Nebraska Basketball Looks to Reset and Refocus After Brutal Stretch Against Top-15 Teams
After a grueling stretch that saw Nebraska drop three straight games to Top-15 opponents, the message from head coach Fred Hoiberg is clear: enough is enough. The Huskers are done licking their wounds - now it’s about learning from them.
The turning point came in the film room. Just hours after a gut-wrenching overtime loss to No.
13 Purdue, Nebraska’s first day back in the gym wasn’t about shooting drills or scrimmages - it was about accountability. The team sat down and watched every single one of Purdue’s 21 offensive rebounds.
That’s not a typo. Twenty-one second chances.
Twenty-one missed opportunities to close out a possession.
Hoiberg didn’t hold back. Thursday’s practice was, in his words, “hard and visceral.”
It wasn’t just about running through sets or refining technique - it was about setting a tone. The Huskers dialed up the physicality, and while the intensity eased slightly the next day, the message stuck: if Nebraska wants to compete, it has to finish plays.
And that starts with rebounding - an area where Purdue exposed Nebraska’s biggest weakness. The size mismatch was evident, but Hoiberg pointed to something more fundamental: Purdue consistently made the first move on box outs.
That’s not just about height or wingspan - that’s about effort and positioning. Nebraska didn’t have the size to win those battles outright, and when they didn’t make first contact, they didn’t stand a chance.
But rebounding wasn’t the only issue. Hoiberg also highlighted the volume of unforced errors - the kind of mistakes that don’t show up in highlight reels but swing momentum in a heartbeat. Sloppy passes, poor decisions, missed assignments - the kind of miscues that let games slip away before you even realize it.
Then there’s the matter of slow starts. Against Purdue, Nebraska found itself in a 14-1 hole before it could even settle in.
That same sluggish energy reappeared after halftime, and the Huskers eventually trailed by 22 before mounting a furious rally to force overtime. It was a gutsy comeback, no doubt - but one that might not have been necessary if they’d found their rhythm earlier.
Hoiberg knows it. One more bucket here, one cleaner possession there, and Nebraska might’ve walked out with a signature win. But moral victories don’t count in the standings - and the Huskers are out of time for close calls.
Now, the schedule lightens up - at least on paper. Nebraska’s next opponent, Northwestern, comes to Lincoln with a 10-15 record and just two Big Ten wins.
But don’t let the record fool you. The Wildcats recently pushed both Iowa and No.
2 Michigan to the brink, even holding a nine-point lead over the Wolverines at halftime before fading late.
So no, Nebraska can’t afford to take anything for granted. Not now. Not with so much still on the line.
The good news? The toughest stretch of the season is in the rearview mirror.
There are no ranked teams left on the regular-season slate. This is the window - the chance for Nebraska to reestablish its identity, stack wins, and build momentum heading into March.
The dream of a No. 1 seed might be gone, but the season is far from lost. If Hoiberg can get this team back to playing its brand of basketball - gritty, disciplined, and relentless - there’s still time to turn this into a special run.
Now it’s up to the Huskers to prove they’ve learned from the pain - and that they’re ready to finish what they started.