Nebraska basketball is off to a perfect 11-0 start, and while there’s plenty of credit to go around, one name keeps popping up in all the right ways: Sam Hoiberg.
Yes, he’s the son of head coach Fred Hoiberg. Yes, he started as a walk-on.
But if you’re still hanging on to the idea that Sam is only on the roster because of his last name, it’s time to let that go. What we’re seeing now is a player who’s earned everything - minutes, trust, and, most importantly, wins - through grit, skill, and a basketball IQ that jumps off the screen.
And it’s not just Nebraska fans taking notice. Opposing coaches - the ones game-planning to stop him - are calling him out for all the right reasons. After Nebraska’s recent win over Illinois, head coach Brad Underwood didn’t mince words when talking about who controlled the game.
“The game, in my opinion, was all controlled by Fred’s son,” Underwood said. “Any time you’re +23 in a three-point game - your ability to dominate a basketball game doesn’t always show up in points and all that. He got the rebound late, he made the pass late, he guards, and comes up with steals.”
Underwood wasn’t just being polite. He was pointing out what Nebraska fans have started to realize: Sam Hoiberg is the kind of player who changes games without needing to light up the scoreboard. He’s the guy doing the little things - diving for loose balls, making the extra pass, locking down defensively - and doing them at a high level.
In that win over Illinois, Pryce Sandfort dropped 31 points. Jamarques Lawrence hit the game-winning three and added 14.
Hoiberg? Just eight points.
But dig deeper and the impact is undeniable. He finished with six rebounds, five assists, a steal, zero turnovers, and the best plus-minus on the floor.
That’s winning basketball.
And that’s not a one-off performance. Through 11 games, Hoiberg is averaging 8.1 points per game on an efficient 55.7% shooting from the field and 42.1% from deep. Add in 4.5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, and you’ve got a stat line that speaks to a do-it-all guard who’s as steady as they come.
It’s not flashy, but it’s effective - and it’s exactly what Nebraska needs as it eyes a historic season. Remember, this is a program still chasing its first NCAA Tournament win.
To get there, you need guards who can control tempo, make smart decisions, and step up in big moments. Hoiberg checks all those boxes.
He’s not just playing meaningful minutes - he’s making winning plays. Like the assist to Lawrence for the game-winner.
Like the late-game rebounds and defensive stops. Like the calm presence in pressure situations that coaches dream about.
Sam Hoiberg isn’t a feel-good story about a coach’s kid getting a shot. He’s a legit contributor on an undefeated team, and he’s proving it night after night.
The numbers back it up. The eye test backs it up.
And now, even opposing coaches are giving him his flowers.
It’s time the rest of the college basketball world does the same.