MADISON, Wis. – The second-ranked team in the country is looming on Wisconsin’s schedule, a home tilt against Purdue in front of a national television audience Sunday afternoon. That’s the furthest thing from the mind of head coach Greg Gard and his players.

With the way Nebraska has lit up opponents at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Badgers have enough to worry about heading into their Thursday road contest against the Huskers.

“I’ll have enough sleepless nights worrying about Keisei Tominaga running around shooting threes,” Gard quipped Tuesday.

Most Big Ten teams are better at home than on the road, but Nebraska (15-6, 5-5 Big Ten) takes it to the extreme. In 14 home games, the Huskers are averaging 80.6 points on 46.2 percent shooting, including 37.2 percent from three-point range. In their seven games away from Lincoln, the Huskers' numbers dip to 70.3 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting and 31.9 percent from the perimeter.

It’s even more dramatic in conference games, as Nebraska has shot 48.7 percent from the perimeter in five conference home games and 32.5 percent in its five conference losses.

It’s no surprise that the Huskers are undefeated against Big Ten opponents with an average margin of victory of 11.8 points with no game closer than six.

Wisconsin (16-4, 8-1) has experienced raucous games at “the Bank” before. The Badgers 2014 Final Four team’s last regular season loss after February 1 was at Nebraska. Last season, Wisconsin led by 17 points with 16 minutes to play, but Keisei Tominaga hit four 3-pointers to force overtime.

Nebraska proceeded to outscore Wisconsin, 12-2, in overtime to register its largest comeback since 2013. It’s a loss that’s still cringeworthy to returning UW players.

“Playing in Lincoln is a whole different environment,” said point guard Chucky Hepburn, an Omaha native. “They are more locked in when they are playing at their crib, so you got to really lock in defensively.

“Last year we let them come back in the game from little mistakes that we did. We let Tominaga get loose and let him get hot. That’s what really sparked their energy. They got going and it seemed like they were hard to stop.”

Tominaga is the leading sharpshooter on Nebraska, attempting 30 more three-pointers than anyone on the team and making 2.2 three-pointers per game (fourth in the Big Ten). The senior has proven to shoot well anywhere, shooting 45.1 percent overall and 45.9 percent at home.

The same can’t be said for forward Rienk Mask. The transfer from Bradley is averaging 8.6 points in conference road games and 15.4 at home, boosted largely by his career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds against Ohio State and 18 points against No.1 Purdue. He made a third of his 24 three-pointers on the season in those two games.

“We knew he would shoot the ball, but he’s gotten a lot more confident these last few weeks,” forward Tyler Wahl said of Mask, who had 16 points (6-for-14) in Madison. “He’s kind of been up and down, but he’s been playing really well. That’s something that’s been a little different, as we haven’t seen too many five men that are kicking out shooting threes.”

Toss in guard C.J. Wilcher (38-for-82, team-best 46.2 percent), who Is averaging 12.4 ppg over his last 10 games dating back to Dec. 20 with splits of .577/.563/1.000, and the Huskers are ninth in the country in three-point per game (9.6) and tops in the conference in attempts (552, 60 ahead of second-place Illinois).

The Badgers are last in the league in three-point defense (36.2), but Gard said players have done a better job at minimizing attempts from the perimeter than in past seasons.

“Some teams we don’t run off the line as much, aren’t quite as aggressive with as long as contest shots,” Gard said. “Nebraska is a team you want to minimize attempts … You try not to make mistakes on screens. You try not to let Wilcher and Tominaga get loose on you.”

That will be the challenge Thursday in an arena where Nebraska seems to be near invincible.

“Most teams if you look at them, they have a tendency to play a little better at home,” Gard said. “More comfortable environment, energy from the crowd, etc., so I don’t think there is anything schematically that’s different. They are a very confident group at home.”

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