A Quad 1-level matchup awaits the Big Red.

After soundly defeating Le Moyne 106-64 on Monday night, Nebraska will travel to Uncasville, Connecticut, to face Providence at 6 p.m. CST Saturday. Both programs enter the contest 1-0, with the Friars coming off a 27-point victory over Maine.

Head coach Fred Hoiberg met with the media Thursday ahead of his team's trip east. Here's what he had to say.

Under first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson, Providence cruised past Maine in its season opener. The game didn't give Hoiberg much of a sample size to scout. However, after leading South Florida to a 25-9 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance last spring, Hodgson has given Nebraska's head coach a familiar system to study. To better understand their opponent, Hoiberg said his staff is largely leaning on the tendencies of Hodgson's team in Tampa from a year ago.

“It’s a lot of the same principles,” he said. “Obviously, different personnel than what they had a year ago at a different school, but, you know, this is an unbelievably talented roster.”

“They can throw a lot of different guys at you in waves that they play with and the depth that they have,” Hoiberg continued. “So, it’s all about handling the things; going out and doing what we can control. So, it’s going to be a really good opportunity for us; I think that’s the benefit of playing three different exhibitions in a home, a road, and a neutral, to help prepare for what we’re going to see on Saturday night.”

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The Huskers have already played a neutral-site exhibition at the BigIron Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska. However, this weekend's trip east will almost certainly present a more hostile environment than their matchup with Kansas State.

Nebraska also traveled to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU. Despite the loss, Hoiberg's team experienced some of the adversity it could face against Providence. The Huskers' head coach hopes his players can use those experiences as lessons, but he acknowledged that nothing can fully replicate the pressure of a regular-season game.

“At some point, adversity will hit us in this game and, you know, you use the exhibitions, you use the scrimmages, you try to put them in as many adverse situations as possible in practice, but nothing is going to simulate the environment that we are going into on Saturday night.”

Regardless of what happens Saturday night, NU is expected to get a significant boost when senior forward Sam Orme returns. The 6-foot-10 Belmont transfer, who has yet to see the court this fall, averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists a year ago.

Orme, apparently still dealing with injury, will be a game-time decision against the Friars.

 “He practiced a lot today, and then we got him out when he hit the load that we were looking for," Hoiberg said. "He went a little bit lighter yesterday. We’ll see how he’s feeling going into tomorrow and then make a game-time decision.” 

“Against Le Moyne, we just didn’t feel he was quite ready yet,” the head coach continued. “Got a long way to go, so you don’t want to throw him out there if he’s not physically and mentally prepared, but we need him. We need his size; we need his skill level and his skill set, especially against a team that we are facing of this caliber.” 

Hoiberg is right, particularly when it comes to the Friars' size. Providence's projected starting lineup of Leonardo Marangon, Arrinten Page, Malik Mack, Ryan Mela, and Miles Byrd average out to roughly 6-foot-7.

Hoiberg praised Providence's ability to control the glass and pressure opponents defensively.

“You try to simulate it; you can’t,” he said. “This is by far the most aggressive team that we will have played. Very well coached; they run a lot of really good actions, and they are dynamic. They get out in transition; they’re physical… They’re relentless on the glass.”

“You just have to do as good a job as you can to handle it, take care of it, and try to expose it when you get out of it,” he continued. “You know, (Miles) Byrd is - I’m not sure I’ve seen a guy that has better hands or better defensive instincts than what he does. If you’re casual with the ball, he’s just going to take it from you.

"(Gavin) Hightower and Byrd had 12 steals combined in their last game… It’s what they do. It’s what fuels them; it’s what gets it going. If we don’t take care of the ball or finish off possessions, it’s going to be a long night.”

That could certainly be the case, though the Huskers seem to have the depth to handle the Friars' physicality throughout the game. While Hoiberg largely kept his rotation short until the outcome was all but decided, several of Nebraska's rotational players made the most of their opportunities against Le Moyne.

Asked whether the shorter rotation would continue, Hoiberg said he hasn't settled on one just yet. With Orme nearing a return and several reserves making strong impressions in game one, Hoiberg appears willing to turn to his bench, if necessary, in the second game.

“Obviously, Sam is going to be a guy who is going to be out there; he’s going to be in the rotation when he comes back. Connor (Essegian) obviously gave us great minutes in that game the other night. Leo (Curtis) has given us good minutes; I thought he played really well in the opener and had good moments in the preseason as well.”

“Collin (Rice) has shown good things; Will Cooper gives us a level of physicality; Kaden Betts,” Hoiberg said, continuing to list players who could see the floor. “I mean, all those guys; I’m confident in any of them. And that’s the depth I think that you saw with our team and how we were able to finish that and extend the lead… Whatever opportunity they got, they took advantage of. That’s what it is all about.”