Fred Hoiberg takes the stage at Big Ten Media Days

INDIANAPOLIS – Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg was in Indianapolis on Thursday morning for the annual Big Ten Media Days event at Gainbridge Field House.

Here is a quick rundown of what he had to say during his time at the main podium…

(NOTE: Hoiberg and NU players Trey McGowens and Alonzo Verge Jr. will also be available for 30 minutes of side podium interviews later on today.)

***Hoiberg said his team’s continuity for the first time this season has been one of the most significant differences of this offseason compared to the previous two years.

He said the way NU fought through adversity last year with COVID-19 and the ensuing 14 games in 29 days to end the season made the team better.

***Hoiberg said he was impressed with the maturity of his group and was excited about the unique skillsets on the roster. Above all, Hoiberg said he knew his team would compete every day.

***Hoiberg said he loved returning to Indianapolis, as he was a former player with the Pacers. He said he had great memories from his time here.

***Hoiberg said he expected the transfer portal to only grow as an option in recruiting, especially for coaches building programs. He noted the multiple transfers NU had added over the past three years, including Verge, C.J. Wilcher, and Keon Edwards this offseason.

***Hoiberg reiterated that perimeter shooting and overall playmaking were two of the most significant improvements Nebraska had made since last season. He said last year they hit the “shot chart” they wanted in terms of where shots were taken, as 82 percent came either in the restricted area or from 3-point range.

He hoped that the Huskers would be “more equipped” to hit a higher percentage of those shots this season.

***Hoiberg echoed his comment from earlier that the single most difficult job he had to start the year was establishing a lineup rotation. He said it wasn’t just finding out who would start games but also who would finish them.

Hoiberg said “role acceptance” would be critical in accomplishing that task. He said guys needed to “star in the role they’re given” for this thing to truly work. Hoiberg said they had three weeks to figure it out.

***Hoiberg added that he played in just about every role during his basketball career, from star player to the last guy off the bench. He said his message to the players was to take advantage of every opportunity you get.

***Hoiberg said Nebraska had as many as 12 guys he felt comfortable playing right now in games. Once the season began, he expected NU to start with a 9-10 man rotation and “go from there.”

***Hoiberg confirmed that Nebraska’s team was 100% vaccinated for COVID-19.