Nebraska Men's Basketball Climbs 2 Spots in AP Poll After Convincing Road Win

The get-right game Nebraska basketball needed to have was exactly what Husker fans got to watch on Saturday morning, as the Big Red climbed two spots in the latest AP Poll rankings after leaving the East Coast with a win.

Now ranked seventh in the country, Fred Hoiberg and company prepare for a top-15 matchup at home against Purdue on Tuesday evening, then a rematch against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. Sitting at 21-2 (10-2 Big Ten), Nebraska's upcoming two-game home stretch later this week will be the final time the Huskers play consecutive games at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season.

Seemingly doing everything they can to protect home court, the Big Red currently stands as the favorite in both matchups, but will likely get both conference foes' best shot as the final stretch of the regular season winds down. With momentum and the home crowd on their side in these games, expect the same level of urgency that has defined NU's season to date to continue to be displayed in the final month.

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

Heading into last week, the Huskers got some much-needed rest and recovery for several key rotational players before a trip to Piscataway, NJ, to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. In a matchup Nebraska was expected to win, they did just that after a competitive first half of play.

Arguably, the most impressive and encouraging thing Husker fans got to see was Rienk Mast's return to form. After sitting out against the then-ranked No. 3 Michigan Wolverines, and an underwhelming yet understandable performance against the then-ranked No. 9 Illinois, Nebraska star forward shined on the road against Rutgers.

Putting up a game-high 26 points, Mast tied his season-best performance against the Scarlet Knights. The Huskers, as a team, scored 36 points in the paint on the night, and found their first conference win since Jan. 27 against Minnesota. Back in the win column, they'll look to restart a win streak that had climbed to a program-best 24-straight before the loss in Ann Arbor.

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

Despite playing just one game last week, the national media saw Nebraska as a team whose stock deserved to rise. Now at No. 7, the Huskers have been ranked inside the top 10 for six consecutive weeks, also a program record.

Though the Big Red will once again be tested by a ranked opponent later this week, they'll have another chance to prove they belong as one of the best teams in America against Purdue. It will also serve as the fifth top 25 team Nebraska has played this season, and it stands as a favorable opportunity to improve to 3-2 in those matchups on the season.

History continues to be made for this program as they head towards one of, if not the best, records any Nebraska men's basketball team has ever notched. Projected to finish the season 27-4, per ESPN Analytics, it would be the best win percentage (.871) a Husker team has recorded in the 1920-1921 season. That year, the Big Red went 15-3 (.833) while playing in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Grown man basketball. pic.twitter.com/qDreo3qRvb
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 7, 2026

The marquee matchup the Big Red plays this week is at home against No. 13 Purdue. With tipoff set for 6 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Nebraska currently stands as 1.5-point favorites. For those not in attendance, the game will be made available on FS1. For the Huskers, the Boilermakers will likely serve as the most skilled squad remaining on the 2025-26 regular season schedule.

Then, Hoiberg and company will get a four-day break before welcoming a Northwestern Wildcats team with one of the most skilled offensive players in the Big Ten to Pinnacle Bank Arena. On Jan. 17, the Huskers traveled to Evanston to take on the Wildcats on their home court, where they pulled off a 77-58 victory. Looking for the season sweep, Nebraska will have to find a way to limit senior forward Nick Martinelli, who averages 22.7 points per game, to come out on top. After scoring 22 points in their previous matchup, while shooting 9-for-20 on field goal attempts, the Huskers will likely have their hands full.

However, now closer to getting back to full strength, Nebraska is heavily favored in Saturday's matchup as well. With the opportunity to go 2-0 on the week, they could see themselves voted back into the top 5 were they to do so.

Our favorite letter. pic.twitter.com/rCLYqnNbNp
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 7, 2026

Going undefeated this week would also keep the Big Red in contention for the Big Ten regular-season title, along with the No. 1 seed heading into the conference tournament. Currently at 10-2 in conference, the Huskers find themselves in third place behind Michigan (12-1) and Illinois (11-2). Nebraska split games with the Fighting Illini, meaning tie-breakers against common opponents would come into play, and it would require the Wolverines to earn two losses on their remaining schedule to earn the top spot, due to the Huskers' loss on Jan. 27.

Regardless, weirder things have happened to end the year. Yet, Nebraska will simply have to handle its own business first before worrying about that. For now, the most important thing for this team is to be rounding into form as the regular season comes to a close. The Huskers began playing their best basketball of the year in March of 2025, and if the same follows this spring, Nebraska will have every opportunity to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in program history.

But before that, there's plenty of basketball to be played. With a team full of veteran players, their pre-season goals are still very much ahead of them. So too is the opportunity to overachieve, if anyone still thinks they haven't quite done that yet. Regardless, wins are there for the taking, and NU will have to prove worthy in the final month before looking on to any postseason success.

Men's Week 14 AP Top 25

Arizona
Michigan
Houston
Duke
Iowa State
UConn
Nebraska
Illinois
Kansas
Michigan State
North Carolina
Gonzaga
Purdue
Florida
Virginia
Texas Tech
St. John's
Saint Louis
Vanderbilt
Clemson
Arkansas
BYU
Miami (OH)
Louisville
Kentucky

Nebraska Men's Basketball 2025-26 Schedule

Oct. 18 Nebraska 90, BYU 89
Oct. 27 Nebraska 91, Midland 50
Nov. 3 Nebraska 86, West Georgia 53
Nov. 8 Nebraska 96, Florida International 66
Nov. 11 Nebarska 69, Maryland-Eastern Shore 50
Nov. 15 Nebraska 105, Oklahoma 99 (Sanford Pentagon)
Nov. 20 Nebraska 84, New Mexico 72 (Hall of Fame Classic)
Nov. 21 Nebraska 86, Kansas State 85 (Hall of Fame Classic)
Nov. 25 Nebraska 80, Winthrop 73
Nov. 29 Nebraska 72, South Carolina Upstate 63
Dec. 7 Nebraska 71, Creighton 50
Dec. 10 Nebraska 90, Wisconsin 60
Dec. 13 Nebraska 83, Illinois 80
Dec. 21 Nebraska 78, North Dakota 55
Dec. 30 Nebraska 86, New Hampshire 55
Jan. 2 Nebraska 58, Michigan State 56
Jan. 5 Nebraska 72, Ohio State 69
Jan. 10 Nebraska 83, Indiana 77
Jan. 13 Nebraska 90, Oregon 55
Jan. 17 Nebraska 77, Northwestern 58
Jan. 21 Nebraska 76, Washington 66
Jan. 24 Nebraska 76, Minnesota 57
Jan. 27 Michigan 75, Nebraska 72
Feb. 1 Illinois 78, Nebraska 69
Feb. 7 Nebraska 80, Rutgers 68
Feb. 10 Purdue 6 p.m. FS1
Feb. 14 Northwestern Noon BTN
Feb. 17 Iowa 8 p.m. BTN
Feb. 21 Penn State 1 p.m. BTN
Feb. 25 Maryland 6 p.m. BTN
Feb. 28 USC 3 p.m. BTN
March 3 UCLA 10 p.m. FS1
March 8 Iowa 4 p.m. FOX
March 10-15 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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