10 best NBA careers by Nebraska basketball alums

Dave Hoppen was one of the most dominant Nebraska basketball centers in the program’s history. He played with the Huskers from 1982 to 1986, playing and starting in 111 games in his career.

One of the most interesting aspects of his career was that he started and played in all 32 games of his freshman season. During his Nebraska basketball career he averaged more than 20 points a game in two separate seasons, including averaging 23.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the 1984-85 season.

Hoppen was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1986 NBA Draft but didn’t see anywhere near the dominance he had in his Nebraska basketball days. Over nine seasons in the National Basketball Association, he played with five different teams.

Hoppen 46 of his 169 games played and averaged just over 4 points per contest. Still, while his numbers weren’t nearly as impressive in the league, the fact that he was able spend almost a decade in the pros is something that should be celebrated.

Quite a few of the other Nebraska basketball players who got that far were able to have that kind of longevity.