Coach Ben Howland had the idea of his Mississippi State men’s basketball team playing an impromptu exhibition basketball game, with the sole reason to help raise money to benefit victims of Hurricane Irma.
Howland only needed an available, formidable last-minute opponent, and he found a willing participant, thanks to a friend and former colleague.
That’s why the Nebraska men’s basketball team, in a head start to its 2017-18 season, will travel to Mississippi State on Sunday to play the Bulldogs in an exhibition, Nebraska Executive Associate Athletic Director Marc Boehm announced Wednesday.
Boehm held the same position at Pittsburgh when Howland coached the Panthers from 1999-2003, and the two have remained close over the years.