[Husker] Final Big XII men's BB game in Lincoln

[Steve Reichenbach]

The ISU loss was huge, but there still may be a small opening for
the NCAA tournament.  Last night's OSU victory over Baylor may
have left the door open.  If the Big 12 gets six teams in the NCAA
tournament, Nebraska has a shot.

Now:

Step 1:  A win by ISU over CU tonight in Ames would put CU at 7-8,
tied for 6th-8th with Nebraska and Baylor.  This is important because
otherwise it appears that CU would have the tiebreaker over NU.

Step 2:  KU wins in Columbia to drop Missouri to 8-8.  Even though
this is in Columbia and KU is hated there, KU is the better team.
(This isn't a critical result, because, if the subsequent games go
NU's way, Missouri has the tiebreaker over Nebraska for the fifth
seed at the conference tournament.  However, it would allow Nebraska
to tie for fifth in the standings.)

Step 3:  Texas wins at Baylor, dropping Baylor to 7-9.  I know
Texas has 3 of its last 4 (including NU), but that may provide
some motivation in its last regular season game.  This is important
because otherwise Baylor would have the tiebreaker over NU.

Step 4:  Nebraska wins at Colorado, raising its record to 8-8 and
dropping Colorado to 7-9 (with Step 1).

Then, Nebraska finishes at 8-8, tied with Missouri for 5th-6th in
the standings, although Missouri has the tiebreaker with Nebraska
for the conference tournament seed.

As the 6th seed, NU would open the conference tournament against
the 11th seed, which well could be the loser of tonight's OU-TTU
game.

Step 5:  Nebraska wins the first game at the conference tournament.

Then, Nebraska would play the third seed, presumably TAMU or KSU.
If TAMU loses tonight at KU and then beats TTU, they will be 10-6.
If KSU beats ISU at home, they will finish 10-6.  TAMU beat KSU
and so holds the tiebreaker, in which case NU would play TAMU,
which, at this point in the season, might be better than playing
KSU again.

Step 6:  Nebraska beats TAMU, as they did at home earlier this
season and advances to the semi-finals, against perhaps Texas
(a team NU has beaten) or KSU (which is looking like the team
no one wants to play).

Nebraska has some good wins, TAMU (twice if they beat them in the
conference tournament), Texas, and Missouri, but several bad losses
(Davison, TTU, and ISU, although none at home).  On its own, NU's
record isn't stellar, but the Big 12 is well respected and if NU is
tied for 5th-6th, I think the strength of the conference and NU's
finish in the standings could help push NU into the NCAA tournament.
If NU can win two games at the conference tournament, it would help
greatly.  If NU loses in the second round of the conference tournament,
making the NCAA tournament would be more of a question mark, even with
Steps 1-5 going Nebraska's way.