'Pressure is a Privilege': Fred Hoiberg Suggests Nebraska is Ready for Breakthrough

The Huskers are gearing up for their first-round game of the NCAA Tournament, and Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg met with the media Wednesday in Oklahoma City ahead of Thursday's contest.

At the Paycom Center, where the game will take place, media from around the country gathered together to discuss storylines surrounding the Big Red. Hoiberg touched on several topics, including his team's pressure to win, keys to victory, and more.

Here's everything he had to say during his time at the mic.

The OKC Experience So Far

A drivable distance from Lincoln, the Huskers received a favorable draw. Now, Hoiberg and company expect the fan base that has shown them so much love all year to do the same in this win-or-go-home scenario.

“We're really excited to be here in Oklahoma City,” Hoiberg said. “This, to me, is what it's all about. Going all the way back to our early workouts in June, when we put this group together. It's all designed for this time of year. This is the fun time of the season, and our guys have done an unbelievable job this year of keeping their focus.”

Nebraska's head coach suggested his veteran team knows what is at stake. And though he doesn't promote the fact that the Huskers have never won an NCAA Tournament game, his players understand what they have the ability to do, and then become.

Does Hoiberg, Team Feel Pressure?

Being the only Power Conference team without a tournament win comes with pressure to change that. Instead of running from it, Hoiberg says his team feels it and embraces it.

“Of course there is [pressure],” he said. “But as I've said to the team, pressure is a privilege. It's what it's all about- to go out there and do the things we've been doing all year.”

Even with the stakes as high as they've ever been for this team, the Huskers know it's just basketball. And it just so happens to be something NU has been very good at the entire 2025-26 season.

Nebraska's Key to Victory on Thursday

The Big Red have struggled early on in contests as of late, something Hoiberg suggested cannot happen on Thursday for Nebraska to win. When asked about the keys to victory against Troy, he pointed out exactly that.

“It’s important in these early games of getting off to a good start,” Hoiberg said. “We're going to have a great crowd here, and we need to get our fans behind us early in this one. We're excited to be here, and we're excited for the opportunity to compete.”

Behind a crowd expected to be overwhelmingly in favor of the Huskers in round one, Nebraska will look to use that to its advantage. Even with the pressure to perform, Hoiberg suggested his team is welcoming the challenge.

How Big an Impact can Husker Fans Make?

Husker fans tend to travel in numbers that rival the best fan bases in the country. Due to that, Nebraska will likely feel as if they are playing at their home away from home. When asked about the impact that can make, Hoiberg didn't shy away from stating just how big an advantage that has the potential to be.

“It'll be huge,” he said. “I'm guessing that caravan is coming down from Lincoln, from the entire state, all the alumni will show up. They did it in Memphis a couple of years ago. It helps at this time of year, especially with the early start time, to get out there and have the energy of your fan base behind you. And whatever happens, we get [that] adversity is going to hit us at some point in this game tomorrow. But having a fan base like we're going to have will help us through that.”

Per NU's head coach, the Big Red can lean on its fan base, if needed. Though hoping his guys will be ready on their own, Husker Nation will undoubtedly have their backs.

On What a Win Would Mean to the Hoiberg Family and Nebraska Fan Base

The Hoiberg family has a long history with the University of Nebraska, and Fred suggested it means a whole lot. Instead of dismissing what a win would signify, he made it clear- to fans and family alike- a victory would be greatly appreciated state-wide.

“This program does mean a lot to me,” Hoiberg said. “Because of my family's history, my grandfather was the head coach for nine seasons at the University of Nebraska. It would mean a lot to our family. It would mean even more to our fans, and you know, again, they're going to show up, and they expect a lot out of this team as they should.”

Without softening the blow of a potential loss, he put the burden back on his team to get the job done. As the four seed, they'll be expected to, and Husker Nation will be anticipating just that.

On rebuilding Nebraska's Program into What it is Now

The Big Red have been under Hoiberg's guidance for the last seven years, but it hasn't always been an upward trend. Instead, it's come with ups and downs to alarming degrees. When asked to comment on the journey it has been, Nebraska's head coach didn't hold back on stressing how important it was to get the right player in the locker room over that time.

“We took over an enormous rebuild, obviously, with Thor [Thorbjarnarson] being the only player on the roster that was retained,” he said. “Those first couple of years were rough. And we knew that when we took it over, it would take some time. Especially back then, before NIL, so you couldn't really buy a team. So, yes, it took us some time to get here, but again, it was all about getting the right players in here, especially the ones that the fans could get behind”.

Now, with a team full of hand-picked guys, the Huskers are looking to advance in the NCAA Tournament for the school's first time. If that happens, the Hoiberg system would be confirmed as a success.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.