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Fred Hoiberg, Pizza, and What Really Turned Nebrasketball Around

The Huskers are 17-0, riding a 21-game win streak, and ranked No. 8 in the nation. But just a few years ago, the program was struggling to get to double-digit wins in a season. What was the moment that changed the trajectory of the Fred Hoiberg era in Lincoln?
Kaleb Henry|
Fred Hoiberg has Nebraska on the doorstep of a third straight 20-win season.
Fred Hoiberg has Nebraska on the doorstep of a third straight 20-win season. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

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Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebrasketball is experiencing unprecedented success this season.

The Huskers are 17-0. They have a nation-leading win streak of 21 games, going back to the run through the College Basketball Crown. They are ranked No. 8 in the nation.

But the Fred Hoiberg era in Lincoln wasn't always like this.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg holds up the College Basketball Crown trophy after the Huskers beat UCF in the championship game.
Nebraska's 4-0 run to the Crown title sparked a win streak that has made its way to the midpoint of January. | College Basketball Crown/Intersport

Just last year, in the build-up to the Crown, Nebraska lost five straight to miss the Big Ten Conference Tournament and see the hopes of back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids fade away. Much worse times came earlier in the tenure, with the Huskers notching just 14 total over the first two seasons under Hoiberg.

So, what changed?

Some may point to the consistency at a position integral to Hoiberg's offense. Derrick Walker spent four seasons in Lincoln, giving the Huskers a high-IQ big man to run the offense through. That continues with Rienk Mast.

Some may point to elite shooters. Keisei Tominaga began to take over games late in the 2022-23 season before exploding as a national sensation the following year. Pryce Sandfort has become other-worldly the way he can shoot the ball from deep.

Keisei Tominaga was a fan-favorite across the country for his electric play and personality.
Keisei Tominaga was a fan-favorite across the country for his electric play and personality. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Some may even point to local players taking on larger and more meaningful roles. Sam Griesel and Josiah Allick transferred back to get the Huskers back on track. Sam Hoiberg has become much more than just a glue guy. Cale Jacobsen took on a larger role in Las Vegas and carried that into this season. And Braden Frager is proving himself to be one of the top freshmen in the league.

While all three points certainly make good arguments, the real reason, and the exact turning point for the program under Hoiberg, goes back to December of 2022, when 6-4 Nebraska was set to host undefeated and No. 4 Purdue.

"I'm gonna buy some pizza for the students before the game," Hoiberg said at media availability on the day before the game. "Get here early. Be loud. We're certainly going to need them against this team that we're playing."

Pizza. Could it be so simple?

The first 250 students were promised pizza; Hoiberg delivered. Then his team gave Purdue all they could handle.

The Huskers outscored the Boilermakers 32-22 in the second half to force overtime. Nebraska would lead on multiple occasions, but, in the end, fell 65-62.

Pizza and a loss, but, ultimately, a turning point.

After a pair of tough seasons to begin his tenure at Nebraska, Fred Hoiberg is quickly approaching a .500 record.
After a pair of tough seasons to begin his tenure at Nebraska, Fred Hoiberg is quickly approaching a .500 record after a trio of solid campaigns. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Huskers would close out the season 10-12 to finish 16-16. That turned into back-to-back 20-win seasons, with the Big Red on the brink of going back-to-back-to-back for the first time in program history.

Nebraska was 30-71 under Hoiberg going into that game. Since Hoiberg bought pizza for the students to help his team push the No. 4 team in the country to overtime, he has led the Huskers to a 71-35 record.

Hoiberg and the Huskers are on the road at Northwestern on Saturday. After that, they host Washington before a road swing at Minnesota and at Michigan to close out the month. However the rest of January, or the season goes, and whatever the NCAA Tournament run ends up looking like, a simple purchase of pizza more than three years ago has turned Nebraska into one of the top teams in the nation.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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