Nebraska men’s basketball finished the first two months of the 2025-26 with a perfect 13-0 record. Friday night, the No. 13 Huskers host the highest-rated and likely the best team they have played this season to date, No. 9 Michigan State.
The game will be televised on Peacock with Noah Reed and Nick Bahe on the call.
There have been plenty of firsts or things that haven’t happened in a long time for the Huskers this season.
They are riding a program record 17 straight wins. Prior to the current win streak, Nebraska’s longest win streak under Fred Hoiberg was seven to start the 2023-24 season.
Nebraska comes into the Michigan State game averaging 83.5 points, which is the Huskers’ highest scoring average after 12 games since the 1995-96 season (89.5 per game).
After the win Tuesday against New Hampshire, the Huskers won a school-record 22 straight nonconference games, the nation’s longest nonconference win streak.
All of the school records and winning streak talk is great, but in comes a Michigan State team that is 12-1, with its only loss to top-10 Duke (66-60 on Dec. 6).
This is a Michigan State program that hammered Nebraska 89-52 in East Lansing last season.
Ranked Versus Ranked
Friday will be the second ranked team Nebraska has faced this season, joining Illinois. It will also be the 11th time in program history the Huskers have faced a ranked team while being ranked themselves.
Friday’s game is the second ranked versus ranked home game in program history, and the first since 1991. It will be the first time since March 3, 1991, Nebraska has hosted a game with both teams ranked in the top 15 (No. 15 Nebraska 85, No. 10 Kansas 75).
Since March 1, 2023, Nebraska is 10-11 in the last 21 games against ranked teams. Last season, Nebraska went 4-4 against ranked teams, matching a school record for most wins over ranked opponents in a season.
Nebraska is 4-6 in those 10 games; nine of the 10 were away from Lincoln (seven road, two neutral).
“It’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere and environment, and this is what it’s all about,” Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “These are the fun games.”
Transition and Rebounding
Michigan State is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the country and also one of the top transition teams.
The Spartans’ 40.9 offensive rebounding percentage ranks sixth in the nation according to KenPom, while they give up just a 22.8% offensive rebounding number defensively, good for third in the country.
“They run a lot of stuff and they run it well and they run it crisp, but this to me is transition and rebounding,” Hoiberg said. “If you don’t do those two things, you have no chance; t doesn’t matter what they run in the half court … If you don’t get back and accept the challenge of the physicality, it doesn’t matter.”
The Spartans are the fastest team Nebraska has faced this season and one of the fastest in the country, averaging 1.36 points per possession and ranking in the 92nd percentile in transition.
“It’s another challenge for us that possesses different things that we haven’t seen before; we won’t experience speed like this all year again,” Hoiberg said. “We have to embrace it, the challenge of it, and go out there and execute the game plan.”
Limiting the Spartans’ second chance points and fast-break points are two major factors.
Scouting Michigan State
The Spartans (12-1, 2-0) have won four straight after the loss to Duke. On Monday, they had to outlast Cornell, a team that is amongst the nation’s best in 3-point shooting (40.5%), 114-97.
Michigan State senior Jaxon Kohler leads the Spartans in scoring (13.7 per game) and rebounding (10.3 per game).
In the Huskers’ loss at Michigan State last season, Kohler grabbed 12 rebounds and the Huskers had just 19 in the game.
“His ability to step out and shoot the ball at 46 or 47% right now poses such a challenge with you because he is so physical,” Hoiberg said of Kohler. “You have to worry about him in the paint, he’s got a great right and left hand, one of the best screeners that there is in the country. His ability to step out and shoot the ball, that’s what makes him so special right now.”
Carson Cooper is another frontcourt weapon (10.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game), and it’s not just his size at 6-11. His versatility on the defensive end, with his ability to hedge ball screens and switch onto guards, presents challenges for opponents.
Coen Carr averages 12.2 points and 5.0 boards and is one of the most explosive leapers in college basketball. The Spartans also have one of the best distributors in college basketball in point guard Jeremy fears Jr. In Monday’s win, the sophomore had a career-high 21 points and 11 assists to lead six Spartans in double figures. Fears leads the nation in assist rate (50.7).
Tipoff Friday is set for 8 p.m. CT.
