Fred Hoiberg getting choked up talking about Sam, will have Nebraska fans in a puddle

Fred and Sam Hoiberg made history together all season for Nebraska basketball and that's why the end of this journey stings so much. 

After capturing the attention of college basketball fans everywhere with a 20-0 start and advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history, it's over for this year. But the elder Hoiberg was reflective about what the Huskers accomplished this season and the seniors that were largely responsible for it, including his son.

"I'm just really proud of it because of what it means for my family, and more importantly, what it means for Husker Nation. They love this stuff, man. You saw 'em again tonight," Fred Hoiberg said to the media in his post-game press conference. "You want to compete, you want to make 'em proud, and I think we put together a group of guys, whether you won or lost. This fan base is absolutely 100 percent admiration for these guys because they laid it on the line every time."

Fred Hoiberg thanks his seniors for a job well done

The mistakes that led to the 77-71 loss to Iowa on Thursday will continue to be dissected and Hoiberg was right to take full responsibility. But the disappointment shouldn't outweigh the anticipation of what's to come. This doesn't feel like the end, it feels like the beginning of a great time for Nebraska basketball and Sam Hoiberg believes that the Huskers are just getting started. 

"Yeah, I mean, I think once it wears off, we're going to be really proud of what we did. We wanted to get that monkey off our back for the program to get to new heights, and it sucks that we can't get it even further. Now we have to make an Elite Eight. That's what the program's never done before," Sam Hoiberg said.

March Madness is over for now, but behind the leadership of Fred Hoiberg and the players he put on the floor, Nebraska became a top program in the nation's best conference.