After a week that might just go down as one of the most electric in Nebraska basketball history, the Huskers are officially climbing into rarefied air. Fred Hoiberg’s squad now sits at No. 15 in both the AP and Coaches’ Polls - a major leap from last week’s rankings, where they were slotted at 23 and 22, respectively.
And they didn’t just sneak their way up the ladder - they kicked the door down.
Nebraska followed up a dominant 90-60 win over Wisconsin with a statement road victory at Illinois, where Jamarques Lawrence drilled a last-second shot to seal an 83-80 win in Champaign. That shot didn’t just silence the crowd - it sent shockwaves through the rankings. Illinois, previously No. 13 in the AP poll, dropped to 18 after the loss.
The Huskers are now 11-0, one of just seven undefeated teams left in men’s college basketball. And it’s not just the eye test that’s impressed - Nebraska currently holds the No. 12 spot in the NCAA’s NET rankings, a key metric used by the selection committee come March.
This isn’t just a hot streak. This is a team that’s defending, sharing the ball, and playing with a level of confidence that’s been building with every win. From top to bottom, the roster is buying into Hoiberg’s system - and the results are speaking for themselves.
Hoiberg, never one to get too high or too low, kept things grounded after Saturday’s win.
“I told the guys this - they just accomplished something that's never been done in the history of Nebraska basketball,” he said. “Now the next test is how are you going to respond to it?”
That’s the kind of message you want from your head coach: celebrate the moment, but don’t let it define you. Hoiberg also made a point to talk about the distractions that come with success - the praise, the hype, the social media noise - and how important it is for his team to block it all out.
“We talked a lot about this game putting up your walls,” Hoiberg said. “And I thought our guys did a good job of that.”
He’s already looking ahead, too. Nebraska faces North Dakota next Sunday, and Hoiberg made it clear the focus now shifts to preparation and consistency. But he also took a moment to acknowledge the magnitude of what his team has done.
“I’m proud of them,” he said. “I’m not going to discount what they’ve accomplished because they should be proud of themselves for what they’ve done.”
And it’s not just the men making noise in Lincoln. The Nebraska women’s team is also unbeaten at 11-0 and moved up to No. 23 in the latest AP poll. It's a rare and exciting time for Husker hoops - both programs are rolling, and the energy around Nebraska basketball hasn’t felt like this in a long time.
For the men, the road ahead will get tougher. But right now, they’re not just winning - they’re rewriting the program’s story.