Nebraska has done everything anyone could have asked through 20 games, an unbeaten start that includes wins at ninth-ranked Illinois and a thrilling home victory over seventh-ranked Michigan State this month.
There is a whole lot being asked of the Cornhuskers this week.
They take their 24-game win streak dating to last season into Tuesday night's trip to No. 3 Michigan, the first top-10 matchup that involves Nebraska since 1966, and its first game ever
showcasing two teams ranked in the top five. Then, the Huskers get to return home for a rematch with the Fighting Illini on Sunday, making it two top-10 matchups in a week.
“We have an unbelievable opportunity in front of us against what I think is arguably the best team in the country,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said of the Wolverines. “It's going to take a monumental effort, but again, I believe in these guys.”
Hoiberg said he asked his players in the locker room after Saturday's win over Minnesota whether they were satisfied.
“To a man,” Hoiberg continued, “they said, 'No.'”
These are heady times in Nebraska, as Dana Altman well knows. He spent the better part of two decades down the road at Creighton, where he went 10-7 against the Huskers; he is 0-2 against them as the head coach at now-Big Ten rival Oregon.
“They're really good,” said Altman, whose team endured a 90-55 beatdown on Jan. 13. “They're really connected offensively and defensively. Defensively, really impressed. I think KenPom has them 15th analytically, and I think that's a big difference from some of their previous teams, and I think it’s something that will carry them. When we’ve had some success, either in the season or the tournament, defense is such a big part of it because you’re not going to shoot it well every night.”
Indeed, the Huskers have had moments when they haven't looked good. They trailed Minnesota by six at halftime Saturday night, when shots didn't seem to be falling. But then Nebraska outscored the Gophers 46-21 over the final 20 minutes for a 76-57 victory.
“Their pace is phenomenal,” said Washington coach Danny Sprinkle, whose team lost 76-66 last week. "I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Coach Hoiberg and their staff. For their players to be in the shape and share the basketball the way they do is impressive.”
Nebraska has an opportunity to impress a lot more people over the coming week.
One of the best matchups of the week happens Saturday in the Big 12, when No. 13 BYU visits Allen Fieldhouse to play No. 14 Kansas in what could also be a showdown between freshmen that might go 1-2 in the NBA draft this coming summer.
The Cougars are led by AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 inside-outside dynamo who set a school freshman record with 43 points in a win over Utah last week. The Jayhawks feature Darryn Peterson, a high-scoring 6-6 guard who has been struggling with injuries.
The latest is an ankle sprain sustained in a win over Colorado that kept Peterson out of last weekend's win at Kansas State.
Dybantsa and Peterson are quite familiar with each other from the AAU circuit. In one memorable matchup in a Grind Session game in Atlanta, Peterson scored 58 points for Prolific Prep — including the winning 3-pointer — while Dybantsa had 49 for Utah Prep.
The focus won't leave Michigan for long after its game against the Huskers on Tuesday night.
Four days later, the third-ranked Wolverines have a second straight top-10 matchup when they make the hourlong trip northwest to East Lansing to face No. 7 Michigan State, which enters the week riding a six-game winning streak.
The Spartans begin their week by heading to Rutgers on Tuesday night.
Saint Louis climbed three spots to No. 21 in this week's poll, the highest ranking for the Billikens since they were No. 18 on March 10, 2014, their first full season following the death of Rick Majerus. They are 7-0 in the Atlantic 10 and 19-1 overall with a couple of tough games ahead against George Washington (13-7) on Tuesday night and Dayton (14-6) on Friday night.
Miami of Ohio begins the week as one of the nation's last three unbeaten teams. They have an easier schedule as they try to improve to 22-0, with UMass (13-8) on Tuesday night and Northern Illinois (6-13) on Saturday.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
