A 2-0 start is up for grabs when Nebraska hosts Florida International on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln, Neb.
Nebraska opened the season Monday with an 86-53 home win over West Georgia, with Fred Hoiberg earning his 200th career win as a college coach. The Cornhuskers got 22 points off the bench from redshirt freshman Braden Frager, the third-highest scoring output for a Nebraska player in a collegiate debut.
“Just seeing that ball go in the hoop kind of really helped out a lot with it,” Frager said. “I don’t really go at the games differently depending on the opponent. I just want to go out there and play and have fun.”
Perhaps more impressive was the performance of senior Rienk Mast, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds in his return to action after missing last season due to injury. It was his 27th career double-double, his seventh in two-plus seasons with Nebraska.
FIU began play Monday with a 101-49 drubbing of Florida National, an NAIA school. The Panthers won their opener for the first time since 2022-23 behind 25 points, seven rebounds and six steals from senior Larry Olayinka, a transfer from Samford.
FIU shot 52.7% from the field and 39.3% (11 of 28) from 3-point range and outscored the Conquistadors 54-26 in the paint. The Panthers forced 25 turnovers, including 15 steals.
Eighth-year coach Jeremy Ballard is one win away from 100 for his tenure but is doing it with an all-new roster.
“It’s invigorating as a coaching staff to get a full new team, and we are reteaching everything from ground one to everyone, and that’s awesome,” Ballard said during the preseason. “It really ignites the teacher in you as a coach. Every drill, every set, every concept, our identity and culture. We have to make sure that we are really going above and beyond to define that because we have such a new team.”
FIU’s last win against a power-conference foe came in 2004 at Florida State. Nebraska has won nine straight non-conference home games.
