Nebraska Stays Perfect, But Frager Injury Casts Shadow Over Win
Nebraska men’s basketball just keeps rolling. With a 76-66 win over Washington on Wednesday night in Lincoln, the Huskers improved to 19-0 overall and 8-0 in Big Ten play.
That’s not just a hot start-it’s historic. This marks the best start to a season by any Big Ten team since Ohio State opened 24-0 back in 2010-11.
And for Nebraska, it’s their best conference start since the 1965-66 squad rattled off 10 straight to open league play.
But while the win keeps Nebraska’s dream season alive, the bigger storyline coming out of Pinnacle Bank Arena was the health of standout freshman Braden Frager.
Frager Goes Down Early
Frager, who’s been in the thick of the Big Ten Freshman of the Year conversation, went down awkwardly just over seven minutes into the first half. After converting a layup, he landed on Washington forward Cortland Muldrew and immediately looked uncomfortable. Less than 90 seconds later, Frager headed to the locker room and wouldn’t return.
By the time the second half rolled around, Frager was back on the bench in street clothes, his left leg in a walking boot. The emotional weight of the moment was clear-this wasn’t just a physical setback for a young player, it was a gut punch.
“He’s pretty sore,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said postgame. “We’ll know a lot more tomorrow.
Right now, it’s an ankle sprain and we’re being cautious. Our trainer thinks everything’s going to be fine, but we’ll X-ray it just to be sure.”
Hoiberg didn’t hide his admiration for Frager’s work ethic and competitive fire.
“You feel for somebody that puts as much time into his craft as Braden does,” Hoiberg said. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around.
The emotion you saw from him, that’s what makes him special. He plays with an edge, a swagger.
We all feel for him. But we’ll get through it.
That’s why you put in the work-so the next guy is ready.”
Depth Tested Again
Nebraska’s rotation was already running lean. With Connor Essegian and Ugnius Jaruševičius sidelined, the Huskers have been operating with a tight seven-man core. Frager’s injury, depending on how long he’s out, stretches that even thinner.
And with a quick turnaround-Nebraska heads to Minnesota in less than 72 hours-there’s no time to dwell. The Huskers will need a true “next man up” mentality, and on Wednesday night, that guy was Jared Garcia.
The senior forward stepped in and gave Nebraska solid minutes-11 in total-adding five points and five rebounds. It wasn’t a box score explosion, but it was exactly the kind of steady presence the Huskers needed in the moment.
“It was great to see Jared knock down that three in the first half,” Hoiberg said. “He had a nice jump hook in the second, grabbed a couple of strong boards. His role is going to shift a bit now, and he’s ready for that.”
Sandfort in a Groove
While Frager’s injury was the emotional low point, Pryce Sandfort continued to be the offensive engine driving Nebraska forward.
The junior poured in 23 points, marking his third straight game with 20 or more. It was his eighth 20-point game of the season and the ninth of his career, and he did it with ruthless efficiency-4-of-7 from deep, part of a scorching three-game stretch where he’s hit 16 of his last 28 threes (57.1%).
“He’s got a lot of confidence right now,” Hoiberg said. “We’re going to keep finding him.
Thought we ran some good actions to get him open, and the guys set solid screens. When we’re getting stops and pushing in transition, we always have to know where Pryce is.
The team’s done a great job recognizing that.”
Eyes on the Road Ahead
At 19-0, Nebraska is officially on the national radar. But the road ahead doesn’t get any easier-especially if Frager is out for an extended stretch.
The Huskers have built their identity on toughness, chemistry, and a next-man-up mindset. That’ll be tested in the coming weeks.
But if Wednesday night was any indication, this team isn’t backing down. They’re deep into uncharted territory for the program, and they’re not just surviving-they’re thriving.