Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers at Southern California Trojans

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The surging Nebraska Cornhuskers, boasting one of the nation’s top records, face a Southern California team fighting for its postseason life in a pivotal Big Ten clash Saturday at Galen Center.

Nebraska (24-4, 14-3 Big Ten) arrives having won 10 of its last 12 games, including a decisive 74-61 victory over Maryland on Wednesday. The Cornhuskers’ balanced attack is led by guard Sam Hoiberg, who is averaging 10.9 points, 5.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds over the last eight games. He posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists in a win over Penn State last week. Braden Frager (21 points) and Pryce Sandfort (16 points) provided the scoring punch against the Terrapins.

The Cornhuskers’ stout defense, which has held opponents under 70 points in 20 games this season, will be tested by USC’s Chad Baker-Mazara. The Trojans’ wing is coming off a 25-point performance in a loss to UCLA on Tuesday and has scored 21 or more in two of his last three outings.

Southern California (18-10, 9-8) has dropped three of its last four, including a heartbreaking 71-70 home loss to Oregon last Saturday. The Trojans’ season has been marked by inconsistency, with impressive wins over Indiana and Rutgers offset by several double-digit conference losses. They sit squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble and likely need a signature win to bolster their resume.

A victory for Nebraska would solidify its hold on a top-two seed in the upcoming Big Ten tournament and enhance its case for a seed in the NCAA tournament. For USC, this represents one of its final opportunities for a quadrant-one win in the regular season.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. PST and will be televised on Fox Sports 1. Nebraska visits UCLA next Tuesday, while USC travels to Washington next Wednesday.