Huskers Host Illinois in Top-10 Matchup on Sunday
After playing five of the last seven on the road, the No. 5/5 (AP/Coaches) Nebraska men's basketball team returns home for a top-10 matchup against Illinois Sunday afternoon. Tipoff from Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 3 p.m. (central) and the game will be carried FS1, broadcast on the Huskers Radio Network, as well as on Huskers.com and on the official Huskers app. The game will also be available on the Fox Sports and Fox Sports 1 apps.
Sunday's game is a White Out as all fans are encouraged to wear white for the matchup with the Fighting Illini. It is the first time the Huskers have hosted a top-10 matchup in Lincoln and just the third top-10 matchup in school history.
The Huskers (20-1, 9-1 B1G) look to bounce back from a 75-72 loss at No. 3 Michigan on Tuesday. Nebraska, which was without two of its top three scorers, led for most of the game and was up 72-69 before the Wolverines closed the game with a 6-0 run to escape with the win. Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort led the Huskers with 20 points apiece while Sam Hoiberg added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Nebraska held Michigan to 1.05 points per possession and forced 19 Wolverine turnovers.
The loss snapped Nebraska's 24-game win streak dating back to the 2025 College Basketball Crown and ended longest win streak in college basketball since Gonzaga won 35 straight games spanning the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. The Huskers whose 9-1 Big Ten start is the program's best 10 game start since 1965-66, are in a four-way tie for first in the Big Ten race entering the weekend. All four co-leaders meet this weekend, as Michigan State hosts Michigan on Friday before Sunday's Nebraska-Illinois tilt.
llinois (18-3, 9-1 B1G) has been on a tear of its own, ripping off 10 straight wins following Thursday's 75-66 win over Washington in Champaign. Illinois, which has not lost since Nebraska's 83-80 win on Dec. 13. was led by Keaton Wagler, who had 22 points and eight assists and David Mirkovic, who had 19 points and six rebounds. Wagler paces a deep Illini attack which averages 85.0 ppg.
Numbers to Know
2010-11 - Nebraska's 24-game win streak was the longest Big Ten win streak since Ohio State in 2010-11 and was 10 games longer than the longest win streak in school history.
34 - Fred Hoiberg has 34 wins over ranked opponents, including 12 wins against top-10 teams, in his collegiate coaching career. In addition, his six road wins against ranked opponents is second only to Danny Nee (seven) all-time among NU men's basketball coaches.
+ 9.6 - Nebraska has outscored teams by an average of 9.6 points per game in the second half, including 8.4 ppg in Big Ten play.
5.5 - Sam Hoiberg is second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (min. 3 assists per game) at 5.5-to-1 as of Jan. 30. Over the last 11 games dating back to Dec. 10, Hoiberg has 47 assists and just eight turnovers in
383:47 of game action. He also has a 2.4-to-1 steals-to-turnover ratio in that span.
16 - Nebraska's 16-point second-half comeback against Indiana on Jan. 10 tied the Huskers' largest comeback of the season (vs. Oklahoma). NU has a trio of double-digit comebacks this season (also vs. USC Upstate) and seven in the past two seasons.
55.0 - Nebraska's top four scorers (Rienk Mast, Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager and Jamarques Lawrence) are combining for 55.0 points per game. None of them were in the Husker lineup last season.
80+ -Nebraska is 49-10 (.827) under Fred Hoiberg when scoring 80 or more points, including a 40-7 mark over the last three-plus seasons. Of those seven losses since the start of 2022-23, four came in overtime.
1,018 - Rienk Mast now has 1,018 career rebounds and is one of only three active players with at least 1,000 career rebounds, joining Notre Dame's Carson Towt and Gonzaga's Graham Ike on that list.
10 - Pryce Sandfort is just the eighth Husker player to have at least 10 20-point efforts in a season since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011-12. He has scored 20+ points in each of the Huskers' last five contests.
3 - Over the last decade, only seven Big Ten players have shot over 40 percent from 3-point range and averaged 3.0 3-pointers per game. Pryce Sandfort, Indiana's Lamar Wilkerson and Ohio State's John Mobley Jr. are all above those marks as of Jan. 30.
1- According to Stathead, Sam Hoiberg is the only player nationally at 6-0 or under averaging at least five rebounds per game this season. He is also the only player at 6-0 or under shooting 50 percent from the field.
Huskers Earn Best Ranking In School History
Nebraska made program history on Jan. 26, as the Huskers moved to No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the Coaches poll. It marked NU's highest ranking in program history.
• The No. 5 ranking is the highest Nebraska basketball has ever been ranked in the AP poll, topping the previous rank of No. 7 on Jan. 19.
• Sunday's game with No. 9 Illinois will be the Huskers' third top-10 matchup in school history - and the second this week following the 75-72 loss at No. 3 Michigan on Jan. 27. Prior to this season, the only other top-10 matchup in school history was on Feb. 26, 1966 (No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 6 Kansas).
• Sunday is NU's fourth ranked on ranked matchup this season, including wins at No. 13 Illinois (W, 83-80) on Dec. 13, and No. 9 Michigan State (W, 58-56) and Tuesday's setback at No. 3 Michigan.
• The Huskers fell to 49-23 (.681) all-time when ranked in the AP poll following Tuesday's loss at Michigan.
• Prior to this season, the 1965-66 season was the only other season where Nebraska was ranked in the top 10. NU spent four straight weeks in the poll (Feb. 7-28) in 1965-66, reaching as high as eighth on Feb. 21, 1966. That season, the Huskers went 20-5, including 12-2 in the Big Eight to finish second to Kansas, but did not advance to postseason play. That Kansas team that won the Big Eight lost to eventual NCAA Champion Texas Western, 81-80, in double overtime in the Midwest Regional Final.
• Prior to its 2025-26 poll debut on Dec. 8, the Huskers had not been ranked in the AP poll since Dec. 31, 2018.
• Nebraska has now spent four straight weeks in the top 10, matching the longest top-10 streak in school history (Feb. 7-28, 1966).
Worth Noting
• Nebraska's 20-1 start marks just the fifth time in school history that a Husker team has started 18-3 or better in its first 21 games. The 2025-26 Huskers are one game ahead of the 1920-21 team that went 19-2 en route to posting a 22-2 mark.
Best 21-Game Starts
|
Year |
21-game record |
Final Record |
|
2025-26 |
20-1 |
TBD |
|
1919-20 |
19-2 |
22-2 |
|
1990-91 |
18-3 |
26-8 |
|
1965-66 |
18-3 |
20-5 |
|
1977-78 |
18-3 |
22-8 |
• The Huskers saw their 24-game win streak snapped on Tuesday. It was the longest Division I win streak since Gonzaga won 35 straight games from Feb. 27, 2020, to April 3, 2021.
• Nebraska's 20-0 start marked just the third time in the last 30 years a Big Ten team has started 20-0 and the first since Ohio State opened the 2010-11 season with 24 straight wins.
• The Huskers now have three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. In addition, Nebraska has already won 20 games this season, marking the eighth time in program history that Nebraska has won 20-or-more games in the regular season.
• Nebraska’s 9-1 Big Ten start is the program's best conference start of the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present). A win against Illinois would match the program's best 11-game conference start since WW1, as the 1965-66 team went 10-1 in its first 11 Big Eight games.
• Nebraska is 12-0 at home this year, including nine wins by double figures.
• Nebraska is fifth in the NET rankings released on Jan. 30 following the loss to Michigan. The Huskers are one of five Big Ten teams in the top 11 of the NET (No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Illinois, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 11 Purdue). The Big Ten (4) and Big 12 (3) are the only conferences with multiple teams in the top 10 of the NET.
• As of Jan. 30, Nebraska's six Quad 1 wins ties for third nationally as the only two teams with more Quad 1 wins are Arizona (nine) and Duke (eight). NU is also 12-1 in the first two quads, as the 12 wins tie UConn, Duke and Arizona for second nationally. Only Michigan (13) has more wins in the first two quads.
• Nebraska is 5-1 on the road in Big Ten play in 2025-26. The five wins on the road in conference play already ties a school record for most conference road wins in a season, set four other times, most recently in 1965-66. Nebraska won its first five Big Ten road games, matching the school's longest road conference win streak since the 1965-66 season.
• Nebraska saw its school-record 24-game win streak snapped on Jan. 27. It nearly doubled the previous mark of 14 set two other times (1912-13 and 1990-91).
|
No. |
Season |
Win Streak |
Date Started |
Date Ended |
|
1. |
2024-25/25-26 |
24 games |
3-31-2025 |
1-27-2026 |
|
2. |
1990-91 |
14 games |
11-28-1990 |
1-22-1991 |
|
|
1911-12/12-13 |
14 games |
1-27-1912 |
1-25-1913 |
|
4. |
1919-20/20-21 |
13 games |
2-6-1920 |
1-3-1921 |
|
|
1897-98/1900-01 |
13 games |
2-22-1898 |
1901** |
• Since the start of the 2023-24 season, NU is 64-26 (.711) while the 64 wins is tied for fourth among Big Ten teams in that span (Purdue-75; Michigan State and Illinois-67; Nebraska and Wisconsin-64).
• Nebraska is 2-1 vs. ranked teams in 2025-26 and looking for its third ranked win of the season against No. 9 Illinois on Sunday. Since March 1, 2022, the Huskers are 11-12 in the last 23 games against ranked teams, including 5-3 against top-10 teams. Prior to that, NU had lost 24 straight against ranked teams dating back to the 2019 Big Ten Tournament.
• Sunday's game features the top 3-point shooting teams in the Big Ten as Illinois is 10th nationally (11.0 3-pointers per game) while Nebraska is 17th nationally at 10.9 3-pointers per contest.
Noting the Husker Offense
• Nebraska is averaging 80.5 ppg, which is the Huskers' highest scoring average after 21 games since the 1995-96 season (84.9 ppg). The 1995-96 team marked the last time Nebraska averaged 80.0 ppg in a season and one of just six teams in school history to average 80.0+ ppg. Nebraska's highest season average under Hoiberg is 77.7 ppg in 2024-25.
• Nebraska is currently 21st nationally in offensive efficiency in KenPom, which would be the Huskers' highest KenPom offensive ranking (24th, 2003-04 under Barry Collier). That is the only time in the KenPom era where NU was in the top-25 nationally in offensive efficiency. Of note, four of Fred Hoiberg's Iowa State teams ranked in the top-25 nationally (2011-12, 12-13, 13-14, 14-15). It is more impressive considering that Nebraska has faced the top two defensives in the country according to KenPom (MSU and Michigan).
• The Huskers are tied for second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally with 10.9 3-pointers made per game as of Jan. 29. It is on pace to break NU's single-season record (9.54 in 2001-02). Nebraska is one of four teams on pace to break the Big Ten's single-season mark for 3-pointers per game (10.4 by Penn State in 2022-23). NU led the Big Ten with 9.4 3-pointers per game in 2023-24, the fifth time a Hoiberg-coached team led the conference in 3-pointers per game.
• Nebraska has made 10-or-more 3-pointers 14 times this season, including 17 against both Oregon and FIU and 15 vs. Oklahoma. The 17 3-pointers was one shy of the school mark of 18 set against Kansas in 2002.
• The seven 3-pointers by Braden Frager and Pryce Sandfort vs. Oregon on Jan. 13 marked the first time in school history that NU has had multiple players hit seven 3-pointers in a game. According to Stathead, it was the third Big Ten game since 2010-11 where multiple players hit seven or more 3-pointers in a game.
• NU's team 2.04-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth nationally as of Jan. 30. It is on track to shatter the school mark of 1.81 set in 1984-85. The Big Ten has the top three teams nationally in that category (Northwestern-1st; Purdue-2nd). Only two teams (Gonzaga in 2024-25; Iowa in 2020-21) in the last 10 season have finished the year with a 2.00-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Nebraska enters the game ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 13th nationally with 18.5 assists per game. It is an increase of 4.6 assists per game from last season. Nebraska's highest assist per game total under Hoiberg is 15.3 per game in 2023-24.
• The Huskers are second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in fewest turnovers per game at 9.0 per contest. In Big Ten games, it is just 8.2 per contest.
Noting the Husker Defense
• Nebraska has been stout defensively, ranking third in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.394). The Huskers are also 21st nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 65.4 ppg.
•The Huskers have held 13 of their 21 opponents to under 1.0 points per possession. Over the last three-plus seasons, NU is 53-3 (.946) when holding foes to under 1.00 PPP and 55-5 when holding opponents to under 70 points.
• Nebraska has improved its KenPom defensive efficiency in each of the past three seasons and is on track to continue that trend in 2025-26, as the Huskers are 10th nationally as of Jan. 30.
This and That
• The Huskers have excelled in close games this season, going 4-1 in games decided by one possession, including a 3-1 mark in Big Ten play. Last year, NU was 0-6 in games decided by one possession.
• The Huskers posted their third double-digit comeback of the season against Indiana on Jan. 10, overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit (also 16 vs. Oklahoma and 12 vs. USC Upstate). It marked the 12th time under Hoiberg NU has overcome a double-digit deficit, including seven times in the last two seasons.
• As of Jan. 30, there have been 20 triple-doubles in Division I basketball this season while NU is the only school with multiple players recording a triple double. Over the last seven seasons, only five schools - NU (2025-26), Iowa State (2023-24), Western Kentucky (2021-22), Portland (2021-22) and Utah (2019-20) - have had multiple players record triple-doubles in the same year.
• NU has 23 double-digit scoring runs this season, which is tied for 11th nationally according to EvanMiya.com as of Jan. 30. It is second in the Big Ten, trailing only Michigan's (29).
• Nebraska completed its non-conference slate with a perfect 11-0 record, marking the first time since the 1928-29 season where NU posted an unblemished non-conference mark (6-0). The Huskers are 31-2 in regular-season non-conference play since the start of the 2023-24 season (10-1 in 2023-24; 10-1 in 2024-25).
• Nine Huskers have posted double-figure efforts this season, while four players have had at least one 20-point performance (Pryce Sandfort-9; Rienk Mast-4; Braden Frager-4; Jamarques Lawrence-2).
Michigan Recap
A short-handed Nebraska men's basketball team put together a terrific effort Tuesday night at No. 3 Michigan, but the fifth-ranked Huskers suffered their first defeat of the season with a 75-72 loss at the Crisler Center.
Nebraska was without two of its top three scorers for the top-five matchup, as Rienk Mast (illness) and Braden Frager (injury) each missed the contest. Playing its second road game in four days, Nebraska used a seven-man rotation against the Wolverines, with four Husker starters playing at least 35 minutes.
Despite a short bench, Nebraska led more than 36 minutes against the high-powered Wolverines. The Huskers led by two at halftime and were on top 70-65 with 5:52 to play. But from there, Nebraska missed eight of its final nine shots and did not score over the final 3:20, as Michigan closed the game on a 6-0 run.
Michigan made only one field goal over the final 5:30, but that one basket proved to be the game-winner, as a Trey McKenney bucket gave the Wolverines a 74-72 lead with 1:07 remaining. The lead was Michigan's first advantage since it led 3-2.
Nebraska (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten) hit 11 3-pointers in the game but just one after halftime. The Huskers shot 46 percent and had eight fewer turnovers than the Wolverines, but Michigan shot 19 more free throws, was plus-12 on the glass and enjoyed a 22-6 margin in bench points.
Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort each scored 20 points for the Huskers, as Sandfort posted his fifth straight 20-point game. Sam Hoiberg had another strong game, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals without committing a turnover.
Notes from the Michigan Game
• NU suffered its first loss since March 9, 2025, snapping a 24-game win streak, including a 20-0 start in 2025-26.
• Nebraska falls to 5-1 in road games and 8-1 in games away from Pinnacle Bank Arena this season.
• Michigan snapped NU’s streak of three straight wins against top-10 opponents dating back to 2023-24.
• Cale Jacobsen earned his first start of the season on Tuesday. It is the third different starting lineup of the season. The Huskers were without Rienk Mast (illness) and Braden Frager (ankle).
• Nebraska fell to 4-1 in games decided by three points or less.
• Pryce Sandfort posted his fifth straight 20-point game and 10th of the season with 20 points. He is the first Husker to have 20+ points in five straight games since Brice Williams last season.
• Freshman Leo Curtis tied a career-high with six points, as he had six points in back-to-back games against FIU and Maryland-Eastern Shore. Curtis played a season-high 13 minutes at Michigan.
• Nebraska’s 50 first-half points was a season high (49 vs. FIU)