As Nebraska continues its rebranding under Hoiberg, player leadership is driving the way
In years past, Nebraska’s Hendricks Center practice facility was quiet. Too quiet.
While the Husker men’s basketball program has traditionally had more than its share of struggles, the lack of player-driven leadership has been a glaring constant. That is, until last season.
The veteran trio of Sam Griesel, Derrick Walker, and Emmanuel Bandoumel provided one of NU’s strongest collections of voices the program had seen in a long time. As a result, they helped lead Nebraska’s best finish yet under head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Though all three have moved on, the culture they helped build remains alive and well.
Optimism around the team is soaring going into Hoiberg’s fifth season in Lincoln. The Huskers return a core nucleus from last year’s group. They also added some key veterans via the transfer portal this offseason.
Maybe as important as the talent and depth on the roster, though, is that NU has a locker room full of players willing to say what needs to be said on and off the court.
“The tone is set every day,” Hoiberg said. “When Rienk (Mast) walks in the gym, when Josiah (Allick) says something, those guys listen… You do have a little bit different approach when one of those guys wants to say something. You may step aside and step out of the huddle and just let those guys talk for a couple minutes and maybe figure some things out.
“Josiah and Rienk, whenever those guys ask, ‘Hey Coach, can we have a couple minutes?’ Absolutely. Talk away. Sometimes, when adversity hits, and maybe guys aren’t handling it, they bring them back in. The leadership of this group has been pretty impressive so far.”
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The growth of Nebraska’s culture has been undeniable
When C.J. Wilcher first arrived at Nebraska as a second-year transfer from Xavier, he admittedly didn’t know what a true team leader was.
Sure, he had teammates that were talented and had a presence on the floor. But the dynamic often changed when it came to stepping out of comfort zones and addressing conflict and adversity head-on.
That all changed for Wilcher last season. Watching guys like Griesel, Walker, and Bandoumel handle their business was one thing. What really made an impression on the New Jersey native was how all three made it a point to hold everyone else to that same standard.
Wilcher is now the elder statesman of sorts as Nebraska’s most experienced Big Ten player. He’s applying those same principles to his own leadership style this season.
“They put themselves out there,” Wilcher said. “My first year, I didn’t really have a visible representation of what leadership looked like. I’d always had my own interpretation of it… But there’s a lot more that goes into it. Those three guys last year gave me that example, and that helps me lead my teammates now.”
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Trust between Hoiberg, players could be critical to NU’s success
It’s one thing for players to be willing to step up as vocal leaders. Having their coaches’ trust and permission to do so is another story.
As Hoiberg mentioned, one of the most noticeable differences between this offseason and previous years is his comfort in letting his guys lead.
When the Huskers talk about vocal leadership, it goes beyond locker room speeches and rallying cries during timeouts.
A Lincoln native and transfer from New Mexico, Allick is already one of NU’s loudest voices on the roster. But his leadership extends to his actions as much as his words.
As Allick put it, when a teammate is on the floor “embracing the fire with you” and offering advice, it sometimes resonates more than a coach yelling it from the sideline.
Trust is a big deal for Mast, another new transfer from Bradley. He said that Hoiberg already having enough of it to give his players that platform was a critical leap in creating a championship culture.
“Him trusting us that we get to say our own piece, I think that speaks volumes for how he values our seniority and opinion,” Mast said. “We’ve all been through multiple seasons of this, so he trusts us in giving our own perspective on things.
“Some coaches keep it mostly to themselves in teaching the team. But I think hearing it from a teammate sometimes has a little bit different impact on a young player.”
