Friday Five: 15-0 and counting
Nebraska basketball hits the road again as Big Ten season ramps up across the department.
It’s been a football-heavy week around here. The transfer portal will do that to you, especially when it comes with a little extra drama.
While football has dominated much of the conversation, the rest of Nebraska Athletics has had its fair share of news too. That means this week’s Friday Five is football free. Hope you don’t mind.
After all, there’s an undefeated men’s basketball team heading into a tricky road test, a wrestling squad opening Big Ten play at home and so much more.
Let’s get to it.
Nebraska men’s basketball faces its next road test at Indiana
Nebraska is 15-0. That’s pretty fun, no?
That challenge ramps up again Saturday when Nebraska travels to Indiana, a team head coach Fred Hoiberg described as “really good on both ends of the floor.”
Hoiberg pointed to shooting as the starting point of Indiana’s offense, noting the Hoosiers can “shoot all over the floor.” Because of that, Nebraska’s attention to detail defensively will matter as much as anything. Limiting transition opportunities, staying disciplined in close-outs and constant communication in the halfcourt were all areas Hoiberg emphasized as critical.
Nebraska’s ability to handle those moments has been one of the defining traits of this season. Hoiberg said the team’s “composure” in late-game situations has stood out as much as anything else so far. Starting fast always helps but Nebraska’s ability to absorb runs and respond has been a difference-maker.
“Our guys keep swinging,” Hoiberg said, even when things look “dire” at times.
He credited player leadership for helping the group self-correct when momentum starts to drift.
That leadership hasn’t meant Nebraska is immune from mistakes. Hoiberg acknowledged a “heated film session” Wednesday after some unforced errors showed up in the win at Ohio State.
But it wasn’t all serious. After playing two games in four days, Hoiberg said it was “good to have an off-day” this week for the Huskers. Nebraska got back after it Thursday, but rest and recovery were part of the plan as well, especially with an 11 a.m. CT tip on Saturday and the need to manage body clocks on the road.
One more note: former Husker Juwan Gary was back on campus this week. Hoiberg said it was great to have him around and again credited Gary for helping change the program’s culture. Gary is currently playing in Belgium.
Nebraska wrestling opens Big Ten play at home
After closing 2025 with a narrow 22-12 loss to No. 5 Oklahoma State, Nebraska wrestling responded in emphatic fashion. The No. 6 Huskers hammered No. 16 Northern Iowa 30-6 on Jan. 3, winning eight of 10 bouts at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Now comes Big Ten season.
Nebraska opens conference play Friday night at home against Purdue and head coach Mark Manning made it clear on Wednesday that this is a step up in challenge. He pointed to Purdue’s talent and coaching, singling out Joey Blaze—a national runner-up last season—as one of several threats the Huskers will have to account for.
Beyond individual matchups, Manning emphasized preparation and consistency. Big Ten wrestling doesn’t offer margin for slippage and Nebraska knows it.
Health is also trending in the right direction. Manning said Kael Lauridsen is “a lot better” and practicing more consistently. Lauridsen will head to the Hastings Open this weekend to get matches in and work back into rhythm, while other lineup decisions will continue to be evaluated as conference play unfolds.
Friday’s dual also represents a return to an environment Nebraska feeds off of. Manning spoke about the energy inside the Devaney Center, noting how meaningful it is for the team to wrestle in front of big crowds (especially with students returning to campus).
As for the team’s identity, Manning kept it simple. Nebraska’s brand of wrestling this season is about being aggressive and scoring points, but also being sound in all three positions.
“That might sound boring,” he said.
But winning consistently comes down to details and the Big Ten season has a way of exposing flaws. Friday night is Nebraska’s first chance to show how much it cleaned up over the break.
Bergen Reilly named a finalist for the Honda Sport Award
Bergen Reilly’s season continues to stack accolades and now she’s in the national spotlight again.
Reilly was named one of four finalists for the Honda Sport Award for college volleyball, joining Olivia Babcock (Pittsburgh), Eva Hudson (Kentucky) and Mimi Colyer (Wisconsin). Babcock was selected as national player of the year last month.
The Honda Sport Award, presented by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards, recognizes the nation’s top women athletes across 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, a “best of the best” distinction that carries significant weight.
The volleyball finalists were chosen by a panel of experts and coaches from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Nebraska has had four previous winners of the award, most recently Sarah Pavan in 2006.
Reilly’s résumé speaks for itself. She was named a first-team AVCA All-American, AVCA Setter of the Year, Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Setter of the Year and All-Big Ten first team. Under her direction, Nebraska posted a .351 hitting percentage, making her the best in the nation and the highest by a Big Ten team since Penn State in 2009.
Baseball and softball invite fans back with a joint Fan Fest
Nebraska baseball and softball are teaming up to kick off the season with a shared Fan Fest later this month.
The programs announced they will host the event Saturday, Jan. 24 from 6-8 p.m. at the Hawks Championship Center.
Fans can expect team introductions, autograph sessions, photo opportunities and activities for kids, including face painting and inflatables. Schedule posters for both programs will be available for free, and team merchandise will be on sale.
The event is free to attend. A clear bag policy will be enforced, and fans are asked to bring no more than two items for players to sign.
Huskers make their mark on Team USA bowling
Nebraska’s presence on the national and international bowling scene continues to grow.
Five current and former Huskers earned spots on Team USA following the USBC Team USA Trials in Las Vegas. Jillian Martin, assistant coach Julia Bond and alum Shannon Pluhowsky all retained their places on the professional Team USA roster, while freshman Abigail Starkey and sophomore Haley Swindle qualified for Junior Team USA. For Swindle, it marks her first appearance on a Team USA roster.
The National Selection Committee selected six women total for Team USA in 2026 based on submitted resumes, with Nebraska well represented among them.
Over five days of competition, Pluhowsky and Starkey led the Husker contingent in total pinfall, finishing 10th and 11th overall in the women’s division. Bond and Swindle followed closely behind, while Martin—who did not compete on the final day—still posted a strong showing.
The four current Huskers will regroup quickly, traveling to New Castle, Delaware, next week to compete in the Northeast Classic hosted by Sacred Heart from Jan. 16-18.
It was a busy week—especially in “portal land”—but there was plenty more going on too. There’s also a weekend ahead of sports to watch, so hopefully you’ve cleared your calendars a bit. Oh, and spring sports are almost here.
Usually this ending tries to tie a nice bow on it all, but it’s been a week. Here’s to the weekend ahead (and even whatever the portal might bring with it).