Nebrasketball Notches First-Team, All-Defense, Coach of the Year, More from the Big Ten Conference

With the 2025-26 regular season in the books, the Big Ten has named its all-conference teams and individual award winners for men's basketball.

Nebraska, fresh off the most successful regular season in program history, was recognized Tuesday with several All-Big Ten awards for players and coaches.

While media and coaches voted separately on the awards, the league's coaches took a liking to what they saw from the Huskers a bit more, voting Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg Coach of the Year and junior guard Pryce Sandfort First-Team All-Conference. Redshirt freshman forward Braden Frager earned recognition from coaches, being elected to the All-Freshman Team and named the Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year.

Senior guard Sam Hoiberg and senior forward Rienk Mast were also recognized by the media, being selected as Big Ten Honorable Mentions. Hoiberg also earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team after totaling 66 steals during his final regular season in college.

Pryce Sandfort: 1st Team Coaches, 2nd Team Media

Sandfort, who is new to Nebraska but not the Big Ten, was also voted Second-Team All-Conference by the media. He becomes only the fourth Husker to earn a first-team nod since NU left the Big 12 after the 2010-11 season. He also gives the Big Red a First-Team All-Big Ten player for the second straight season.

Here are the other Huskers to be awarded First-Team All-Big Ten recognition since the 2011-12 season:

Brice Williams (Coaches & Media) 2024-25
James Palmer Jr. (Coaches) 2017-18
Terran Pettway (Coaches and Media) 2013-14

Braden Frager: All-Freshman, Sixth Man of the Year

Lincoln Southwest alum Braden Frager was in line to crack the rotation before the start of the 2025-26 season, but few expected him to turn into what he has become. In his second year of college, but first year on the floor, the wing has turned himself into the first Nebraska basketball player to win the Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year award.

He also earned All-Freshman recognition after averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 assists, and 0.9 rebounds per game, while serving as X-factor for the Big Red all year.

Here's who made the All-Freshman Team with Braden Frager:

David Mirkovic, Illinois
Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Trey McKenney, Michigan
Hannes Steinbach, Washington

Sam Hoiberg: All-Defensive Team, Honorable Mention Media and Coaches

In his final year at Nebraska, senior guard Sam Hoiberg has averaged 9.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. His energy was infectious and helped spark the Big Red's overtime victory Sunday over Iowa in overtime to end the regular season. Now, he'll be asked to do much of the same during NU's postseason run.

Here are the other players featured with Hoiberg on the All-Defensive Team:

Kylan Boswell, Illinois
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Aday Mara, Michigan

Rienk Mast: Honorable Mention Media and Coaches

Senior forward Rienk Mast's return after an injury forced him to miss the 2024-25 season was arguably the most influential thing that sparked Nebraska's success this season.

The Netherlands native played a pivotal role during his final year of college basketball. Averaging 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, Mast became an All-Big Ten honoree for the second time.

Here are the other players who earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition (media) with Rienk, Mast and Sam Hoiberg:

Kylan Boswell, Illinois
David Mirkovic, Illinois,
Jaxon Kohler, Michigan State
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Cade Tyson, Minnesota
John Mobley Jr., Ohio State
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
Tariq Francis, Rutgers
Donovan Dent, UCLA

Fred Hoiberg: Coach of the Year

Last but not least is your 2025-26 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Fred Hoiberg (coaches).

After finishing the regular season with a 26-5 (15-5 Big Ten) record, the Huskers earned the two-seed in this week's Big Ten Tournament. It marks the best finish the Big Red have ever had in the league and also the highest seed they've earned.

It actually marks the second time Hoiberg has been named Coach of the Year in the Big Ten. His first was during the 2023-24 season, when the Huskers finished 23-11 overall.

In his most recent stretch, Hoiberg has elevated the status of the Nebraska basketball program tremendously and has seen both his players and himself rewarded for it as a result. With the potential for a deep postseason run on the line after the Big Ten Tournament, he could become the first coach to win an NCAA Tournament game with the Huskers.

Recap of Husker Awards

Fred Hoiberg: Coach of the Year
Pryce Sandfort: First-Team (Coaches), Second-Team (Media)
Sam Hoiberg: All-Defense, Honorable Mention (Coaches and Media)
Braden Frager: Sixth Man of the Year, All-Freshman
Rienk Mast: Honorable Mention (Coaches and Media)

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 80, Nebraska 77
Feb. 14 Nebraska 68, Northwestern 49
Feb. 17 Iowa 57, Nebraska 52
Feb. 21 Nebraska 87, Penn State 64
Feb. 25 Nebraska 74, Maryland 61
Feb. 28 Nebraska 82, USC 67
March 3 UCLA 72, Nebraska 52
March 8 Nebraska 84, Iowa 75
March 13 vs. TBD 5:30 p.m. BTN (Big Ten Tournament)
March 10-15 Big Ten Tournament in Chicago

Home games are bolded. All times central.