Huskers ready for return at Michigan State

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg met with local media on Friday to give another update on the Huskers as they wrap up preparations for Saturday’s road game at Michigan State.

Here is a full recap of what he had to say…

***Hoiberg confirmed that Saturday would be the first time Nebraska would have all 12 active scholarship players available for a game this season.

***Hoiberg said the final two players going through NU’s return to play protocols were officially cleared on Thursday.

***That also included Hioberg confirming that sophomore point guard Dalano Banton (ankle) was good to go for Saturday.

***He said he told the team that he planned to substitute a lot at Michigan State, especially early on.

Hoiberg expected some guys would only be able to make it up and down the floor 2-3 times before getting winded after a 28-day layoff since their last game action.

“This thing has been crazy,” he said. “We’ve just got to go out there and monitor the bodies. Guys are sore. It’s a lot like a training camp right now.”

***Hoiberg said he would have to stay focused on a long-term plan for getting his team through a grueling next six weeks, which would mean balancing preparing enough for each game while also keeping guys as fresh as possible.

***Hoiberg said Nebraska would travel straight from East Lansing, Mich., to Minneapolis after Saturday’s game. The Huskers will be able to practice at “The Barn” in Minnesota on Sunday.

***Hoiberg said that any player or Tier 1 personnel who tested positive for COVID-19 would not have to resume daily antigen testing for 90 days after their positive test result.

He said NU was being careful with the virus, and masks would be worn at all times in the facility.

***Hoiberg announced that assistant coach Doc Sadler and special assistant to the head coach Bobby Lutz would not travel with the team to Michigan State and Minnesota, and possibly for the rest of the season.

Both coaches are over 60 years old and in the high-risk category for COVID-19 and were not among the 15 Tier 1 personnel to test positive last month. Hoiberg said they wanted to minimize any risk for Sadler and Lutz.

The coaches will still have communication with the team during games via text messaging with other staff members and can offer thoughts on what’s going on. Hoiberg and assistant Armon Gates will handle all on-court practices in their absence.

***Hoiberg said he still wants NU to play with the same high pace on offense, but he wants the Huskers to pick their spots a little more on when to run.

He wants Nebraska to attack early in possessions, especially after misses. But if transition opportunities aren’t there, he wants them to slow it down.

***Hoiberg seemed frustrated about the fact that Nebraska would still be required to have days off despite having to play as many as four games in a week going forward.

***Hoiberg said he reached out to Michigan State head coach and personal friend Tom Izzo to see how he handled his team’s bout with COVID-19 and try and learn from what they went through.

Hoiberg said MSU had to play three road games after its long break, and they got better with every game. He expects NU to go through a similar process where hopefully they knock off more and more rust with every game they get back under their belts.

***Hoiberg said some of the keys to beating Michigan State were defensive rebounding, getting back in transition defense, and taking care of the basketball.

The Huskers gave up eight critical late offensive rebounds, had a 13-5 disadvantage in fastbreak points, and committed 18 turnovers in their first meeting vs. MSU.