Nebrasketball Notebook: Lessons from first three games, pace & purpose, Sandfort's bounce back
Fred Hoiberg’s Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0) will head to Sioux Falls on Saturday to play Porter Moser’s Oklahoma Sooners (2-1).
Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. inside the Sanford Pentagon. The game will be televised by BTN with Chris Vosters and Shon Morris on the call.
On Thursday, Hoiberg held a press conference ahead of his team’s first test against a high-major opponent. Here’s a quick rundown of what he had to say:
Learning from the first three games
Nebraska is through its first three non-conference tests, two of which were low-majors in West Georgia and Maryland-Eastern Shore while the other, Florida International, was a mid-major. All three provided different styles to play against.
Now, the competition level picks up with Oklahoma. The Huskers then will head to Kansas City to play in the Hall of Fame Classic. They’ll open with New Mexico (3-0) for the first game on Thursday, Nov. 20, before playing either Kansas State (2-0) or Mississippi State (1-1) in the second game Nov. 21.
What has Hoiberg learned about his team after three wins to kick off the season?
“The starts got to be better. We got to have a more conscious effort to get the ball to the paint, which we did in the second half (against UMES),” Hoiberg said. “Our starts in the second half have been unbelievable, and we just got to get that same mentality with our group from the opening tip.”
When the 3-pointers aren’t falling — and those nights will come — Hoiberg wants to see a more aggressive group that doesn’t settle for shots behind the arc.
“Against FIU, the shots were falling, we made our semi-contested threes,” Hoiberg said. “In the last game (vs. UMES), we were 0-of-14 on semi-contested threes. So then you get it in the paint and then you play off it and you have a much more efficient offense.”
Hoiberg often tells his players that their shot selections are dictated by the flow of the game. So in a game where the shots were falling, like against FIU, Hoiberg can live with those contested heat-check-type shots. But when the shots aren’t falling, “those aren’t the ones that get you going.”
Defensively, Hoiberg said he really likes what he’s seen. However, more will be learned once the competition level rises.
Pace and purpose can help Nebraska avoid slow starts
What’s the trick to fast starts and not letting a team hang around in the first half? Having pace and purpose can be a good place to start.
Letting teams like West Georgia and UMES hang around in the first 20 minutes is one thing. The Huskers are talented enough to get by with doing that. But it will be a different story against more talented teams, like Oklahoma.
“Everything we do has to be with pace and purpose,” Hoiberg said. “And once we figured that out and got there (vs. UMES), we built a pretty comfortable lead, and we’ve done that in all three games where we’ve had really good stretches. It’s just got to be the consistent 40-minute game that we need to play on both ends.”
With Ugnius Jaruševičius out, Leo Curtis’ role has increased
Ugnius Jaruševičius will continue to be out for the next couple weeks as he heals his back injury. Nebraska needs front court depth behind Rienk Mast and Berke Buyuktuncel, so true freshman Leo Curtis has been called upon and will not redshirt this season.
Against UMES, Curtis played 10 minutes in the second half, and the 7-foot-2, 245-pound Icelander scored six points, was perfect at the free-throw line (4-of-4), grabbed two offensive rebounds and dished out an assist.
The quicker Curtis develops and finds comfort in the college game, the better. The Huskers will need him this season.
“The thing I’ve been really impressed with Leo’s is his overall basketball IQ, he’s a really smart player,” Hoiberg said. “And it’s a big adjustment when you come over, not only when you jump from high school to high-major basketball, but especially when you do that as an international kid. There’s always a little bit more of a learning curve for those players, but he’s figured it out very quickly.”
Hoiberg said Curtis can play “multiple spots” and has already shown a good understanding of assistant coach Nate Loenser’s defensive scheme. What’s been really good for him, Hoiberg said, is practicing with both the scout team and rotation players.
“He’s going to be a good one, and you’ve already seen him grow from a physicality standpoint,” Hoiberg said. “His body looks a lot better than when he first arrived on campus, Kurt Joseph (strength coach) and our training staff deserves a lot of credit for that. And he’s in the development program, and that was by design when he came in. He’s getting extra lifts, he’s getting extra conditioning, and at the same time, he’s getting on the floor for important stretches. So I’ve been really pleased with with Leo.”
What Hoiberg likes about the Sanford Pentagon
Nebraska will be playing a game at the Sanford Pentagon for the third straight season. The Huskers are 2-1 all-time in the historic venue. Big Red defeated Oklahoma State 79-56 on Dec. 16, 2018, defeated Oregon State 84-63 on Nov. 18, 2023, and lost to Saint Mary’s 77-74 on Nov. 17, 2024.
What does Hoiberg like about playing in Sioux Falls?
“It’s a great venue. Our fans love it up there. And we’ve had two really good atmospheres and environments, and we’re expecting another one on Saturday,” Hoiberg said. “So for our guys, it’s a fun game to play against an SEC opponent that was in the tournament a year ago and will most likely be in the tournament again this year. So there’s a lot of positives in a game like this.”
Saturday’s game will also be a data point for Hoiberg to see how his team performs away from Pinnacle Bank Arena for the first time.
Pryce Sandfort’s bounce back
After scoring 3 points and going 0-of-5 from the floor against West Georgia in the season-opener, Iowa transfer Pryce Sanfort has bounced back. In his last two games, against FIU and UMES, the 6-7 wing has scored 39 points, shot 63% from the field and 53% from 3 (9-of-17).
That’s more like it.
“It’s good to see him keep his confidence. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Hoiberg said of Sandfort.
Sandfort has provided shooting when the offense has needed a jolt. He scored 20 points and made six 3s against FIU before dropping 19 points — 11 in the second half — against UMES.
“We run a lot of actions to try to get Pryce shots, and our guys have done a good job not only finding him, but screening for him when he gets it going,” Hoiberg said.