Before the Nebraska Cornhuskers began play in the 2025-26 season, there wasn’t much hope surrounding head coach Fred Hoiberg and his team. In fact, the Cornhuskers were picked No. 14 out of the 18-team Big Ten Conference in the preseason poll.
Nebraska has never finished above seventh in the Big Ten. There was also a lot of disrespect directed toward Hoiberg. Now, though, things have definitely changed for the Cornhuskers this season. Nebraska is one of just three undefeated teams in men’s college basketball.
Nebraska Goes Through Major Shift Under HC Fred Hoiberg
In the latest Associated Press Men’s Top 25 poll, the 21-0 Cornhuskers are ranked No. 5 in the nation. Nebraska has a couple of big-time games ahead on its schedule, including a road matchup against the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines and a home clash against No. 9 Illinois.
🚨 NEW AP POLL IS OUT 🚨
Arizona stays No. 1, Nebraska cracks the top 5 👀
🔗 https://t.co/biLzWUa2GF pic.twitter.com/yvTAT1bqAh
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 26, 2026
As it stands, while the disrespect toward the Cornhuskers was real, the response has been even more real. If Nebraska fans look back to when Hoiberg first took over the program, they’ll note that his seven-year rebuild is now culminating in significant success.
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Looking at the Cornhuskers now, Pryce Sandfort, who transferred from Iowa, and Rienk Mast have been key contributors this season. Sandfort’s play has been outstanding, as he is averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 41% from 3-point range.
Now, Hoiberg, Sandfort, Mast, and the rest of the Cornhuskers are heading into a tough two-game stretch against ranked opponents. On Tuesday night, Nebraska will visit Ann Arbor, Mich., for a showdown against the third-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Then, they’ll return home for a clash with the No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini.
Two more games follow, with a road matchup against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and a home contest against the fifth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers. It’s a brutal stretch facing Nebraska.
Here’s the bigger picture for Nebraska and its fans: If the Cornhuskers can survive the next two weeks, they’ll have a résumé worthy of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Had you told Nebraska fans in October that the Cornhuskers would be in this position, many likely would have dismissed the idea. Yet Nebraska has played its way into contention with strong performances across the board. Now, it’s just a matter of seeing what happens next.
