Junior guard Nate Tomlinson pulls up for a three-pointer against the Nebraska Cornhuskers last year on Jan. 27, 2010. (CU Independent/Ben Jarvis)
With two wins against ranked teams in the bag, and a recent snub by the Associated Press Top 25, CU men’s basketball fans say they are looking for a win against conference rival Nebraska.
Kiel Neuhaus, an 18-year-old freshman history major, said he thinks the 29 years of rivalry between CU and Nebraska will intensify the game play.
“[The rivalry] runs deep,” Neuhaus said. “We hate Nebraska. It definitely makes the game more intense, the fans get more into it.”
Brian Barranti, a 22-year-old senior marketing major, said he thinks the high emotions will affect the game pace.
“There’s going to be a ton of energy in the building and it’s going to be a high tempo game,” Barranti said. “Hopefully there will be a lot of CU support for our boys.”
Tuesday night’s road game marks the beginning of the end of the rivalry between the Huskers and the Buffs, as each team will be changing to the Big 10 and Pac 12, respectively.
Tim Leikam, a 22-year-old junior computer science major said he thinks Alec Burks and Cory Higgins give CU the offensive edge over Nebraska, as each averages over 16 points per game.
The duo is largely responsible for Colorado being the eighth highest scoring team in the nation, with an average 83.9 points per game.
Though the Cornhuskers made some noise on Saturday in their close three-point loss to the then third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks.
Now on a two-game losing streak, the Huskers will be looking for a win on their own hardwood. But students say they feel the Buffs still have the upper hand.
“It’s something to take notice of, but CU right now is undefeated in the Big 12 and we’ve just beaten two top 25 teams,” Barranti said. “We have a lot of momentum right now.”
John Scofield, a 22-year-old junior communication major, said he also felt CU’s seven-game winning streak will be a contributing factor in Tuesday night’s game.
“We’ve got the momentum in our favor,” Scofield said. “We’re going to win by ten points, 80 to 70, I’m calling it.”
The Buffs take on the Huskers Tuesday night at Bob Devaney Sports Center at 5 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.
