Huskers hitch hopes to Hoiberg
Nebraska has built some of the best basketball facilities in the country the last decade and plays in a sold-out arena. Now the Cornhuskers believe they have the missing piece to turn the starved-for-success program into a Big Ten contender.
Fred Hoiberg was introduced as the Huskers’ coach Tuesday, and a packed news conference at Memorial Stadium resembled a pep rally, with 300 in attendance and cheerleaders greeting him as he stepped off the elevator and made his way to the dais.
“We’re all in on basketball, I can tell you that,” athletic director Bill Moos said afterward. “I think people will walk away from here today feeling all in as well.”
The 46-year-old Hoiberg is back in the college game after being fired by the Bulls four months ago. He starred at Iowa State, played 10 years in the NBA and had a frontoffice job with the Timberwolves before he returned to ISU and coached the Cyclones to four NCAA Tournaments between 2010 and ’15.
He said he had contact with other schools that have or will have coaching vacancies but was drawn to Nebraska because of his ties to the state and university. His maternal grandfather, Jerry Bush, was the coach from 1954 to ’63, his parents are graduates and his paternal grandfather was a longtime professor. Hoiberg was born in Lincoln, and a niece was a student manager this season.
“It’s such a thrill for me to be able to walk — even though in a different building — on the same sideline as my grandfather did,” Hoiberg said. “We want this to be our last stop. We feel we can build a program that consistently wins.”
Hoiberg, who signed a seven-year contract paying a total of $25 million, takes over a program that has won just seven regularseason conference championships in 123 years — the most recent in 1950. Nebraska also is the only school from a Power Five conference that has never won an NCAA Tournament game.
Duke freshmen lead All-America team
Duke’s Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett are the second freshman teammates to earn first-team All-America honors.
Williamson and Barrett lead the Associated Press All-America team, joined by Tennessee’s Grant Williams, Murray State’s Ja Morant and Michigan State’s Cassius Winston.
The Blue Devils’ duo marks the 11th pair of teammates to be named to the AP first team and first freshman teammates since Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall in 2010.
Williamson electrified college basketball with his array of massive dunks and soaring blocks, earning unanimous selection to the first team from 64 voters. He averaged 22.1 points and Barrett 22.9 per game.
Morant, who led the nation with 10 assists per game, is the first Murray State player to be a first-team AP All-American.
Olson, Majerus top Hall of Fame class
Longtime coach Lute Olson and the late Rick Majerus headline the 2019 class of six former players and three influential coaches selected for the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Joining them during the induction ceremony in November are former Indiana star Calbert Cheaney, Duke’s Shane Battier, Purdue’s Terry Dischinger, Providence’s Ernie DiGregorio, UNLV’s Larry Johnson, Stanford’s Todd Lichti and longtime Valparaiso coach Homer Drew.
BC’s Bowman declares for draft
Boston College point guard Ky Bowman will forego his senior season and declare for the NBA Draft. Bowman, who averaged an NCAA-high 39.4 minutes per game, was an AP All-ACC first-team selection.