Husker Online's Robin Washut looks ahead to A&M-Nebraska contest

Led by Keisei Tominaga, the Nebraska Cornhuskers enter the 2024 NCAA Tournament at 23-10 overall after a 12-8 showing in the Big Ten this season. On Thursday, Husker Online's Robin Washut joined TexAgs Radio to discuss what makes Fred Hoiberg's team dangerous in March.

Key notes from Robin Washut interview

• When Fred Hoiberg first came in 2019-20, he tried to copy and paste the same formula he used at Iowa State: Resetting the roster through the portal and hoping they meshed. It didn’t work, and that was before the immediate eligibility through the portal. Players had to sit out. The next year was the COVID-19 year. In 2021-22, it was a lot of individual efforts with a lot of talent that was not able to compete as a team at the Big Ten level. I think Hoiberg had a come-to-Jesus moment with needing to change his approach. They’ve brought in a staff that is defense-oriented. They’ve recruited talented, high-character, team-oriented and low-maintenance veterans. Last year, they finished .500, but the improvement in quality of play and culture in the locker room really took off and allowed them to take off last year. They’ve added Jarron Coleman, Brice Williams and Rienk Mast. Most importantly for Hoiberg, it has been about the culture to set the tone from the top to the bottom.
   
• Keisei Tominaga is from Japan. He wanted to come stateside. A former staffer had a connection with Tominaga’s father, so when the family started looking around, they knew about Hoiberg’s offensive systems. Still, he wasn’t a qualifier, so he had to go to Ranger College in Texas to play for Billy Clyde Gillispie. Tominaga spent two years in the JUCO level. It took him some time to adapt. He could always shoot it. He played spot minutes off the bench in his first year. Injuries happened to Cornhuskers last year, so he had to play extended minutes. When he gets into a groove, it’s tough to slow him down, and he caught first toward the end of February last year. He flirted with the NBA and possibly playing professionally in Japan, so Tominaga coming back is probably their biggest addition in the offseason. The performance Tominaga had vs. Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament has helped capture people’s attention entering the NCAA Tournament. Consistency can be an issue with him, especially defensively. More often than not, he’ll be a 15-20 point guy. When he gets hot, you have to guard him as soon as he crosses halfcourt.
   
• Nebraska runs a unique baseline, trap-style defense. They want to take away everything under the basket and in the paint. At times, it has been effective. They don’t have the big rim protector or shot blocker. They have had to find new ways to protect the rim, and they do that by making sure the ball never gets there, which has left them vulnerable from the perimeter. They refuse to let the ball get inside the paint for easy one-on-one baskets. Teams don’t see that a lot, so Nebraska can force a lot of opponents into mistakes. They jump into passing lanes a lot. The style of defense has caused a lot of problems the first time opponents see it.
   
• One of the benefits of this lineup is that Tominaga is their leading scorer and is the game-changer, but he’s only scoring 14 or 15 points per game. This roster had four or five guys that could lead them in scoring on any given night. They pride themselves on versatility. Williams was an interesting guy in that he wasn’t recruited as a point guard. He was a true wing. Midway through the season, Williams shifted into the lead guard role, and he has flourished. He’s at the top of Nebraska’s best players. Tominaga might be their best scorer, but Williams might be their best all-around player. Mast is a 6-foot-11 big, and he can lure people out with his shooting. Nebraska has guys that can exploit matchups based on who you focus your attention on. C.J. Wilcher is a sixth man who has had multiple 20-point nights this year too. They have several guys that can step up on any given night, which makes them so different from any other team Hoiberg has had here.
   
• Rebounding is Nebraska’s weakness. Teams that rebound on the offensive glass have given them problems. Look at the last Illinois game. The Illini erased a double-digit halftime deficit by being relentless on the offensive glass.