After losing its third straight road contest, UCLA men’s basketball (19-10, 11-7) will return to Westwood to face No. 9 Nebraska (25-4, 14-4) at Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday for the final home game of the season and the Bruins’ senior night, where seven players will be recognized. Daily Bruin Sports editor Connor Dullinger breaks down the Cornhuskers’ strengths and weaknesses ahead of the matchup.

Personnel:
Coach: Fred Hoiberg

Starting lineup: Forward Pryce Sandfort, forward Rienk Mast, forward Berke Buyuktuncel, guard Sam Hoiberg, guard Jamarques Lawrence
Best player: Pryce Sandfort
X-factor: Rienk Mast
KenPom ranking: No. 11
Adjusted offensive rating: 120.4 (No. 49)
Adjusted defensive rating: 92.1 (No. 5)
Adjusted tempo: 66.7 (No. 214)

The Huskers are the ninth-ranked team in the country.

And it’s their defense that raises the squad to the upper echelons of college basketball.

Nebraska – the fifth-best defensive team in the nation, per KenPom – holds opposing teams to just a 39.8% field goal percentage and a 29.4% clip from beyond the arc, marks that rank No. 18 and No. 11 in the country, respectively.

The Huskers boast a tight-knit defensive core that guards high on the perimeter while also keeping a sealed defensive shell, allowing them to capitalize on defensive rebounds while contesting long-range attempts.

Their active hands in man-to-man pressure around the arc force steals and turnovers.

Leading the defensive swarm is guard Sam Hoiberg, logging 2.1 steals per game. He is a quick and scrappy defender who disrupts passing lanes with active hands and causes steals with fast help defense and by winning loose balls.

Despite standing at just 6 feet tall, Hoiberg affects every aspect of the game, garnering 9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, all while shooting 54.1% from the field and 38.9% from the 3-point line.

He boxes out extremely well for his size, and his unrelenting motor and energy lead to him besting taller players in rebound battles. Similarly, his never-ending movement, coupled with his ability to carve through defenses, opens up passing lanes and cut opportunities

Offensively, Hoiberg excels in catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, using his teammates’ drive and kicks to create shooting space on the wing. His fast-release jump shot allows him to get the ball up and over contesting defenders.

When attacking the basket, he typically gets to the rim by winning the first step and finishing with little pressure in the paint, or earns the first step and has to make a move on the final player by the rim through hesitation, fakes and good footwork.

While finishing off the dribble or through contact is not his bread and butter, Hoiberg is an offensive asset to Nebraska, and he limits his infectious play to his teammates.

Joining Hoiberg with his defensive tenacity is forward Pryce Sandfort.

Sandfort averages 1.1 steals per game but truly impacts the game with his offense. He leads Nebraska in scoring, and is tied for 10th in the Big Ten in points per game with 18.3. The Iowa transfer dominates from beyond the arc, shooting 40.8% on nine long range attempts per game.

The forward is a savvy 3-point shooter who often frees himself up through his off-ball movement, working his way around down screens to get open at the top of the key. He pairs that exceptional movement with a pure jumper that he can release on the fly.

His sky-high 3-point percentage also allows him to attack the paint, as defenders overplay the long range shot running him off the 3-point line. However, Sandfort plays quick for a taller forward, allowing him to get the first step and finish through contact at the rim.

Sandfort has not scored less than 10 points since scoring seven Dec. 21 and has two 30-plus point games over his last three outings. If the Bruins go with their three-guard lineup, senior guard Skyy Clark could take Sandfort because of his one-on-one man pressure, with sophomore guard Trent Perry being another option because of his size in the backcourt. However, if the Bruins go big, junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. can also take Sandfort in the halfcourt set.

Joining Sandfort to make up the bulk of the Huskers’ scoring is forward tandem Rienk Mast and Braden Frager. The former averages 13.7 points and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game, all on 44.7% shooting from the field.

Mast is not the most prolific 3-point shooter, but still hits 32.3% of his long range attempts, taking 4.6 per game. But the Dutchman could get hot from beyond the arc, and if he does, it will be a long day of the Bruins trying to stop his catch-and-shoot game. Despite standing at 6-foot-10, he is not a traditional center who dominates the interior, although he still manages to grab 6.1 boards per game.

The forward is also a solid passer for his size. He is a great screener who not only creates open space for his teammates, but can catch the ball on the slip and find back-cutting teammates from the top of the arc. Senior forward Tyler Bilodeau is most likely to take Mast, and while Bilodeau is quicker than Mast, the UCLA big man could struggle to keep up with him on the perimeter or rushing the glass on shot attempts.

Frager is probably one of the best sixth men in the nation, averaging 12.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the field and 36.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Like the rest of the roster, the left-hander has a quick release but can hit off the dribble to go along with his prowess on the catch-and-shoot.

The forward has incredible balance and body control, allowing him to finish through contact when driving downhill at full speed, but also letting him hit contested or off-balance shots from beyond the arc.

For his frame, Frager does an excellent job at being proficient by the rim, using his footwork and patience to manipulate defenders through hop steps, shot fakes, euro steps and repositioning to find open shot angles.

Guard Jamarques Lawrence rounds out the Nebraska backcourt. Like Hoiberg, Lawrence plays as a true point guard, facilitating the team’s offense and garnering 4 assists per game, a mark good enough for second on the squad.

Lawrence plays like a veteran guard, and he can slash towards the hoop when taking advantage of the bigger defender on the switch and is a confident long range shooter, knocking down 36.9% of his 3-point attempts.

But it is his constant movement that allows him to get open for clean shot opportunities, clean up offensive rebounds or find cutting teammates.