The Pick Six Podcast - Husker sports news and analysis · Omaha World-Herald

Are Nebraska's basketball teams properly rated?

December 23, 2025·22 min·1 clip

Sam says this is probably Amy Williams’ best Nebraska team, with Natalie Potts still recovering from injury.

1. Behind the Ballot focuses on Nebraska basketball ratings as both Husker teams enter Christmas ranked in the AP Top 20. 2. Hosts Ben Doody and Sam McEwen, both from the Omaha World-Herald and Omaha.com, frame the segment as poll analysis. 3. The episode asks whether Nebraska’s women and men are properly rated and what those rankings say about their ceilings. 4. Nebraska women beat Cal Baptist by 31 despite trailing early in the third quarter. 5. Sam says Amy Williams’ teams are built to finish games in the fourth quarter, and he links that to depth and defensive pressure. 6. The women’s roster now features posts who can shoot threes, unlike Kate Kane’s earlier back-to-the-basket role. 7. Sam names Jess Petrie, Petra Beauchamp, Amaya Hargrove, and Eliza Maupin when discussing who can stretch the floor. 8. Nebraska’s upcoming Big Ten games against USC and Iowa are presented as the real test for the women. 9. Brent Prince is identified as the player who must become more aggressive to create offense against stronger Big Ten defenses. 10. On the men’s side, Nebraska moved to No. 13 after trailing North Dakota at halftime and responding in the second half. 11. Sam says the men belong in the second or third tier nationally rather than alongside Michigan, Gonzaga, and Arizona. 12. He points to Nebraska allowing only 26 points in the first half against North Dakota as evidence of defensive connectivity. 13. Sam says the men have enough depth that Braden Frager can replace production when Price Sanford or another scorer is quiet. 14. Ben argues the No. 13 ranking may be a little high, but he also says Nebraska is not underrated there. 15. The conversation turns to March, where Ben asks whether a deep run should be considered realistic for Nebraska. 16. Sam answers that a second-weekend NCAA tournament goal is legitimate if Nebraska wins its first game. 17. The tone is conversational and ratings-driven, with Ben pressing examples and Sam answering in a film-room style. 18. The format moves from women to men to a short Creighton update without long setup or interview pauses. 19. Nebraska basketball fans who follow AP polls and Big Ten matchups. 20. Casual listeners wanting a broader sports recap may skip the ranking debate.

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