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First Look at Illinois Basketball's Game 22 Opponent: Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Illini bring a 10-game win streak to Lincoln, where a shorthanded Huskers squad is still more than capable of causing problems
Pranav Hegde|
Dec 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Sam Hoiberg (1) drives the ball to the basket during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Dec 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Sam Hoiberg (1) drives the ball to the basket during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniNebraska Cornhuskers

Illinois (18-3, 9-1 Big Ten) hasn’t lost a basketball game in a while. Ten games, to be exact. The Illini are riding a long winning streak, playing some of their best basketball of the season, and the last team to hand them an "L" just happens to be the one waiting for them next – Nebraska (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten). That loss still stings: a buzzer-beating defeat at State Farm Center that snapped Illinois’ momentum and sent everyone into the “Did that really just happen?” phase. Now the rematch lands in Lincoln, and although the jerseys are the same, the circumstances are not.

This isn’t a traditional First Look at Nebraska. Illinois has already lived that movie once this season. Consider this the director’s cut – with injuries, rotation changes and a much thinner margin for error added in.

(For the baseline version of this First Look, find it here.)

Injuries

The biggest update starts with availability. Nebraska could again be without Reink Mast, arguably its most important player, and Braden Frager, the Huskers’ sixth man and one of their most reliable sparks off the bench. Mast is listed as questionable as he deals with an illness, while Frager’s status remains up in the air because of an ankle injury.

Each absence carries weight in a different way. Mast’s potential unavailability removes Nebraska’s interior anchor – a player who impacts scoring, rebounding and decision-making when the game slows down. Frager’s absence limits flexibility on the perimeter, thinning the rotation and reducing Nebraska’s ability to sustain energy and shot-making in longer stretches. Losing one is uncomfortable. Losing both turns every possession into a trust fall, shrinking an already thin margin for error.

Nebraska’s run since the previous meeting

Since beating Illinois, the Huskers kept rolling. Nebraska closed out 2025 with two non-conference wins before opening 2026 with a massive home victory over Michigan State. The momentum didn’t stop there. The Huskers survived a scare against Ohio State, knocked off Indiana and then rolled through Oregon, Northwestern, Washington and Minnesota before arriving in Ann Arbor for a top-five showdown.

Even shorthanded, Nebraska fought tooth and nail against a dominant Michigan squad, leading for much of the game before its offense stalled late and a couple 50–50 calls went the other way. If anything, that performance may have done more to validate the Cornhuskers nationally than any win on its resume – an outmanned team going punch for punch with an elite opponent for nearly 40 minutes. Now, after its first loss of the season, NU heads back home to face Illinois.

Illinois vs. Nebraska matchup

The context matters heading into Lincoln. Nebraska is still tough. Still well-coached. Still capable of making life miserable for opponents with its defense. But without Frager and Mast (potentially), the margin for error is razor thin. One whistle, one missed box-out, one empty trip, and things can unravel quickly.

For Illinois, the assignment remains the same, even if the variables have changed. Nebraska will fight, defend and test Illinois’ composure – especially at home. The difference this time is that Illinois arrives riding momentum, powered by an emerging superstar with teammates settling into clearly defined roles around him.

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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