Nebrasketball Coach Fred Hoiberg Says Fans ‘Played a Huge Role’ in Michigan State Win

Nebraska basketball fans have every reason to celebrate their unbeaten program.

The No. 10 Huskers (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) remained perfect on the season after back-to-back Big Ten Conference tests in a three-day window, taking down then-No. 9 Michigan State 58-56 at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday, Jan. 2, followed by a critical 72-69 road win at Ohio State. Men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg joined the Huskers Radio Network's Sports Nightly program for his monthly men's basketball show, discussing the wins with host Kyle Crooks.

"After Michigan State, anytime you play a team like that, it is just an absolute rock fight. They way you have to grind a game like that out," Hoiberg said Tuesday. "You win a big emotional one at home... Human nature sometimes is to have a little bit of a letdown. The thing I thought was so important in that game against Ohio State is we got off to an unbelievable start."

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg motions to guard Sam Hoiberg (1) during the second half at Ohio State. — Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg motions to guard Sam Hoiberg (1) during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Jan. 5, 2026. Ohio State lost 72-69. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hoiberg compared the Ohio State win to Nebraska's road win at Illinois earlier this season, stating the Huskers withstood late runs in the second half although the game "got a little ugly there for awhile." Despite the highs of beating a top 10 team at home, Nebraska did not fall into the same trap that Hoiberg had expierenced in his previous stops in college basketball.

"It was like when I was coaching in the Big 12 (at Iowa State). The game after Kansas was generally a let-down type game. Whether you won or lost, you were beat up," Hoiberg said. "That's kind of what it was (traveling to Ohio State). With the two-day prep after playing Michigan State we knew it was going to be tough."

Hoiberg shared that he was happy with the team's execution defending Michigan State's interior scoring, and added that the team's ability to hit outside shots was a difference-maker for the Big Red when taking down the Spartans at Pinnacle Bank Arena. With the win, Nebraska cemented itself as a top-team in the conference but also reiterated the difficulty of playing in Lincoln against the Huskers.

Jan 2, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast (51) shoots the ball against Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"The fans played a huge role in that win, including at the end of the game," Hoiberg said. "That's as loud as I've heard an arena that I've been in... You could hear the "Husker Power" chants during the introductions. You knew it was going to be electric in that building. We appreciate it."

Hoiberg continued crediting Nebraska fans, saying the national college basketball landscape doesn't recognize the impact of the fanbase. He added that others give recognition to the "great environments" against Michigan State, but don't also credit the "full house" against New Hampshire and North Dakota.

"We talked about this going into the season... I did think that was going to be a team that is easy to root for," Hoiberg said.

Nebraska men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg observes the action against BYU. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Despite the 15-0 start to the season and back-to-back marquee wins for the Cornhuskers, the Nebrasketball coach is still putting the pressure back on his team to perform in each and every conference game, home or away.

"The biggest thing for us now is we can't get complacent. We can't get comfortable. We have to keep the edge. We have a big one coming up on Saturday," Hoiberg said.

The Huskers travel to take on Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington for an 11 a.m. CST tipoff, followed by a return to home against Oregon on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The Huskers' coach does trust that his team's chemistry and past experiences can keep Nebraska on its winning path.

Rienk Mast signals to Sam Hoiberg after Hoiberg makes a three-pointer against Creighton. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

"A big part of it is who you have in that locker room," Hoiberg said. "This is a mature team. It is an older team. They talk about, you can see it in the locker room."

"A couple of years ago we beat Purdue, we got pounded our next game when we went out and played. We didn't handle the success well. Now you can see the guys in the locker room that were a part of that game - they understand what happened to us," Hoiberg said. "Our guys have really bought in to turning the next page."

Hoiberg added that he was happy to see that his team is still "not satisfied" but he is sharing with the program to "enjoy the ride." Nebraska has 16 regular-season contests remaining, beginning with Saturday's road trip to Indiana.

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