Fred Hoiberg carried the nickname “The Mayor” during his playing days at Iowa State, a reflection of his popularity in Ames, Iowa.
With the following he’s gained as Nebraska’s head basketball coach, perhaps “Governor” would be fitting. And if he leads the Cornhuskers past rival Iowa in the Sweet 16, any election might be a landslide.
Hoiberg has lifted the Cornhuskers (28-6) from laughingstock to March Madness darling. The Cornhuskers were a combined 14-45 his first two seasons after he took over in 2019. Heading into this season, Nebraska, which had never won an NCAA Tournament game, was picked to finish 14th in the 18-team Big Ten Conference.
Instead, the Cornhuskers won their first 20 games and jumped into the top five of The Associated Press poll. They earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a horde of Nebraska fans traveled to Oklahoma City to watch the program take over the Paycom Center and claim its first two March Madness victories — a blowout against Troy and a thriller against Vanderbilt.
Fred Hoiberg has turned Nebraska’s men’s basketball program around. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Hoiberg said his players deserve the credit heading into the South Region matchup with Iowa (23-12) on Thursday in Houston.
“They’ve just done all the little things really well, and to me, it makes our job as coaches a lot easier when you have a group that does all those things,” he said. “They hold each other accountable. We’ve got great leadership with this group — as good as any that I’ve coached.”
Hoiberg said the seeds for this year’s success were planted last season at the College Basketball Crown tournament. The Cornhuskers won four games to claim the championship at that event, making success a part of their identity.
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“You don’t get an opportunity to chop down nets fairly often, so for us, it was a very cool and particular occasion,” he mentioned. “Once more, the fellows that received the chance to play which are serving to us this yr in an enormous means — that was as necessary as something.”
The success has carried over to this season. Troy coach Scott Cross was impressed after Nebraska defeated his group 76-47 final week.
“Nebraska is without doubt one of the greatest groups,” he mentioned. “I’ve been doing this since 1998. They’re actually, actually freaking good. The best way they shoot the basketball and the way in which they defend, watching it on video, you’re like, man, there’s no openings as you watch it on video.”
Hoiberg has been in a position to benefit from the run together with his son Sam as the purpose guard. Sam Hoiberg averages 9.4 factors on 54.5% taking pictures and has 151 assists to only 37 turnovers. Sam’s twin brother, Charlie, is a graduate group supervisor.
“To have the ability to share that second with these guys — you get so caught up within the teaching a part of it that you just actually don’t give it some thought, however when that sport was over and all of the feelings have been flooding out, to have the ability to share that with these two guys has been nice,” Fred Hoiberg mentioned.
It is not all grit and precision — there’s expertise, too.
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The Cornhuskers picked up a star in Pryce Sandfort, who performed for Iowa final season earlier than transferring. He leads the group with 17.9 factors per sport. Rienk Mast, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound large man from the Netherlands, has been a stabilizer. The senior is averaging 13.5 factors and 5.8 rebounds.
Braden Frager, a freshman from Lincoln, Nebraska, who hit the dramatic game-winning layup towards Vanderbilt, averages 11.7 factors as a reserve. Guard Jamarques Lawrence began his profession at Nebraska, then performed a season at Rhode Island for a season earlier than returning to the Huskers. He averaged 9.8 factors and three.9 assists this season. Berke Buyuktuncel, a bodily 6-10 ahead from Turkey, has began each sport.
Fred Hoiberg mentioned every participant’s means to seek out his lane has been key to the group’s success.
“All of us have our kinds,” he mentioned. “All of us have our personalities. I believe you’ve received to be who you’re. These gamers are good, and now we have to be who we’re. We will’t be frauds. It’s simply type of who I’m and who I’ve all the time been.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
