Nebraska’s unforgettable run finally came to a halt Tuesday night, as the fifth-ranked Cornhuskers suffered a narrow 75–72 loss at No. 3 Michigan, snapping a 24-game winning streak that had captivated college basketball fans nationwide.
The streak, the longest in Division I men’s basketball in more than a decade, ended after Nebraska failed to score over the final 3:20, missing its last five shots in a tense finish at the Crisler Center.
“To beat Michigan, you have to play almost perfect, and we had a lapse at the end,” guard Sam Hoiberg said afterward.
Despite the loss, Nebraska left Ann Arbor with its confidence intact — and its season goals unchanged.
Short-Handed, but Competitive
The Cornhuskers played without two key contributors. Rienk Mast was sidelined by illness, while Braden Frager, a double-digit scorer, missed his second straight game due to an ankle injury. Even so, Nebraska led for much of the night and pushed Michigan to the final buzzer.
“It’s unfortunate, but I give our guys a lot of credit for the fight they showed from start to finish,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “That just proved, hopefully to everybody — and most importantly to the guys in the locker room — that we can compete with anybody.”
A Streak for the History Books
Nebraska’s previous loss came nearly a year ago, on March 9, when it fell to Iowa in the final regular-season game. The winning streak began shortly after, with the Huskers sweeping four games to capture the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas last April.
The 24-game run was the longest in Division I since Gonzaga won 35 straight games between 2019 and 2021, and it transformed Nebraska into one of the season’s most compelling stories.
“We haven’t had this feeling in a long time,” Fred Hoiberg said. “They were hurt by it. We’re going to find out what we’re made of.”
Perspective Matters
While the streak is over, Nebraska’s season is anything but derailed. The Huskers remain 20–1, the best start in program history, and their No. 5 ranking in this week’s AP Top 25 is the highest the school has ever achieved.
They’ll have time to regroup before hosting No. 9 Illinois on Sunday, a game that could further shape the Big Ten title race.
A Program Long Defined by Struggles
Nebraska’s rise is especially striking given its modest basketball history. The Huskers are the only power-conference program never to win an NCAA tournament game, holding an 0–8 all-time record in March Madness. Their most recent regular-season conference title came in 1950, and they’ve posted a winning conference record in just three of their first 14 Big Ten seasons.
The program has produced only one consensus All-American — Sam Carrier in 1912–13 — and just three NBA first-round draft picks, none since 1998.
That context makes this season feel like a breakthrough.
Hoiberg’s Long Build Pays Off
Fred Hoiberg’s turnaround has been years in the making. Nebraska hired him in 2019 after a successful run at Iowa State, but his first three seasons were brutal: 24–67 overall and 9–50 in Big Ten play.
Since then, the Huskers are 80–41 overall and 37–32 in conference games, emerging as a legitimate contender.
This year’s veteran-heavy roster has shown resilience throughout the streak, erasing double-digit deficits in five wins — including 16-point comebacks against Oklahoma and Indiana.
The Pieces Fit
The team is anchored by Mast, a seventh-year big man who returned after missing the entire 2024–25 season with a major knee injury. Transfers Pryce Sandfort and Jamarques Lawrence have bolstered the rotation, while Berke Buyuktuncel has elevated his game in the frontcourt.
Sam Hoiberg, once a walk-on and now a vital glue guy, embodies the team’s collective toughness.
The Bigger Picture
One loss doesn’t change Nebraska’s trajectory. The Huskers went 11–0 in nonconference play for the first time since 1928–29 and opened Big Ten action 9–1, their best conference start since 1965–66.
A league title is still within reach — and so is the chance to finally erase one of college basketball’s most stubborn droughts.
The streak may be over, but Nebraska’s season is just getting started.
