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The Rich History of Nebraska Cornhuskers Basketball

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a rich history across college basketball, with the school program having existed for over a century.

They have an illustrious history and are cheered on by locals each season, as many continue to watch them when they take to the court. Many enhance their viewing experiences with the ability to wager on their favorite teams and sports simultaneously.

This is because the state of Nebraska has long enjoyed gambling, and many have looked up the best ways to participate in the activity, with residents having enjoyed the tradition for numerous years. Despite it not being legal, there are ways citizens can place wagers on the Cornhuskers and show their support.

The college program has had numerous ups and downs throughout its history, although it has an all-time winning record. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, it currently stands at 1,535-1,417 (.520). Nonetheless, fans would like to see this improve.

Early Years

The Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team was established in 1897, making it one of the oldest college basketball teams in the United States. The team struggled quite a bit in the early years, going several years without a single win. But things began to change in the first half of the 1900s. Nebraska's basketball program improved under coach P.J. Schissler, leading to a record of 22–2 in 1919-20 and 11–3 in 1920-21.

Golden Years

The 1980s and the 1990s were the golden years of the Cornhuskers basketball team. Former Ohio head coach Danny Nee took over the team as head coach in 1986 and built the team's program through his brilliant recruiting class. The Cornhuskers went on to win the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1996. They made the NCAA Tournament five times during this era and won the Big Eight tournament championship in 1994.

Recent Years

The team has struggled to replicate past successes in recent years but has provided some shining moments to their loyal supporters. In 2019, Fred Hoiberg, the former NBA player and coach, joined Nebraska as head coach. He had losing seasons in each of his first three years in charge (7-25 in 2019-20, 7-20 in 2020-21, and 10-22 in 2021-22) but led them to 16-16 in 2022-23.

What does the future hold?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers continue to be a team that struggles when it comes to the biggest tournaments, with the team still the only power conference school to have not won a single NCAA competition game. Their record stands at 0-7, with their last appearance in March Madness being back in 2014.

Nonetheless, they have still been able to produce a handful of stars that have been able to go on to play in the NBA. Players like Tyronn Lue, Stu Lantz, Dave Hoppen, and Eric Piatkowski all went on to play basketball in the world’s biggest league and have since had their college numbers retired because of what they managed to achieve.

Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, three players are active in the NBA, with Isaiah Roby (New York Knicks), Dalano Banton (Toronto Raptors), and Bryce McGowens (Charlotte Hornets) all on a team’s roster.

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