8. Nebraska (18-0)
Coaches dream of being in this position and you could certainly argue that Fred Hoiberg is having the best year of his coaching career. Nebraska remains perfect more than halfway through January and with several Big Ten games under their belt. The Cornhuskers may not have played the nation’s toughest schedule but this team has been legitimately challenged, with impactful wins over Illinois, Michigan State, and several more already.
What they did to Oregon on Tuesday remains very noteworthy, as the Cornhuskers blitzed the Ducks in a 90-55 win. Pryce Sandfort starred with 28 points while Braden Frager added 23 points off the bench. Hoiberg’s team headed on the road and got the same result Saturday, winning 77-58 at Northwestern. Sandfort looked great again with 22 points while Frager had another 20 points off the bench in Nebraska’s 18th straight win.
The Cornhuskers possess the nation’s longest winning streak and are off to a 7-0 start to Big Ten play. We’re long past discussions of fluke as Nebraska keeps proving that this team is a real thing this season. The offense in particular has been outstanding over the last few weeks, though they certainly hope someone other than Frager and Sandfort can put up big games in the weeks ahead. They’ll host Washington before a trip to Minnesota next weekend.