Fred Hoiberg Details What It Will Take for No. 7 Nebraska to Beat No. 13 Purdue

The seventh-ranked Nebraska men's basketball team will take on yet another top-15 program on Tuesday night, and Fred Hoiberg says the Huskers will need to "be on point" to come out victorious.

Despite being at home, in front of a sure-to-be raucous Pinnacle Bank Arena crowd, the Big Red will be tested once again. To pass that test, NU's head ball coach met with the media earlier in the week to outline the keys to victory. While several things factor into the eventual result, none other than matching Purdue's physicality is more important. And per Hoiberg's words, spearheading that attempt will be Nebraska's star forward Rienk Mast.

After a much-needed win on Saturday against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Huskers climbed their way back up the Associated Press poll. Even so, welcoming the No. 13 team in America to Lincoln is no small task. Regardless, the path to victory is there for Nebraska; here's what it will take.

Battling the Boilermakers.

🆚: Purdue
📍: Pinnacle Bank Arena
⌚️: 6:00 PM CT
📺: @FS1
📻: @HuskersRadio pic.twitter.com/DksyoZls1n
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 10, 2026

To start the year, Purdue opened up as the No. 1 team in the country. Conversely, the Huskers were not ranked. Yet here we are on Feb. 10, seeing Nebraska slotted inside the top 10 for a program-best sixth consecutive week, gearing up to hand the Boilermakers their fourth conference loss to date.

Still, Hoiberg says doing so will not be easy. In fact, looking at what resulted in last year's matchup was something the Nebraska staff has not forgotten. “They absolutely handed it to us last year,” Hoiberg said. “We're going to have to be on point.” For the Huskers, who have had some much-needed recovery time for key players in the rotation, there won't be many excuses on Tuesday night.

The star power and veteran nature of Purdue's team is not being overlooked, either. “Purdue was picked to win the league,” Hoiberg said. “And they've got the most likely player of the year with Braden Smith.” The senior guard who's accounted for a total of 1,724 career points leads the Boilermakers' charge and will be Nebraska's point of emphasis on the defensive end in this matchup for the final time during the regular season in his career.

Efficiency out East. 😤 pic.twitter.com/xx8p47MNim
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 8, 2026

Even with one of the most decorated players in the sport playing for the opposing team, Nebraska has a potential mismatch of its own in Mast, who just so happens to be coming off a game in which he recorded his most points since a 31-point outing against Winthrop the week of Thanksgiving. The Huskers' offense flows through their star forward, who appears to be heating back up at just the right time. After attempting 20 field goals on the road against Rutgers, making 11 of them, the Big Red will need another noteworthy performance from their veteran at home against Purdue.

Recapping Mast's performance in Piscataway, Hoiberg said it was encouraging to say the least. “It was important for Rienk to have a game like that,” said Hoiberg. “It's important to see the ball go in the basket, and I thought his patience in the post was elite in that game against Rutgers.”

He also said the Huskers' staff is completely confident in what their big man can do, regardless of where he is on the court. “Whenever Rink shoots the ball, I think it's going in,” said Hoiberg. “And he’s getting his legs back. As a shooter, the game's a lot easier when you have your timing, when you have your legs, when you have your conditioning level where it needs to be. And Rienk is getting back to that point.”

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ & 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣

Braden Smith the first player with 1,000 points & 500 assists in @bigten play.

💭 Believed to be first player in NCAA history with 1,000 points and 500 assists in conference games only in a 4-year career. pic.twitter.com/2VONc8QowB
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) February 7, 2026

While the Big Red has shown an ability to light it up offensively throughout the year, defending against some of the conference's best scorers has been another story. Though Nebraska has largely been able to win games regardless of the opposing team's shooting success, Smith's offensive volatility is top of mind.

On defending the only player in Big Ten history to score 1,000+ points in conjunction with notching 500+ assists against conference opponents (career), Hoiberg says damage control will define the game. “You just have to do the best job you can,” Hoiberg said. “He’s one of the best three-level scorers in the country." Averaging 15.2 points per game while also dishing out assists 8.7 times per game as well, the Huskers will need a team buy-in defensively to emerge victorious.

Nebraska's head coach also said clogging passing lanes and having active hands will be a large key to success. “They're such good passers,” Hoiberg said. “But you have to do everything you can to contest everything, whether it's a shot or a pass.” For Purdue, which turns the ball over less than 10 times per game, NU's ability to see that number increase could make Tuesday's chance at a win increase dramatically.

Work to do. pic.twitter.com/z0Yj901e3Z
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 9, 2026

Still, Nebraska's ranked No. 7 for a reason. And the home venue of Pinnacle Bank Arena could play a factor in the contest as well. For now, the Huskers stand as 1.5-point favorites in the matchup and should enter with the confidence to get the job done. Whether they can do just that, the staff, team, and fan base alike truly believe they can. That's worth something in and of itself.

After Tuesday, the Big Red will have a four-day break in the action before playing host to Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. In a rematch of a game in which NU came out on top earlier in the year, the Huskers will be favored to sweep the 2025-26 season series. But again, Nebraska will have to deal with an offensive scoring output from one of the best the conference has to offer. Nick Martinelli is currently averaging 22.7 points per game, even if the Wildcats have gone just 2-11 in Big Ten play.

No game remaining on the schedule will come easy, especially considering the Big Red appears to have a target on its back. Standing third in the Big Ten with eight games to go, Nebraska will need to do everything in its power to win out if it hopes to catch up to Michigan, which holds a one-game advantage in conference at 12-1. For now, the Huskers will take it game by game, though. And it all starts on Tuesday night.

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