NCAA Basketball: 5 teams with the most to prove in December of 2023-24

Nebraska Cornhuskers

The two undefeated teams in the Big Ten: Purdue and…Nebraska?

Fred Hoiberg quietly has the Nebraska Cornhuskers sitting at 7-0, marking the best start in Fred Hoiberg’s tenure leading the Huskers.

Interestingly enough, Nebraska is undefeated even though Keisei Tominaga was out for the first two games and Juwan Gary was out for the first three.

Bradley transfer Reink Mast has been outstanding so far, averaging a double-double at 14.7 PPG and 10.1 while Charlotte transfer Brice Williams has been a reliable scoring option as well, averaging 14.6 PPG for the Huskers.

Although Nebraska may be 7-0, they have a lot to prove this month with increased competition. In arguably one of the most critical games of Fred Hoiberg’s tenure, the Huskers will face Creighton at home on Sunday, Dec. 3 — a matchup in which the Huskers won last year in Omaha.

After their matchup against Creighton, Nebraska will have to prove their worth in the Big Ten with a road trip to Minnesota and a home game against Michigan State followed by a road trip to the Little Apple to take on the Kansas State Wildcats.

This four-game stretch will tell us a lot about this year’s Nebraska squad and the direction in which the program is heading. Fred Hoiberg, who entered this year on a rather warm seat, has an incredible opportunity this month to prove that the Huskers are not only making progress as a program but are NCAA Tournament-worthy in his fifth year leading the Huskers.