Fred Hoiberg and the Nebraska basketball team are finding themselves in uncharted waters following their historic run in the NCAA Tournament. Those uncharted waters involve national analysts believing that the Huskers were not a one-year wonder but might be a national power to stay. The stay is expected to last at least through the 2026-27 season.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello put together his “way too early” Top 25 rankings just moments after Michigan won the national title. The Huskers, after reaching the Sweet 16 and coming within moments of the Elite 8, are not only ranked but solidly inside the rankings.
Borzello has put Nebraska at No. 18 in his early rankings, and should the AP follow suit, it would be another historical development, as finishing a season ranked in the Top 25 and opening the next there too is mostly unheard of in Lincoln.
ESPN puts Nebraska basketball at No. 18 in Jeff Borzello’s way-too-early Top 25 for 2026-27
“After putting together the biggest surprise season of anyone in college basketball,” Borzello wrote. “What does coach Fred Hoiberg have in store for an encore?”
“Rienk Mast, Jamarques Lawrence, and Sam Hoiberg are all gone, but elite shotmaker Pryce Sandfort and sixth man extraordinaire Braden Frager should be back. Berke Buyuktuncel should also return as a starter. The Cornhuskers could use point guard help, though, and perhaps a reliable frontcourt player alongside Buyuktuncel.”
The ESPN analyst also took a pass at who he believes will be in the Huskers’ starting lineup:
- Cale Jacobsen (4.6 PPG)
- Braden Frager (11.7 PPG)
- Pryce Sandfort (17.9 PPG)
- Berke Buyuktuncel (6.7 PPG)
- Ugnius Jarusevicius (16.2 PPG at Central Michigan in 2024-25)
Borzello believes that the Big Ten could make some serious noise in the Top 25 rankings next season as a whopping seven teams made his list.
Defending champion Michigan tops the rankings at No. 1, followed by Michigan State at No. 6, Illinois at No. 8, Purdue at No. 14, USC at No. 17, Nebraska at No. 18, and the Iowa Hawkeyes rounding out the Big Ten in the rankings at No. 25 in the country.