How to watch Nebraska vs. North Florida men’s basketball: Preview, breakdown, TV Chan

He Nebraska men’s basketball team continued its stellar start to the new season just before Thanksgiving with a blowout 96-79 victory over South Dakota on Wednesday night in Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Wisconsin transfer guard Connor Essegian scored a career-high 29 points, including 6-of-15 from beyond the arc. Essegian’s 29 points are the most by a player coming off Nebraska’s bench since 2004. Additionally, Brice Williams added 21 with the center Braxton Meah completing the double-figure scorers with 12 points and five rebounds.

The only negative thing about the victory against the Coyotes is the injuries to john gary (hit the eye) and big man Berke Büyüktuncel (hip), but no injury is expected to keep them out for long, which is positive news as NU begins conference play in a week.

Here’s everything you need to know as the Huskers welcome North Florida, a dangerous team that has already defeated a pair of Power Four opponents.

How to follow it

North Florida Explorer

Head coach: Matthew Driscoll | 15th Season | 237-249 (.488) UNF Record; 263-326 (.447) HC career record | 3x ASUN Coach of the Year (2020, 2016, 2015), 3x ASUN Regular Season Champions, 1x ASUN Tournament Champions, 2015 NCAA Tournament Appearance, 19 ASUN All-Conference Honorees | Previous training stops at Baylor, Valparaiso, Clemson, Wyoming and LaRoche College.

’23-’24 Record: 16-16 (9-7 ASUN, 5th) | 1x First Team All-ASUN, 1x ASUN All-Freshman Team | Did not qualify for the postseason.

All-time series: First meeting.

Fun fact: North Florida is led by Nate Lliteras, a native of Seward, Nebraska, who returns to his home state.

Key Returns: Ametri Moss, G, Sr. | Nate Lliteras, G, Sr. | Jaylen Smith, G, Soph. | Jasai Miles, G, Soph. | Oscar Berry, G, Sr.

Key additions: Josh Harris, F, P. (Recruit) | Liam Murphy, F, Gr. (Colombia) | Kamrin Oriol, G, Jr. (The Master’s College) | Alex Vargo, G, R-Soph. (Garrett College) | Nestor Dyachok, F, Sr. (southern Utah).

Key outputs: Chaz Lanier, G, Sr. (Tennessee) | Dorian James, G/F (Eligibility) | Jah Nze, G, Jr. (Mercer) | Jake van der Heijden, F (Eligibility).

Perspective: Despite ranking seventh in the preseason in the Atlantic Sun Conference, North Florida has exceeded expectations so far in non-conference games. The Ospreys (4-2) have already defeated two Power Four opponents and will look to make it three when they face Nebraska on Sunday.

North Florida earned the program’s first win over an SEC program with a season-opening 74-71 victory over South Carolina, overcoming a five-point deficit in the final four minutes. Six days later, North Florida earned its fourth victory against a Power Five/Four opponent with a 105-93 victory against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. That also marked UNF’s first win over an ACC program and the first time since 2017 that a team scored more than 100 points against the Yellow Jackets.

A big reason for those upgrades is the depth of scoring threats across the roster, despite losing last season’s leading scorer, Chaz Lanier (19.7 points per game) to Tennessee’s Dorian James (10.1 points per game) until graduation, Jah Nze (8.3 points per game) against Mercer and Jake van der Heijden (6.8 points per game) also graduated.

Six different Ospreys are averaging double figures in six games so far this young season, led by true freshman guard Josh Harris with 14.7 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. Matching Harris is Nate Lliteras, a native of Seward, Nebraska, who is averaging 14.5 points per game and 4.5 RPGs as a senior.

Head coach Matthew Driscoll replenished the roster through the transfer portal and Liam Murphy has had the biggest impact so far with 13.7 points per game. The 6-foot-7 forward transferred from Columbia, where she averaged 9.9 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game in 36 games. Returning sophomore guards Jasai Miles (11.8 ppg, 7.3 RPG) and Jaylen Smith (11.3) have emerged as scoring threats, while Kamrin Oriol, a transfer from The Master’s College in California averages 11 points per game.

This is a dangerous team from deep, as the Ospreys shoot 38.3% from three-point range while averaging 88.2 points per game. One area to watch is rebounding, as UNF has grabbed as many rebounds as it has allowed, 38.8 per game.

As long as Nebraska plays its best and doesn’t have a Thanksgiving hangover, the Huskers should be fine in this one, but there’s no way they can sleepwalk, especially if Gary and Büyüktuncel can’t go. Score me for a win at Nebraska, but don’t be surprised if North Florida comes that close.

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