LINCOLN — It's no secret why the Nebraska men's basketball team has started Big Ten play 0-3.
The scoreboard tells all: 40 points vs. Wisconsin; 55 points vs. Michigan State; 40 points vs. Ohio State.
"No disrespect to our guys because they are giving us all they've got," NU coach Doc Sadler said. "But 40 points? You've got to score more points. I ain't smart, but I ain't stupid."
The Huskers (8-6, 0-3) play at noon Saturday at Illinois (13-3, 2-1). In practice, the wheels have been spinning while NU looks for a spark.
"We've trying to add some stuff," Sadler said. "You change some things schematically. But you don't just change that in a day or two.
"We're close to doing some different things. Now whether or not it's going to be very good ..."
Nebraska is expected to play a sixth straight game without center Jorge Brian Diaz and wing Dylan Talley because of injuries. But Sadler said he's leery of scrapping most of his regular offense without official word those two won't return this season.
In the past, when personnel dictated it, Sadler has utilized a five-guard lineup with an open post. Sadler said he has looked at it, but sees a problem using it in the Big Ten.
"It's a whole different league," he said. "The fact is in this stretch, these teams are as much different as we are as you can get. These teams, the strength is inside."
That's true at Illinois, where 7-foot-1, 245-pound center Meyers Leonard is having a breakout year.
The sophomore from Robinson, Ill. (pop. 6,800), has improved his scoring and rebounding averages from 2.1 and 1.2 last season to 13.3 and 8.1 this season. The website nbadraft.net projects him as the No. 10 pick in the June NBA draft. The mock draft at collegehoopsupdate.com has him No. 15.
"If he's not the best inside player in this league, then he's one of the two," said Sadler, who just faced the other (Ohio State's Jared Sullinger). "He causes you all kinds of problems."
At Northwestern on Wednesday, Leonard scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and saved the game with a blocked shot with a second left in a 57-56 Illini victory.
Still, the focus for Nebraska has to be scoring more points, and trying to free up leading scorer Bo Spencer, whom Big Ten defenses have held to 2 of 12, 4 of 15 and 5 of 15 shooting in three games, respectively.
"The only way I know of to get better offense," Sadler said, "is to get to the free-throw line, get transition baskets and offensive rebounds. And all of those things are hard for us right now.
"We're not trying to get to 70 points. We're trying to get to 60."
Contact the writer:
402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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