Nebraska is the feel-good story of the primary six weeks of the school basketball season. The undefeated Cornhuskers personal the nation’s longest profitable streak (15 video games), which doubles because the longest profitable streak in program historical past. In October, Fred Hoiberg’s group was ranked exterior the highest 50 prematurely metrics and was picked 14th within the Large Ten preview right here at CBS Sports activities. Oops!
They fooled nearly everyone.
Yearly, like clockwork, we get a few colleges that emerge within the first month-plus that overshoot expectations and current an uplifting plot twist. Nebraska is that group for 2025-26. The Cornhuskers are 11-0 after their enthralling 83-80 win at Thirteenth-ranked Illinois on Saturday, the victory-clinching shot by way of senior Jamarques Lawrence.
The end result validated Nebraska’s repute and vaulted it into a brand new tier of respectability. Beating Illinois was the group’s third straight conquest of a power-conference opponent. Six days prior was the annual rivalry recreation towards Creighton, which was a cruise-control 71-50 win over a down Bluejays squad. Two days later, a head-turning 90-60 thwacking of Wisconsin.
“Then our prize was two-day prep to go to Illinois,” Hoiberg advised CBS Sports activities by telephone earlier this week. “We wished to get egocentric and get all three. … You’ve got received 17,000 individuals in a smaller constructing, the ceiling is true on prime of you and once they went on their runs, the priority is how is your group going to have the ability to deal with it.”
They dealt with it with encouraging sangfroid. The win gave Nebraska a second straight victory over Illinois, the primary time that is ever occurred, as is the 11-0 begin. Nebraska fairly actually by no means does this. The Cornhuskers are certainly one of seven undefeated groups in school basketball.
“I believe we have been higher than lots of people thought, than I believed, going into the season,” Hoiberg mentioned. “It is rewarding when you have got a bunch that is all about the precise issues: no distractions, they’re on time, academically they deal with precisely what they’re imagined to do, and I am a agency believer that for those who deal with that stuff it really works out on the courtroom. Because the win, they’ve gotten over issues in a short time. Nice locker room celebration, however once we received again on the observe courtroom immediately, nobody even talked about it.”
The win bumped them as much as No. 15 on this week’s AP High 25, Nebraska’s third-highest rating in any season. Despite the fact that Nebraska did not load up its nonconference schedule (rank: 203), this appears like a group loads outfitted to make solely its ninth NCAA Match in class historical past.
Three years in the past, Hoiberg was trending towards wash-out standing in his return to varsity teaching.
After thriving at his alma mater, Iowa State, Hoiberg needed to take an opportunity on himself within the NBA. He coached the Bulls for 3 years, from 2015-18. In 2019, Nebraska introduced him again to the NCAA ranks, providing a brand new lease on the occupation … however a good more durable job than Hoiberg’s reconstruction at Iowa State nearly a decade prior.
“We took over the biggest rebuild within the historical past of the Energy 5 conferences,” mentioned Hoiberg, “had one participant who averaged two factors the earlier 12 months, and this was earlier than NIL the place you can purchase a group. The Large Ten was possibly the deepest the league ever was then, after which we misplaced a complete group, a complete season to COVID.”
The nadir hit halfway by way of the 2022-23 season. Nebraska misplaced starters Juwan Gary and Emmanuel Bandoumel to season-ending accidents 11 days aside. Nebraska dropped to 10-13. At that time, Hoiberg was 34-80 in Lincoln.
Then the group rallied and received six of its closing eight common season video games.
“That actually, to me, was the group that flipped the script for Nebraska basketball,” Hoiberg mentioned.
The aforementioned accidents additionally gave alternatives to youthful guys like Sam Hoiberg and Lawrence. And as shocking as this undefeated begin is, this is why it is not a full-on stunner. Look deeper at what Hoiberg’s pulled off the previous two years and a half years. Since 2023-24, Nebraska has gone 55-25, a .688 win proportion. That is nineteenth greatest out of 79 Energy 5 applications in that span, simply behind Alabama (.714) and Illinois (.702), whereas simply forward of Creighton (.679) and Kentucky (.675).
In 2024, Nebraska made the NCAAs as a No. 8 seed. Final season, no NCAA Match however the Huskers did win the patchy postseason occasion that’s the Crown and landed at 21-14.
The one motive Nebraska wasn’t an NCAA Match group final season, per Hoiberg, isn’t having Rienk Mast. The 6-foot-10 Dutch ahead sat out because of left knee surgical procedure. Now a senior, Mast has returned as among the finest gamers within the Large Ten by posting 17.9 factors, 6.5 rebounds and capturing 42.6% from deep.
There was no silver lining for Nebraska lacking the Large Dance, however a enjoyable run in Vegas within the inaugural Faculty Basketball Crown resulted in a $300,000 payday for the gamers and made for a great bonding expertise in a comfort tournment.
“Final 12 months there is no doubt we make it to the event if Rienk was wholesome,” Hoiberg mentioned. “We misplaced three video games in a row in one-possession video games in all other ways. We did not defend house courtroom final 12 months however we discovered a approach to win. It gave us momentum going into the postseason, the way in which we performed, we modified issues up somewhat bit and, shit, these guys received $300,000 that they break up. And it is carried over into this season. It helped with the way in which we performed, [it helped] in getting Pryce Sandfort to come back aboard.”
Hoiberg’s doing this whereas overseeing a Nebraska group that, in accordance with my sources, at greatest ranks fifteenth (and doubtlessly as little as seventeenth) within the league in NIL in males’s hoops. Hoiberg’s NBA expertise — as a participant and a coach — has been large in offsetting a few of Nebraska’s disadvantages.
“We’re not going to place boundaries on this group,” he mentioned.
Nebraska is infamously the one high-major program to by no means win an NCAA Match recreation. That drought has a wholesome probability of ending in 2026, however to try this it is advisable get there first. This is the actually excellent news, Husker followers. Nebraska’s subsequent two opponents are North Dakota and New Hampshire, nearly undoubtedly computerized wins for Large Pink, which suggests bettering to 13-0. In accordance with CBS Sports activities analysis, prior to now 30 years there have been groups from high-major conferences to start out a season 13-0. Of these 96 groups, 86 have been ok to qualify for the NCAA Match, which equates to an 89.6% success price.
See you on Choice Sunday, Nebraska.
Boozer is NPOY for now, however Yaxel’s not far off
Jaime Crawford / Getty Photos
We’re greater than six weeks into the season and the race for Nationwide Participant of the 12 months is Cameron Boozer‘s to lose. The Duke five-star freshman had 26 factors, 13 rebounds, a season-high six turnovers and three assists in Duke’s rickety-yet-inevitable 97-73 win Tuesday evening towards Lipscomb. Boozer’s averages now verify in at 23.3 factors, 10.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists with 56.3/34.8% FG/3P capturing splits.
Eleven video games in, Boozer’s been the definition of excellent. However he is no lock for the NPOY at this level. Michigan‘s Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 1-ranked switch per 247Sports, has exceeded the hype and is Boozer’s closest competitors. After what Large Yax did Saturday, the hole may very well be closing.
Michigan’s 101-82 street win at Maryland was the setting for an additional loaded Lendeborg manufacturing: 29 factors, 9 assists, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals. One hell of a recreation. However as a result of Lendeborg was a dime and two snags shy of a triple-double, and since Maryland is non-threatening in its first season beneath Buzz Williams, his efficiency did not immediate a flood of response or flashy headlines.
It was uncommon, although. How uncommon? What Lendeborg did Saturday was solely the fifth recreation of its form prior to now three many years. It deserves extra recognition. That is why I am right here to let you know extra about it.
Since 1995-96, there have been solely 5 cases of a participant logging a stat line of 28+ factors, 8+ rebounds, 8+ assists, 3+ blocks and a pair of+ steals in a recreation. Lendeborg is accountable for two of the 5 — and each occurred this 12 months. This is the opposite 4 instances it is occurred:
- Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez: 35 pts, 11 rebs, 10 asts, 3 blks, 2 stls vs. North Carolina on 2.21.09
- Charleston Southern’s Phlandrous Fleming: 31 pts, 11 asts, 9 rebs, 6 blks, 4 stls @ Gardner-Webb on 1.25.20
- Coppin State’s Anthony Tarke: 34, 10 rebs, 8 asts, 4 blks, 4 stls vs. UNCG on 12.10.20
- UAB’s Lendeborg: 30 pts, 20 rebs, 8 asts, 5 stls, 4 blks vs. ECU on 3.14.25
That means Lendeborg is just the second participant since 1995-96 to do it vs. a power-conference opponent.
A fabulous participant, and but his manufacturing at Michigan isn’t stunning. We rated Lendeborg because the No. 1 portal prospect final spring after he was the one participant apart from Cooper Flagg to guide his group in all 5 main statistical classes. At UAB, Lendeborg was a monster dominating in semi-obscurity — so good that he almost went the NBA route. As an alternative, Lendeborg wager on himself and is now the point of interest on a deep Michigan group that charges No. 1 in nearly each predictive metric.
His averages: 16.4 factors, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists in a pair fewer minutes per recreation than Boozer (28.0 to 30.2). His capturing splits are higher than Boozer’s proper now: 59.6% from the sector, 40.8% from 3 (on 4.9 makes an attempt per recreation) and 86.4% from the foul line.
We’ll see how the NPOY race brews over the subsequent two months, however it may come to a head on Feb. 21. That is when Duke and Michigan meet in Washington, D.C. in a blockbuster nonconference tilt. It may be the sport of the season with the 2 greatest gamers within the sport.
Cronin quietly signed new contract in Could
Final season noticed UCLA coach Mick Cronin at his crankiest (and, I might argue, funniest). He had a variety of postgame rants that went viral amid a just-OK 23-win run that ended within the second spherical of the NCAAs with Cronin capping the season by crapping on the NCAA’s flight preparations. As Cronin’s continued to talk his thoughts the previous two years, there’s been regular gossip in school hoops circles that he may need a wandering eye for different jobs. Nicely, if he did, that is now nearly definitely off the desk.
In mid-Could, Cronin signed a two-year contract extension with UCLA that elevated his wage, buyout and severance phrases.
CBS Sports activities not too long ago obtained the brand new contract, which when unreported till simply this week, when the LA Instances first received phrase out. Not like in 2022, when Cronin renegotiated, UCLA by no means introduced the up to date deal. (This is not typical at a public college with a high-profile program, although UNC was sluggish to announce Hubert Davis’ contract extension final season after it was signed in December of 2024.)
Cronin, 54, is now paid $4.5 million yearly — however that is earlier than factoring in a plethora of bonuses that may simply bump his revenue properly above $5 million per 12 months with the easy-to-achieve incentives in his contract. For instance, if Cronin remains to be UCLA’s coach as of April 15, 2026, he’ll be paid a further $500,000 … simply by holding on to the job. That perk will improve to a different $600,000 come April 15, 2027, after which 700K the following two years as long as he is nonetheless match to educate within the Westwood sunshine.
Cronin had $10 million assured coming to him on the earlier contract (if he’d been fired), however by working a brand new deal, he greater than doubled his payout within the revised paperwork. If the 2 sides sever within the subsequent 5 years, this is the amended cash construction.
If fired with out trigger, UCLA must pay Cronin …
- Earlier than April 1, 2026: $22.5 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2027: $18 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2028: $13.5 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2029: $9 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2030: $4.5 million
If Cronin takes one other job, listed below are his up to date buyout phrases …
- Earlier than April 1, 2026: $15 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2027: $12 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2028: $8 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2029: $6 million
- Earlier than April 1, 2030: $4 million
The circumstances nearly definitely lock up the 2 sides by way of the tip of the last decade. Cronin is 145-67 at UCLA on this his eighth season. He is taken the varsity to the NCAAs 4 instances, together with the 2021 Remaining 4 run within the COVID bubble tourney. The 7-3 Bruins are unranked and face Arizona State on Wednesday evening.
Orlando Ramirez / Getty Photos
What does it imply to be final unbeaten mid-major?
I began this week’s Court docket Report writing about one 11-0 group, now let’s take a look at one other. The Miami College RedHawks received at Wright State on Tuesday evening to achieve mid-December with no loss. There are solely seven undefeated groups left; Travis Steele’s group is the lone mid-major with no scratch.
The RedHawks — who naturally made my preseason High 100 And 1 groups listing — have a power of schedule that ranks 362nd, nevertheless. Nonetheless, each mid-major coach goals of creating it to December with no loss, not to mention Christmas. After 4 seasons of not taking Xavier to the NCAA Match, Steele has discovered a spot to thrive within the MAC. That is 12 months 4 from him and it is setting as much as be his greatest as a head coach.
Now, what can an 11-0 begin get you? Extra particularly, for those who’re the final mid-major group to take a loss, what does that portend on your NCAA Match possibilities? Nicely, over the previous 25 seasons, 15 mid-majors that took their first loss final wound up making the Large Dance. That is a 60-% hit price. Final season it was Drake. The 12 months earlier than, James Madison. And each these groups received an NCAA tourney recreation.
On common because the 2000-01 season, the ultimate mid-major to lose a recreation finishes with a 26-7 report.
Listed below are the 5 greatest undefeated begins for mid-majors prior to now 25 years. If you would like the complete listing, I posted it on Bluesky.
» 2013-14 Wichita State: 35-0, first loss on March 23, completed 35-1 in R2 as No. 1 seed
» 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s: 27-0, first loss on March 11, completed 30-2 in E8 as No. 1 seed
» 2011-12 Murray State: 23-0, first loss on Feb. 9, completed 31-2 in R2 as No. 6 seed
» 2010-11 San Diego State: 20-0, first loss on Jan. 26, completed 34-3 in Candy 16 as No. 2 seed
» 2020-21 Drake: 18-0, first loss on Feb. 7, completed 26-5 in R1 as No. 11 seed
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Norlander’s information + nuggets
• Two weeks in the past the Court docket Report detailed the history-making tempo of non-con ranked matchups. On the finish of this week, we’ll be at 44 ranked-on-ranked video games exterior of intra-league play. Hitting 50 is a bridge too far, however with Louisville-Baylor, Ohio State-Virginia and Michigan-Duke all occurring in February, topping out at 46 or 47 would nonetheless be the report, per my analysis.
• I like that the Large 5 Basic remains to be a factor. I would like for it to at all times be a factor. Faculty basketball is definitely particular in Philadelphia. However I additionally fear that it may very well be a relic by the tip of the last decade.
• This did not precisely fly beneath the radar, however I do not suppose it received fairly the response it deserved final week: Michigan State getting a $400 million infusion for its athletic division is the type of factor that might vault MSU within the general school sports activities hierarchy by the tip of the last decade. And would be the second most necessary issue (past selecting the correct successor) in Sparty’s possibilities at staying elite in basketball after Tom Izzo retires, each time that day comes.
• Essentially the most baffling group within the sport is Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers are 3-8, play in California tonight towards San Francisco and are beneath risk for certainly one of their worst seasons ever. This after LUC was anticipated to be a darkish horse candidate to win the Atlantic 10.
• A unique early season shock on the high-major degree: UCF. The Knights are 8-1 (greatest begin in 10 seasons beneath Johnny Dawkins) and can seemingly get to 11-1 by Christmas. Many brokers anticipated Dawkins to be off the job after final season. Not but. Nonetheless lots to show, although.
• USC is 10-1, however it may very well be headed for a slide in January. Trojans coach Eric Musselman revealed on Monday that star switch Rodney Rice (20.3 ppg, 6.0 apg) may be completed for the season after injuring his shoulder on the Maui Invitational in late November. That is the precise state of affairs that coaches stress over once they choose in on paying thousands and thousands of {dollars} to transfers amid the portal frenzy. If Rice is finished, by way of no fault of his personal, then it is cash poorly spent.
• Creighton performs Xavier tonight. The Bluejays are in no man’s land. Sitting at 5-5, it is this system’s worst begin within the first 10 video games of a season in 16 years. Will Greg McDermott stroll away in March and finish it like this?
• I am going to take home-and-homes between high-majors it doesn’t matter what, in order that being mentioned: Georgia and North Carolina teaming up is an surprising combo. They’re going to play in November of ’26 and once more November or December of ’28.
• Longtime readers know I like tunes simply as a lot as hoops. This is an fascinating article on the best-selling tour acts of the twenty first century. If we did this for faculty basketball, the highest ticket sellers since Jan. 1, 2001 (just for the common season) can be: Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Louisville and Tennessee.
• Uncared for to get this into my column final week after I lined UConn vs. Florida on the Jimmy V. It was after all a matchup of the 2 most up-to-date nationwide title winners. Because the NCAA Match expanded to 64 groups in 1985, we have been handled to a recreation between the 2 most up-to-date title winners 21 instances. Much more than I’d have guessed, however that is considerably boosted by intra-conference play. What’s uncommon is to have a nonconference common season battle between these groups. Huskies-Gators was solely the fifth such matchup in 40 years. This is the listing in reverse chronological order.
CBS Sports activities Analysis
