Nebraska Hoops Game Day: at USC
Nebraska begins the first of its two-game West Coast trip today when it takes on USC in Los Angeles
Here is what you need to know as the Huskers look to further cement their postseason positioning…
Who, What, Where, When
Nebraska Cornhuskers (24-4, 13-4 Big Ten) at USC Trojans (18-10, 7-10 Big Ten)
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 – 3:00 p.m. CT
Galen Center (10,258)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Huskers Radio Network
Internet/Streaming: FOX Sports App
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Nebraska projected starters
| Jamarques Lawrence | G | Sr. | 6-3/185 | After dealing with an illness, Lawrence shot just 1-7 for three points in the win over Maryland. However, he also dished out six assists and only committed one turnover over 33 minutes. |
| Sam Hoiberg | G | Sr. | 6-0/180 | Hoiberg racked up 12 points on 4-4 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals over 37 minutes vs. Maryland. He still leads the nation with a 4.96-to-1 assist-to-turnover margin. |
| Pryce Sandfort | G | Jr. | 6-7/210 | Sandfort hit three 3-pointers for 16 points with eight rebounds vs. Maryland. At 70 threes on the year, he’s 10 shy of tying Shawn Respert’s single-season Big Ten record (80 in 1994-95). |
| Berke Buyuktuncel | F | Jr. | 6-10/240 | Buyuktuncel drew four fouls against Maryland for seven free-throw attempts, making four. However, he finished with a team-low plus/minus rating of -4 over 22 minutes. |
| Rienk Mast | F | Sr. | 6-10/250 | Mast scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half in the win over Maryland. That marked his first double-figure scoring effort since Purdue. |
USC projected starters
| Kam Woods | G | Sr. | 6-2/185 | A mid-year transfer from Robert Morris, Woods has averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and a team-high 3.4 assists over his first 16 games with the Trojans. |
| Alijah Arenas | G | Fr. | 6-6/199 | A former five-star recruit and the son of Gilbert Arenas, Alijah missed the first half of the season due to injury. The true freshman averages 13.9 ppg with three 20-point games. |
| Chad Baker-Mazara | G/F | Sr. | 6-7/172 | A transfer from Auburn, Baker-Mazara leads USC with 18.6 ppg while shooting 38% on 3-pointers this season. He scored 25 in the loss to UCLA for his second straight 20-point effort. |
| Ezra Ausar | F | Sr. | 6-9/253 | A transfer from Utah, Ausar officially visited Nebraska last spring before committing to USC. He averages 15.3 ppg on 59% shooting with 6.4 rpg. |
| Jacob Cofie | F | So. | 6-10/231 | A transfer from Virginia, Cofie leads the team with 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while scoring 9.8 ppg. He and Ausar have started all 28 contests this season. |
3 keys to victory
Pack your defense
While Nebraska’s offense has been hot and cold over the past month, its defense has been a constant. In the first game of a week-long road trip, the Huskers must ensure that their defense travels to Los Angeles. Not only did NU keep the Maryland game within reach while its shooting struggled, but it also completely flipped the script over the final 12 minutes. Nebraska has now held its last five opponents to a combined 37.9% shooting from the field, improving to 17th nationally in defensive field goal percentage. USC has had its share of issues on offense, including scoring 62 points on 35% shooting with 14 turnovers in Tuesday night’s loss to UCLA. Dial up the heat on D and make the Trojans work for everything.
Lock in on Baker-Mazara
There aren’t many more ball-dominant scorers in the Big Ten than USC’s Chad Baker-Mazara. After hitting five 3-pointers for a team-high 25 points vs. UCLA, the former Auburn starter is now averaging 18.6 ppg while shooting 38% from three this season. However, that production has come through significant volume. The senior wing owns a 27.3% usage rate this season, meaning how often a USC possession ends with a Baker-Mazara shot or turnover. He’s also attempted 30.5% of the Trojans shots on the year, including 32.9% in Big Ten play. That’s the fourth-highest rate in the conference. In other words, there is no secret which player tops Nebraska’s defensive scouting report in this one. Limit Baker-Mazara’s efficiency and force him into bad looks.
Be physical, but smart
One way USC has leveled out its erratic offense has been by consistently producing at the free-throw line. The Trojans rank fourth nationally in offensive free-throw rate (46.0), as 24.6% of their points have come at the charity stripe (14th). Utah transfer Ezra Ausar, a former Nebraska portal recruit, leads the way in that regard. The 6-foot-9, 253-pound senior forward ranks fourth nationally with a 93.6 free-throw rate. He’s attempted nearly 100 more free throws than any other Trojan (221), leading the Big Ten. Ausar is a load in the paint, and the Huskers must do all they can to combat his physicality as a scorer and rebounder in the post. However, they must also be cognizant of defending without fouling.
Quotable
“He was making all the hustle plays. We know Braden is crazy talented and can do some things a lot of us can’t do. But when he does the little things like that we’re a really tough team to beat.”
-Senior guard Sam Hoiberg on Braden Frager’s impact vs. Maryland and his importance to Nebraska’s success.
Prediction
Nebraska (-6) 76, USC 69
Robin’s season record: 24-4
Vs. the spread: 20-8
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