Pryce Sandfort Is Giving Ranked Nebraska a Scoring Option It Can Build Around

Pryce Sandfort hit two early threes against Lindenwood on Wednesday. By halftime, he had 17 points, Damon Wilkinson had 17 of his own and Nebraska led 61–32. The game was already decided in practical terms, but the way the Cornhuskers got there matters beyond one November rout.

Sandfort finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists in No. 25 Nebraska’s 94–60 win. He went 6-for-12 from three and reached 20 points for the third time in three games this season. When a shooter takes that many threes and keeps making them, an opponent has to think about where he is before the ball gets anywhere near him. That gives Fred Hoiberg a way to influence the defense from the first action of a possession.

The space Sandfort creates belongs to the whole offense

An early three changes the way a defender approaches the next screen. If Sandfort’s man trails him tightly, Nebraska can curl him toward the lane and make a second defender choose whether to help. If the defender jumps to the high side to deny the catch, Sandfort can cut backdoor. If two defenders follow him toward the perimeter, the screener can slip into the space they leave behind. Those are openings Nebraska can use on nights when Sandfort goes 2-for-7 just as readily as it did on a night when he made six.

The four assists matter for the same reason. A shooter who keeps the ball moving after a hard closeout gives the next teammate a chance to attack a defense that is already rotating. Sandfort also had four offensive rebounds. On Wednesday, he made a three on a second-chance possession to push Nebraska’s first-half lead to 25. The attention he draws on the perimeter is valuable, and Nebraska gets more out of it when he stays involved after the first shot goes up.

Wilkinson gave Lindenwood another place to worry about

Wilkinson scored 19 off the bench on 7-for-8 shooting and put up 10 consecutive Nebraska points during the first half. Braden Frager added 14. Nebraska made nine threes before halftime, and the 61 points were its most in a first half since at least the 2001–02 season, according to the school.

There is a straightforward fit between Sandfort and Wilkinson. When a big man can finish around the basket, defenders have a reason to leave the perimeter and help inside. If Sandfort is one pass away, that help comes at a price. When the defense stays home on Sandfort, Wilkinson can get a cleaner catch or a chance to finish one-on-one. The same space gives Frager room to attack a closeout or cut when a defender turns his head. The next question for Hoiberg is how often Nebraska can create those choices against a defense that switches cleanly or takes away the first pass.

Boise State gives Nebraska a chance to show what carries over

Nebraska improved to 3–0 and faces Boise State on Sunday in Sioux Falls. The most telling possessions will come when Sandfort’s first look is covered. Watch whether Nebraska gets him moving again, whether he can turn the denial into a cut and whether Wilkinson or Frager can capitalize when the defense shifts toward him.

Sandfort has already shown he can produce enough points to put a game out of reach. Nebraska’s offense becomes harder to prepare for when the work opponents do to take away his shots starts yielding layups and open threes for his teammates. Those possessions will tell us more about how well this group can score in the Big Ten than another big total a