Michigan’s Yaxel Landeborg (23) drives for a layup through a swarm of Nebraska defenders. (Courtesy: CTPost)
#5 Nebraska – Missing Two of Their Top Three Scorers – Proves They Belong in the National Title Conversation
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Shorthanded but unshaken, No. 5 Nebraska basketball went toe-to-toe with No. 3 Michigan on the road before falling just short in a 75-72 thriller that showcased the Huskers’ resilience and championship-level fight.
Down multiple key contributors in Braden Frager (ankle) and Rienk Mast (illness), Nebraska refused to back down from one of the nation’s top teams, battling all the way to the final possession in an environment that few teams escape unscathed.
“I give our guys all the credit in the world for the fight that they showed in that game from start to finish,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “That team is projected by a lot of people to win a national championship. You’ve got no Braden, no Rienk, no Uggy, no Connor — and you fight them all the way to the finish and lose by a basket. That shows the character of our team and shows we can compete with anybody in the country.”
Despite the absences, Nebraska leaned on a collective effort, highlighted by strong performances from veterans and newcomers alike. Freshman Leo Curtis provided a major spark off the bench, playing beyond his years against Michigan’s physical frontcourt.
“Leo was awesome. I’m really proud of him,” Hoiberg said. “The kid puts in so much work and this is why you do that. He goes out there with no fear and acted like a guy that has been in the rotation. I thought he played like a vet, for a guy that’s a true freshman. I thought he gave us some really good minutes.”
Sam Hoiberg was everywhere for the Huskers, stuffing the stat sheet while helping keep Nebraska within striking distance throughout the second half. His all-around effort didn’t go unnoticed — even by Michigan head coach Dusty May.
“That performance by Sam Hoiberg — I mean, are you kidding me?” May said. “13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and zero turnovers? That’s pretty good. Hats off to Nebraska, they’re going to win a lot of games. They’re top five in the country for a reason.”
Sam Hoiberg emphasized that the Huskers entered the matchup knowing they would need contributions from everyone available.
“We knew it was going to be a battle. We were gonna have to have guys step up,” he said. “Everyone that stepped on the court made an impact and we had to have that. It was gonna be a really tough game against one of the best teams in the country who are going to compete for the Final Four — and I think we just put ourselves in that conversation.”
Cale Jacobsen also delivered in key moments, knocking down timely shots and making winning plays late to keep Nebraska within a possession.
“He’s just a winner — he makes plays in big moments,” Sam Hoiberg said. “He hasn’t shown that a ton but he’s capable of it. We’re not surprised when he’s making shots like that and making plays.”
While the Huskers walked away with a narrow loss, the locker room message was clear: effort alone isn’t enough in a program with championship aspirations.
“No moral victories,” Pryce Sandfort said bluntly.
Sam Hoiberg echoed that sentiment, sharing Fred Hoiberg’s postgame words.
“First thing coach said was, ‘We don’t have moral victories in this program,’” Sam said. “He was proud of how we battled and I think all of us are proud of that. We’re going to lay everything out on the line every single game — we just hope we can put out something that the fans can be proud of back home.”
Still, Fred Hoiberg believes the performance sent a message nationally — and more importantly, to his own team.
“That proved to everybody — most importantly to those guys in the locker room — that we can compete with anybody in this country,” he said.
With the loss snapping Nebraska’s momentum, the focus now turns to a quick response moving forward.
“We’re a mature group and that’s helped us in winning some of these games down the stretch,” Sam Hoiberg said. “Now we have to use that to bounce back from a loss. You can’t let this get to two [losses].”
Though the scoreboard favored Michigan, Nebraska left Ann Arbor having proven its toughness and ability to contend with the nation’s elite — even when adversity strikes.