Nebraska men’s basketball will look to extend its program record start to a season (18) and the nation’s longest winning streak (22) when it hosts Washington for an 8 p.m. tip Wednesday night.
On Monday, the Huskers moved up one spot in the AP Top 25 to number seven, the highest rating in program history.
Big Ten Network will televise the game with Kevin Kugler, LaPhonso Ellis and Andy Katz on the call.
The Huskies are just 2-5 in Big Ten play this season and 10-8 overall, but the talent on Coach Danny Sprinkle’s roster is a concern for Husker coach Fred Hoiberg.
“They’ve got unbelievable length, a very good offensive rebounding team,” Hoiberg said. “They’ve got a lot of talent out there, so we have to be on point.”
The Huskers’ history against Washington is a short one, with Nebraska leading 6-4. The one matchup since the Huskies joined the Big Ten (2024-25) was a Husker win in Seattle, 86-72 on Feb. 5, 2025.
Scouting Washington
Freshman Hannes Steinbach has recorded 10 double-doubles in 15 games this season. The 6-foot-11 forward has been better since conference play has started, something that is hard to do for a freshman, Hoiberg said.
“He’s an unbelievable basketball player,” Hoiberg said. “The fact that he’s putting up the type of numbers that he is as a freshman in this league — you look at his numbers, they’ve gone up against Big Ten competition, where he’s averaging a double-double, over 20 points and over 10 rebounds.”
Steinbach is the league leader in rebounding at 11.1 per game, including 3.9 on the offensive end. He’s also averaging 17.8 points while shooting 55.1% from the field and 77.1% from the foul line.
“He’s so impressive,” Hoiberg said. “He can score it from all over the floor. Great length, great touch, big hands. He’s just got a nose for the ball, going after it and getting it.”
“Steinbach is one of the more unique players not only in the league but in the country,” Hoiberg added.
Husky senior and Southern California transfer Desmond Claude announced last week that he had been playing with an injury and was shutting down his season. The 6-foot-6 guard was averaging 12.1 points per game, third on the team.
The Huskies have plenty of athletic guards even in Claude’s absence. The sophomore duo of Zoom Diallo and Wesley Yates III have picked up the production in Claude’s absence. Both are listed at 6-foot-4 and averaging double figures, Diallo 15.1 and Yates 13.0.
“Claude is a very dynamic guard, but so is Diallo,” Hoiberg said. “They’ve got players that can make shots and their bigs are huge and physical.”
One of those big and physical players is Franck Kepnang. The 6-foot-11 senior is amongst the leaders nationally in offensive rebound rate at 10.5% (19th). In conference play, Kepnang ranks third in the league in blocked shot rate (7.7%).
Keys To the Game
The first key is second-chance points. Washington doesn’t make 3-pointers at a high rate, and Nebraska doesn’t give up paint touches at a high rate in their no-middle defense.
Where Washington has an advantage is size and athleticism. If the Huskers can limit second-chance points to under 10, they will likely be in good shape.
The data says Washington doesn’t play at a breakneck speed; their adjusted tempo rate is 67.6, good for just 187th nationally. To win this game, the Huskies are going to need to maybe play with more tempo, and Nebraska will need to use their smart pace and win the fast break points category.
Taking and making 3s is the third key for the Huskers.
Washington’s defense ranks 87th in the nation in opponent 3-point percentage at 31.7%. The Huskies’ offensive 3-point percentage is 314th out of 365 Division I teams at 30.7%. Offensively, Nebraska is 90th at 35.5% from distance and 87th in defensive 3-point percentage (31.7%).
The Huskers will need to limit Washington to 32% or under from distance and make their average of 35.5% in the game.
“We gotta go out there and be at our best for 40 minutes to have a chance,” Hoiberg said. “That’s what we’ve done so far in this league and we’re gonna have to continue on with that.”
