Former walk-on Sam Hoiberg says this Husker basketball season has 'meant everything'

The Nebraska men’s basketball team needs just one more win to break a longstanding streak — no NCAA Tournament wins.

Coach Fred Hoiberg knows it. The team knows it.

Fans? Yeah they know.

It’s been a record-breaking season for the only power conference program without an NCAA Tournament win. The 2025-2026 Nebraska basketball squad has tied for the most wins in school history and broken several other records.

Not many people have a more unique perspective on this run than Sam Hoiberg.

The senior point guard walked-on at Nebraska five years ago and is the son of Coach Hoiberg. Ahead of the NCAA Tournament, Sam Hoiberg reminisced on the highs of the 2025-26 season.

He’s been a vital piece of this year’s squad, including during a dramatic senior day win against archrival Iowa.

“That was a huge game, just because there's so many emotions behind it,” Sam Hoiberg said.

The athletes are joined by family on the court during the pregame senior day festivities. Tear-jerking videos that commemorate each senior’s career run on the big screen above center court. For Sam’s dad and head coach, it was a moving tribute.

“Seeing my dad get a little emotional, which is something he doesn't do very often, that was a pretty special moment,” Sam Hoiberg said. “I was trying to hold back tears myself.

“There's a ton of emotion behind that, just because it's coming to an end, and there've been so many amazing memories and I've been able to spend every day with him pretty much for the past five years. That's kind of why those emotions came out.”

Those feelings are easy to explain, having poured five years into what was a struggling program to where it is now made senior day even more memorable, he said.

“You think about all the memories when they're playing those videos back,” Hoiberg said, “and you don't want to end it on a bad note with a bad memory. We almost slipped up at the end there, but I've kept saying that overtime made it so much more fun like that was some of the most fun I've had playing at (Pinnacle Bank Arena).”

He couldn't think of a better way to cap it off than beating Iowa.

Pouring his heart and soul into a program for five years has brought the Huskers to this point: a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament facing No. 13 seed Troy with a chance to make history.

Nebraska Cornhusker fans love a good walk-on story. Something about an underdog punching above its weight resonates with the people of this state. Sam Hoiberg, a Lincoln Pius X grad, is the latest example of this mantra.

“I know a little bit of the history with the football team and how they used to kind of build off of walk-ons from Nebraska,” he said. “And that was a little bit of a pipe dream for me when I got here.”

Making an impact on a successful team felt like a distant reality when he joined the program.

“And then five years later, that's what happened,” Sam Hoiberg said.

His hustle plays, diving after loose balls and tracking down stray rebounds, have made him a fan favorite.

“I think the fans just really appreciate how I gave it my all, and that was something that was lacking, especially my first year when we weren't a great team,” Sam Hoiberg said. “So that was the biggest way I felt I could make a difference, and when I got the chance to play, I was not going to let the opportunity pass by, and we started winning games.

“And I think a lot of that was due to just playing with the utmost hustle, and that is contagious to your teammates, so I think we've been on that kind of path ever since and the fans have really appreciated that as well.”

In press conferences this week, players and coaches expressed their gratitude to Husker fans this season. The team expects a strong Big Red showing in Oklahoma City for Nebraska’s first round game with Troy.

Hearing fans cheer loudly for him is surreal, Sam Hoiberg added.

“I'm so grateful for the Husker nation, and they've had such a big impact on me, and they've helped our team so much,” he said. “Feeling that support from them has been amazing.”

The unselfish player on the court said this season has also been satisfying to see his dad make national waves again. Coach Hoiberg led an incredibly successful coaching campaign at Iowa State, including two Big 12 Tournament titles. After an uneven stint with the Chicago Bulls of the NBA, he’s slowly turned around the Husker program, earning two Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in the last three seasons.

“Getting my dad's kind of national respect back has been so cool for me and rewarding to be a part of,” Sam Hoiberg said, “so everything that's happened this season has just been unbelievable, and I feel like I'm living out a dream.”

NU basketball is truly a family affair, with twin brother Charlie Hoiberg on the staff as a graduate assistant.

“This is pretty much our lives. Basketball has kind of defined our lives now, since my dad was playing in the NBA,” Sam Hoiberg said, “and just having it be such a special season in terms of success, and having Charlie here has been amazing.”

Sam Hoiberg’s sister and older brother also traveled to Lincoln for the senior night triumph against the Hawkeyes, adding “everyone is just so happy because of the way it's gone.”

For a season that’s been a dream come true, one more big goal is still left on the table.

“It's meant everything, and it's not really going to be everything I want to be, if we don't get that tournament win,” Hoiberg said. “If you ask me that again, hopefully a month from now after a couple wins, it truly has meant the world to me, because we've gone from a not-so-good program to being one of the best teams in the country.”

He knows the stakes. The team knows. Coach Hoiberg has said there’s no need to talk about what everyone already knows.

One win would be sweet relief for the Hoiberg family and hundreds of thousands of Husker fans around the globe. Sam Hoiberg said the team is striving to not get the cart in front of the horse.

“There's going to be a ton of pressure, no doubt about it, and everyone's going to want that one so badly, but I think we're going to try to have a mature approach going into it, and not let our emotions get the best of us,” Sam Hoiberg said, “Because when you want to win so badly, you can almost start doing things, start pressing, and it'll work against you, so I think if we just kind of have the same mentality that we've had all season long, going into games, having really good preparation and just staying super focused that's going to work out the best for us, and we just kind of have to let it take care of itself.”

Nebraska will try to exorcise its tournament demons against Troy at 11:40 a.m. CT Thursday at the Paycom Center and on Tru TV.