What Opposing Coaches Say About Nebraska Men’s Basketball

Nebraska fans have watched their 18-0 Huskers team set team records and garner national acclaim in this unprecedented season.

Huskers fans see this team’s attributes — their unselfish nature, their dedication to defense and rebounding. And that shooting … they can shoot. Nebraska shoots 47.4 percent from the field (77th), 35.5 percent from distance (103rd). With 361 teams, anything in the top 120 is in the top third in the nation. This week, the Huskers play host to Washington on Wednesday night, and visit Minnesota on Saturday.

Nebraska hasn’t run into that team yet with a dominant, athletic big man or two or three. Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara will provide that challenge next Tuesday. Maybe perceptions of the Huskers will change then.

Or, maybe the Huskers are as good as they’re showing, game after game.

Nebraska is ranked seventh in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. The Huskers are a projected 2-seed in ESPN’s Bracketology for the second consecutive time. They have raced through their Big Ten schedule at 7-0.

Huskers fans know what they know. But we wanted a fresh perspective, through multiple sets of eyes. What do others think of coach Fred Hoiberg’s Huskers?

We compiled what some coaches — from the Big Ten and Creighton’s Greg McDermott — have said about the Huskers. These coaches have played Nebraska this season.

Nary a discouraging word was heard. Assuming there won’t be much, if any, fratricide among the coaching brethren, their viewpoints are valid. They all are veteran coaches. They all seemed legitimately impressed with the Huskers.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins

Nebraska defeated Northwestern, 77-58, on Saturday in Evanston. Collins played at Duke and was an associate head coach with the Blue Devils. Collins has been the head coach at Northwestern for 13 seasons.

Collins and the Wildcats saw a full Nebraska experience — 51 percent shooting, 42 percent shooting from distance, 18 assists, solid defense and only five turnovers.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins talks with Jayden Reid during the first half against Michigan State at the Breslin Center. — Northwestern coach Chris Collins talks with Jayden Reid during the first half against Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I told Fred [Hoiberg] before the game, I admire the way they play,” Collins said in a postgame news conference after the Nebraska game.

“You got a bunch of guys who are just a collection of their parts. It’s really refreshing to watch and the purity that they play [with], the joy they play with, the toughness they play with, and you saw firsthand today, it’s why they’re 18 and 0.

“I thought that second half when the game got away from us, their toughness and kind of togetherness and kind of resolve just was able to wear us down over time.”

Oregon coach Dana Altman

The Huskers destroyed visiting Oregon, 90-55, on Jan. 13 — a remarkable one-sided margin in a Big Ten game. Altman, a Wilber (Nebraska) High graduate, was the 24th coach to have 700 career wins in Division 1.

Altman is one of three active coaches with 28 winning seasons, along with Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Kansas’ Bill Self.

Oregon coach Dana Altman is impressed with Nebraska's ability to generate second-chance points. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Altman has been around. He’s seen — and defeated — many, many college basketball teams in his time. Teams that play with different styles and with a variety of players. He is a voice of authority about the sport.

“Well, it’s the points off turnovers and the second-chance points,” Altman said in a news conference after the Nebraska game.

“They had 11 at halftime — second-chance points. It was a two- or three-point game there and they got a couple offensive-rebound put-backs. We had some bad turnovers that led to easy baskets and then the game got away from us.

“Nebraska’s activity is really good. Defensively, they’re really solid. Sam [Hoiberg] was just really active … His activity defensively just changes the game. And he really, really is active.

“They’re really good … I think KenPom [Ken Pomeroy] has them like 15th analytically and I think that’s a big difference from some of their previous teams and I think it’s something that’ll carry them.

“When we’ve had some success either in the season or in the tournament, defense is such a big part of it [because] you’re not going to shoot it well every night. And so I think their defensive activity is really good. I think that’s going to keep them in a lot of ballgames.

“It’s an embarrassment for a program that’s been to five Sweet 16s, a couple Elite Eights and a Final Four [in 2017] to have a performance like that. You know I’m embarrassed for our program.

“We got our ass kicked and they played harder than we did. They outrebounded us, outfought us at every turn.”

Creighton coach Greg McDermott

Nebraska beat rival Creighton, 71-50, at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 7. McDermott has coached for 25 years, 16 years at Creighton. He’s won 510 career games.

McDermott has won enough to recognize winning basketball. His teams have gone to the NCAA Tournament 13 times.

Creighton coach Greg McDermott likes how Nebraska players know their role on the 18-0 team. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

“Fred’s got a really good team and they’re playing at a high level right now,” McDermott said at a news conference before the Nebraska game.

“And a lot of guys just do their job for his team. He’s got some guys that have been around that understand their role and they’re doing a great job in the roles that he has them playing.”

McDermott spoke specifically about Nebraska forward Rienk Mast, the Huskers’ second-leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, behind Pryce Sandfort’s 16.7 points per game.

“Yeah, I mean he’s difficult,” McDermott said. “You know, Fred uses him kind of like he used Georges Niang when he was at Iowa State.

Creighton coach Greg McDermott is impressed with the overall game of Nebraska forward Rienk Mast. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“He’s got the ball at the top of the floor and he’s a decision-maker and because he can shoot it so well, you have to respect him, a few feet behind the three-point line and then he passes it so well.

“He can score a lot of different ways and I haven’t even talked about [Mast] in the post. He’s crafty down there as well. We just got to make his catches a little difficult if we can and then try to pressure him when he has it.”

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo

Izzo has coached the Spartans for 31 years. He’s been to the Final Four eight times. The Spartans have been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1997 (excluding 2000, the Covid-19 season).

Izzo and the Spartans visited Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 2, a benchmark game the 13-0 Huskers used to see where they stood against one of the Big Ten bruisers. The Huskers won, 58-56, in a physical battle.

Izzo was impressed.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, a big fan of the Huskers, talks with Spartans center Carson Cooper. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

“Happy for Fred Hoiberg,” Izzo started his postgame news conference. Izzo coached Hoiberg’s son, Jack, from 2018-21.

“It wasn’t that many years ago that everybody was on his butt. He did a helluva job. Nebraska did a helluva job.

“It was the biggest game in 36 years [for Nebraska]. They responded. They’re a good team and it was an incredible environment.

“This is a very good team. Big fan of Fred and his program.”

Izzo was asked how the Huskers have improved from last year.

“Well, how many things you want me to name?” Izzo said. “Everything’s better. I mean it starts with Sandfort and Mast. I mean that’s a 1 and 1 Double A.

“And those two guys are really good. They weren’t here last year. Remember Mast didn’t play.

“[Jamarques] Lawrence, I told him I appreciate him coming back to the Big Ten. You know, being here a couple years, then going out East [Rhode Island] and coming back. Maybe he realized the grass isn’t always greener.

Nebraska forward Braden Frager earned praise from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

“He’s a big addition to them. I’m trying to think who else hurt us, but those three. And then I think the [Braden] Frager kid is going to be a hell of a player.

“I think that’s a hell of a freshman and he’s going to be a hell of a player. He seems to be getting better and better and better. And we got him in a little bit of foul trouble. The Berke [Buyuktuncel] kid didn’t play as well tonight, but Frager stepped up.

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg plays defense against Northwestern. Hoiberg's contributions have been noticed by opposing coaches. | David Banks-Imagn Images

“And my favorite player is the only one they had back, and that’s Sam [Hoiberg]. There’s no one in the Big Ten or NCAA basketball that plays harder than that kid.

“He guards people, he motivates people. It’s gotta be hard because coaches’ sons usually take a beating. If anybody in Nebraska talks bleep about him, I’d like to meet that guy. Because the kid plays so damn hard, so smart, just gets his hands on everything.”

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