Nebraska basketball in AP Top 5 for first time in program history

The top-five teams in the latest Associated Press poll features some of the most recognizable brands in the sport today. Arizona, UConn, Michigan, Duke and … wait a minute, what are they doing here? The Nebraska basketball Cornhuskers? At 20-0? Chaos is reigning supreme in college hoops, and it is not even March yet. Although Fred Hoiberg’s crew is one of just three undefeated teams in the country, this program’s meteoric rise is still difficult to comprehend.

The surreal factor just reached another level. Nebraska is in the AP top-five for the first time ever, via Cole Adams. Indiana football’s unprecedented campaign gives new hope to all dismissed or previously irrelevant squads, and the Cornhuskers are following up the Hoosiers’ championship run with their own Midwestern ascension.

Upcoming matchups versus No. 3 Michigan, No. 9 Illinois and No. 12 Purdue will test Nebraska’s toughness, but the Big Ten contender already proved its legitimacy with wins over Michigan State and the Fighting Illini. This group is not brimming with star power or first-round draft picks. It is achieving perfection by exemplifying what it means to be a team.

Huskers head coach Fred Hoiberg has everyone buying into their role, and the result is a balanced unit that has improbably become a genuine force in the NCAA. Leading scorer Pryce Sandfort is shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range. Dutch big man Rienk Mast also provides floor-spacing, while also posing a threat in the frontcourt. Sam Hoiberg, Fred’s son, possesses an endless motor and valuable intangibles. Cohesion defines Nebraska basketball this season.

And so does winning. The tenacious Cornhuskers will bring their unblemished record into Ann Arbor on Tuesday night. If they can conquer the Michigan Wolverines in their own building, nobody will need to be pinched the next time they see Nebraska ranked in the top-five.

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