Nebraska’s Brice Williams drives toward the basket against Illinois on Jan. 30. / Nebraska Athletics

As Rod Tidwell once famously said, “Show me the money!”. 

That’s the case for the Nebraska men’s basketball team who locked in a $50,000 NIL package with its win over a depleted Georgetown team in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Crown on Wednesday night. With two of their three leading scorers still held out due to illness, the Hoyas couldn’t keep up with the Huskers. 

Brice Williams poured in a game-high 28 points while Juway Gary added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Plus, Andrew Morgan chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench as NU locked up multiple wins in the postseason for the first time since 2004. Extending their trip in Vegas, the Huskers move on to the semifinals of the CBC which sees them face off against a Boise State squad who had legitimate beef with the selection committee to earn an at-large spot for the NCAA Tournament. 

Here’s all you need to know as Nebraska takes on the Broncos for a Saturday afternoon showdown in the College Basketball Crown. 

Boise State head coach Leon Rice. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Head Coach: Leon Rice | 15th Season at Boise State; 17th as HC | 296-176 (.627) at BSU | 5x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 2x MWC regular season titles, 1x MWC tournament title | 2x MWC Coach OTY | Previous head coach at Yakima Valley CC | Previous assistant at Gonzaga, Yakima Valley CC, Northern Colorado and Oregon. 

2024-2025 Record: 26-10 (14-6 MWC, T-4th) | MWC Sixth Man OTY, 1x All-MWC First Team, 1x All-MWC Second Team. 

All-Time Series: First meeting. 

MWC Tournament: L, 69-56 to No. 2 seed Colorado State in MWC Championship.

Notable Wins: *Clemson (84-71), *Saint Mary’s (67-65), *New Mexico (86-78), *New Mexico (72-69). 

*Signifies NCAA Tournament Qualifier

Key Absences: Dylan Anderson, C, Soph, 3.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG (Transfer Portal) | Chris Lockett Jr., G, R-Fr., 3.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG (Transfer Portal).  

Projected Lineup: Tyson Degenhart, F, Sr. (18.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG) | Alvaro Cardenas, G, Sr. (11.7 PPG, 6.9 PPG) | Andrew Meadow, F, Soph. (12.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG) | Pearson Carmichael, F, Fr. (6.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG) | O’Mar Stanley, F, Sr. (6.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG). 

Outlook: Unlike its first two opponents, Nebraska will take on a Boise State team that’s full strength and has all impact players ready to play. The Broncos were good in a standout Mountain West Conference that got four teams into the Dance (Colorado State, Utah State, New Mexico, San Diego St.), but were left on the outside looking in on Selection Sunday. That’s why Boise State was one of the favorites heading into the CBC and it’s for good reason. 

All-Mountain West first team selection senior forward Tyson Degenhart leads the way for the Broncos pouring in a team-leading 18.7 PPG and over six rebounds. He teams up with fellow forward Andrew Morgan (12.6 PPG) to create a dangerous frontcourt for the Broncos. Plus, head coach Leon Rice and Boise State have Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year Javan Buchanan come off the bench. He’s fourth on the team with a 9.6 PPG average, but was the leading scorer in the quarterfinal win over Butler by adding 27 points in the Broncos 100-93 victory. 

Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart dribbles the ball in a game against Colorado last month. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Point guard Alvaro Cardnenas leads the backcourt for Boise and is third double-digit scorer with 11.7 PPG and over six assists per contest. He’s volatile with a team-high 85 turnovers, but he also leads the Broncos with 51 steals while also chipping in over three rebounds per game. BSU is forward heavy, but RJ Keene II will be the other primary guard as the 6-foot-7 junior as the grinder as he averages 2.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 35 games this season. While they don’t turn in the most production on the team, forwards O’Mar Stanley (6.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG) and Pearson Carmichael (6.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG) complete a very tall and lengthy starting lineup for the Broncos. 

The Broncos were top three in both overall scoring (76 PPG) and defense (66.6 PPG) in the Mountain West during the regular season, so they’re stout across the board. BSU can’t shoot from beyond the arc ranking 10th of 11 teams in three-point shooting (31.6%). However, as one can assume from their lineup’s height, rebounding is the key to the Broncos’ success as they led the conference in fewest opponent rebounds per game while ranking second in team rebounds (36.3). Plus, they were the conference leader in team free-throw percentage at 77.8% so it’s pretty obvious what Boise State’s game plan is. 

Unfortunately, that’s not a great matchup for Nebraska. Granted, the Huskers were middle of the pack in rebounding this year in the Big Ten, but one of the biggest critiques of the team has been the lack of control inside the paint. There shouldn’t be too much worry about Williams getting his points in, but there’s a real question about Gary’s impact if the Broncos can key on him. Considering the Broncos style of play and how their team’s built, give me Boise State to win this one and end Nebraska’s season.

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Published Apr 4, 2025|Modified Apr 4, 2025