As the Nebraska basketball team upset Illinois, 83-80, in what was a historic win for the program, having been the first time they were 11-0 to start the season, head coach Fred Hoiberg sent a warning to his group. After the Nebraska basketball team had a late-season collapse last year, dropping its final five games, the program took that to heart, resulting in the fiery start to the current day.
The Cornhuskers were ranked No. 23, while the Fighting Illini were No. 13, resulting in the upset on Saturday. While celebration is in order for the student-athletes, there should be a realization of what comes with a winning streak, as they have.
The “toxic” aspect that the Nebraska basketball team has to overcome
Hoiberg would speak after the game in his press conference, saying that he told his team that after achieving history, “how are you going to respond to it?”
“I told the guys this,” Fred Hoiberg said, according to On3 Sports. “They just accomplished something that’s never been done in the history of Nebraska basketball. Now, the next test is how are you going to respond to it? We’ve talked to them about their phones; they’re toxic.”
“When things are going great, all the good things that are being said about them,” Hoiberg continued. “And on the flip side, when things aren’t going well, all the negativity, can you tune all those out? We talked a lot about this game, putting up your walls. And our guys, I thought, did a good job of that. You could tell because how we handled the adversity and continued to fight throughout this game.”
The outside noise will no doubt get louder, as Hoiberg mentioned the toxicity of phones, which is why the Cornhuskers' response will be one to monitor. The Nebraska basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to 12 games when the Cornhuskers take on North Dakota on Dec. 21.
