foot-3 forward. 

Averaging 83.4 points (2nd in B1G) and 13.6 steals (1st in B1G) per game, Ohio State is dangerous on both ends of the floor. Coming off a shocking 62-59 loss to Penn State on the road, the Buckeyes will be out for blood to rebound from its first loss of the season. Put me down for an Ohio State win, but with a huge crowd expected for Sunday afternoon, crazier upsets have happened inside PBA.

MORE: How to Watch Nebraska Men’s Basketball at No. 18 Wisconsin: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

MORE: Remembering Calvin Jones

MORE: Big Ten Basketball Games of the Weekend: Michigan and Purdue Highlight a Loaded Slate

MORE: Nebraska Softball to Play Nationally Televised Game on MLB Network

MORE: Nebrasketball Brunch Show: What Happens Next?

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

LINCOLN — Three years ago today, our little online news experiment started because local reporting giants Paul Hammel and Cindy Gonzalez and retired editing great Cate Folsom got the itch to try something new.

I initially thought they were crazy when they told me what they were doing. You’re doing what? Working with States Newsroom to start a nonprofit news outlet in Nebraska? How will people know where to find you? How will you get paid?

Sure, I took the call from Cindy, inquiring about who else they should hire. She was my cubicle neighbor when newspaper economics forced me back into the reporting ranks after years of editing and opinion writing, much of it under Cate. 

Starting with experience

I had worked with all three of them for more than a decade at the Omaha World-Herald. Paul was the first reporter to humble me as a young buck, covering the proposed low-level nuclear waste storage facility in Boyd County. When he walked in, it was over.

Sources who had made time to talk to a young kid then working for the Lincoln Journal Star stopped talking to me and walked over to chat with the reporter they knew from decades of telling great stories. He did the same for us, sometimes writing five or more in a day.

Cindy was the same covering business. She was the first choice for getting a story right and telling it well. She is why the Examiner started with a bang, breaking the story that major insurance company Mutual of Omaha was moving its headquarters downtown, to the site of Omaha’s main library, as part of a series of major new investments in the urban core.

What you need to know about her is that she was the first woman and the first woman of color to cover the City Hall beat at Nebraska’s largest newspaper. She fits Nebraska’s pioneering spirit better than most.

I helped, too, as a guy who had covered City Hall, county government, crime, courts, prisons and politics. But what I will always remember is how the founders of this place got me to leave a job I loved in television news.

The original four

Cindy and Paul called me on FaceTime from a table at Billy’s Restaurant, the Lincoln staple for people with business at the Capitol. The Examiner’s offices are right above the eatery. 

Paul said, as he always does, “Hey big man. We’ve got three drinks ordered and only two people sitting here.” Cate had already called and discussed the possibility of me leaving Omaha’s KMTV and joining them that January of 2022.

They sealed it with that little nudge. This place – the Nebraska Examiner – rose on a foundation of people who like each other and love the news. The originals built its reputation on fast and accurate coverage, plus scoops.

I still remember something Cate said before www.nebraskaexaminer.com went live, about the fear of starting from scratch and wondering if anybody would read it. Now we are a first stop for people who want to know what’s happening in state government and politics.

Cate retired this December, and she left me some big shoes to fill. She was the best editor most of us have had, and as the new editor of the Examiner I feel responsible for making sure the work we produce continues to do our talking. 

Paul is semi-retired. We love when he still writes for us. Our first intern, Jazari Kual, is doing independent multimedia work in Lincoln and Omaha.

And now we have a new generation of Examiners stepping up.

A new generation

Zach Wendling graduated from intern to legislative expert by showing us his depth of knowledge. He knows more about the Legislature and its processes than many will ever learn. He has worked with every senator in the past few years, and we hope he never stops.

Juan Salinas II, our soon-to-be political reporter, arrives late next month from Texas to carry on our tradition of cutting through the spin to tell you what’s really happening in Nebraska politics and why it matters to you. 

States Newsroom connects us, our readers and partners who publish our work with reporters and outlets on the ground in all 50 states, in addition to a team of national reporters, plus a bureau in Washington, D.C.

We’re three years in, but this is still only the beginning — if our readers and donors continue to support our work. We are working to grow our staff and do more reporting of substance. We hope you’ll help us do that by making a donation.

It’s a long way from a wild idea at Billy’s to our own little Politico on the Platte. Look how far we’ve come. Imagine the good trouble we might get into over the next few. 

Aaron Sanderford is the new editor of the Nebraska Examiner. He was most recently the Examiner’s political reporter.