Nebraska Huskers Basketball

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and former Iowa State and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg have been "actively talking" about the team's head-coaching vacancy, according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com.

Per that report, "Nebraska has identified Hoiberg as their top target, and while a formal agreement hasn't been finalized, one source believes they aren't far off." 

Nebraska fired former head coach Tim Miles on Tuesday after seven seasons at the helm, per Chris Heady of the Omaha.com.

Miles went 116-114 in his tenure, though the team reached just one NCAA tournament in that time. Nebraska came into the 2018-19 season with high hopes, but it disappointed, going just 19-17 and losing in the second round of the NIT. While injuries played their part in derailing the season, the Cornhuskers also trended in the wrong direction after starting 11-2 and rising to as high as No. 24 in the rankings. 

Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos spoke about Miles in a press release, per Heady:

"Tim Miles is a good basketball coach who has put his heart, soul and energy into the Nebraska men's basketball program over the past seven years. Ultimately, we have not maintained a level of consistent success and stability on the court, and after a full review I have made the decision to move in another direction for the leadership of our program."

Hoiberg had a great deal of success at the college level, meanwhile, going 115-56 and leading the Cyclones to four NCAA tournament appearances and two Big-12 conference tournament championships in five seasons. He would be a solid upgrade for a Nebraska basketball program that has traditionally been pushed to the background in favor of football.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have fired head basketball coach Tim Miles after seven seasons.

"Tim Miles is a good basketball coach who has put his heart, soul and energy into the Nebraska men's basketball program over the past seven years," Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos said in a statement on the team's official website.

"Ultimately, we have not maintained a level of consistent success and stability on the court, and after a full review I have made the decision to move in another direction for the leadership of our program."

Miles took to Twitter to offer his thoughts:

Miles went 116-114 while reaching the NCAA tournament just once during his seven years on the sideline in Lincoln. Nebraska went one-and-done in its lone NCAA tournament appearance under Miles, losing to Baylor in the Round of 64 back in 2013-14.

While an 11-2 start to this past season helped the Cornhuskers become ranked for the first time since since 2014-15, losing 15 of their final 23 games resulted in a 19-17 season. It marked the second consecutive year in which they were relegated to the NIT, where it was bounced by TCU in the second round.

Prior to Miles' arrival, the Cornhuskers were in the midst of a 14-year playoff drought. He wound up taking the team to the Big Dance in his second year on the job, but was unable to get it back there over the final five seasons.

Nebraska's 22 wins in 2017-18 were the most the program had recorded since 1990-91. However, the inability to truly build on that success proved costly.

Miles previously coached at Colorado State 2007 to 2012. While his 71-88 overall record may not stand out, he took the Rams from seven wins in his first season to 20 wins and an NCAA tournament berth in his final year.

Former Iowa State Cyclones and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is reportedly the frontrunner for the Nebraska Cornhuskers job if current coach Tim Miles is fired, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium. 

On Friday, Nebraska's athletic director Bill Moos said the school would make its evaluations on the program—which ostensibly includes determining Miles' future—once the season is over, per the Associated Press. The Cornhuskers are set to play in the NIT on Wednesday.

Nebraska—which at one point was ranked No. 24 overall—had a disappointing season, finishing 18-16 and just 6-14 in the Big Ten. In Miles' seven seasons as head coach, the Cornhuskers are just 115-113 and have only reached the NCAA tournament once and NIT twice.

Nebraska did suffer through injuries to players like Isaac Copeland, Thomas Allen and Amir Harris this season, and the argument could be made that the Cornhuskers were snubbed from the tournament last year when they finished 22-11 overall and 13-5 in the Big Ten.

But there's also an argument to be made that Miles earned his place on the hot seat and that a coach like Hoiberg would be a high-profile move for a program that traditionally has taken a backseat to football in Lincoln. 

Miles' players, to his credit, have stood by him:

"You can just look at our play," Isaiah Roby said during the Big Ten tournament, per Brian Hamilton of The Athletic. "I mean, if he wasn't the guy, I think we would've given up on him. And I don't think anybody has given up on him. Everybody in this locker room, we're playing hard for him and we're still accepting his challenges. We only got eight guys, and he's challenging us to win all five games."

His players aren't the only ones who have praised Miles:

Hoiberg arguably would be an upgrade, though. He went 115-56 in five seasons at Iowa State, reaching the NCAA tournament four times. And while his time in Chicago was less successful, he nonetheless brings NBA experience to the position. 

Perhaps Nebraska's two wins in the Big Ten tournament, along with a deep run in the NIT, would be enough to save Miles' job. But if Hoiberg has interest in the program, the Cornhuskers would be justified in exploring that option.

Zaire Wade, the son of longtime Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade, announced Tuesday he received a scholarship offer to play college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

"Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Nebraska," he wrote on Instagram.

The younger Wade's stepmother, actress Gabrielle Union, is a Nebraska native and noted the family will be in attendance when the Huskers open their football season against Akron on Sept. 1:

The 6'2'', 175-pound point guard is a budding class of 2020 prospect at the American Heritage School in Florida and for E1T1 United on the 17-U Nike EYBL circuit.

In July, he showcased his ability to create offensive space when video of a basket he scored against New York Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. went viral:

Wade sat down alongside Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant earlier this month for a film session with Overtime (via Ananth Pandian of 247Sports). The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP urged him to stay aggressive and offered to remain available for future advice.

"Keep balling, bro," Durant said. "You got a long ways to go. It ain't gonna happen overnight, either. Keep working. You know I got you whenever you need something; hit me. If you got something you want to talk about, hit me. I know pops good, but just to give you a different look. I'm here for you."

If Wade continues to develop his all-around game over his final two years of high school, he figures to receive plenty of additional offers before he makes his collegiate choice ahead of the 2020-21 season.

It will be intriguing to see whether the Marquette Golden Eagles, his dad's college team, are among them.

A couple of years ago, the Monmouth Hawks held the crown as the best men's college basketball bench across the nation in terms of creative courtside celebrations. Now, Nebraska's sideline antics have gained some recognition.

En route to a 66-57 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Cornhuskers mimicked WWE finishing maneuvers, put together a bobsledding team and rated dunks with scorecards.              

Give credit to Nebraska for keeping up with the times. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball coach Tim Miles said Friday that his team will not boycott Saturday's game amid controversy surrounding a white nationalist at the school. 

According to Rick Ruggles of the Omaha World-Herald, Miles said Nebraska players will wear T-shirts that say "hate will never win" prior to Saturday's contest against Rutgers.

Miles' announcement came after Nebraska student Daniel Kleve released multiple videos in which he went on racist rants. Kleve's videos led to a 300-student rally at the University of Nebraska to protest hate speech.

With regard to his players, Miles said, "I love our guys, and I'm glad they're able to stand up about the right things. ... I think we're in a good place right now. It took some time, some soul-searching for a few days."

Miles added that the vast majority of players voted against boycotting, but said they wanted to make a statement against racism.

Much of Nebraska's basketball team is comprised of black players, and Kleve said in one of his videos that the Founding Fathers didn't care about the opinions of Mexicans or African Americans.

According to ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg, Nebraska chancellor Ronnie Green said Kleve will remain enrolled at the school due to his First Amendment rights despite many students calling for his expulsion.

On Saturday, the 18-8 Huskers will go for their fifth consecutive win.

Nebraska is fourth in the Big Ten with a 9-4 conference record, and it will have an opportunity to complete a season sweep of Rutgers after previously beating the Scarlet Knights in January.

Nebraska head basketball coach Tim Miles donned a Santa Claus hat and beard to present one of his players with a Christmas surprise.

No, it wasn't socks or an ugly sweater. He awarded a scholarship to walk-on Tanner Borchardt.

The 6'8" junior has grabbed 16 rebounds in 47 minutes for the Cornhuskers this season. He made the squad as a freshman but left last year and returned during the 2016-17 campaign.

"You know, it's such a blessing to be in this position, to leave the team and get the chance to come back," Borchardt told Chris Basnett of the Lincoln Journal Star. "I thank Coach Miles again. He's blessed me with many opportunities, and I thank him for that."

Miles enjoyed his temporary role as Kris Kringle:

Borchardt celebrated the reveal with his teammates after Nebraska improved to 9-5 with a victory over Delaware State on Friday night. 

[Nebraska Basketball]

Standout shooting guard prospect Thomas Allen reportedly committed to Nebraska on Friday after previously receiving his release from a North Carolina State letter of intent.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com first reported the news.

Allen is a 4-star prospect who is rated as the No. 99 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class, according to the Scout.com rankings. He's also listed as the No. 21 shooting guard and the best player at the position coming out of New Hampshire in this year's group.

The offensive sensation from Brewster Academy originally signed his national LOI with the Wolfpack in November. He reopened the recruiting process last month, however, to consider his options after receiving widespread interest.

He told Jonathan M. Alexander of the News & Observer that new NC State head coach Kevin Keatts, who replaced Mark Gottfried in mid-March, granted his release because "he's not going to beg you to stay if you want to leave."

"I feel like the first time I signed, I rushed everything," Allen said. "I didn't know how it was going to be if I didn't sign early."

Allen joins Nana Akenten, a 4-star small forward, in Nebraska's 2017 class. 

He comes to a Cornhuskers squad where playing time should be available right away. The program is coming off a forgettable 12-19 campaign, which included a 6-12 mark in Big Ten play, and will lose leading scorer Tai Webster to graduation.

For more news, rumors and related stories about Thomas Allen, Nebraska basketball and the NCAA, check out the college basketball and Nebraska streams on Bleacher Report's app.

Nebraska forward Shavon Shields suffered a scary injury and needed to be carted off the court on Feb. 6 against Rutgers and has not played since. It's unclear when he'll return to the court. 

Continue for updates.

Latest on Shields' Playing Status

Wednesday, Feb. 24 

Nebraska head coach Tim Miles told reporters he expected Shields to play Saturday against Penn State, in the team's final home game.

“I would expect he’ll play; I don’t know how much,” Miles said. “I think he expects to be Shavon, and I just want him to be the best he can be right now.” 

Shields Maintains Movement In Extremities

Saturday, Feb. 6

Shields was flipped over the back of a Rutgers player and knocked unconscious for several moments but maintained use of his arms and legs, according to HuskerSports.

Michael Bruntz of 247Sports reported Shields is undergoing testing, but he is "alert and has sensation in his hands and feet."

Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated released a statement from Nebraska:

The senior was then carted off to a standing ovation from the packed house at Pinnacle Bank Arena, as shown by the Big Ten Network:

Shields had his feet taken out from under him while attempting to block a shot and landed on his head and neck area when falling. He was motionless for roughly five minutes before he was carted off and taken to the hospital, but he regained use of his extremities. 

Athletic trainer R.J. Pietig confirmed Shields regained full awareness and was able to answer questions, according to Brian Rosenthal of the Lincoln Journal Star. 

Further diagnosis on the extent of Shields’ injury wasn’t immediately disclosed, but Pietig was optimistic when speaking to Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald:

Shields is the team’s second-leading scorer with 15.6 points per game, behind only superstar Andrew White. More chiefly, he’s the team’s distinguished leader as a four-year starter. 

Every year, my older brother Jeremy and I go over our list of goals we would like to see our favorite team, Nebraska, accomplish.

At the top of the list: Beat Texas. In anything. In everything. Especially football. Every Nebraska win and Texas loss moves the Cornhuskers closer to the Longhorns in all-time wins. After the 2013 season, Nebraska sits 10 games back of Texas. That's one game closer than in August, making it a positive season.

Second on the list is to see Nebraska in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. He and I have been competing with brackets for a long time (I'm currently on a 2-year winning streak), and not once have we had to decide between the Cornhuskers and another team.

The dilemma can be considered both positive and negative at the same time. On one hand, there has never been a moral crisis—neither of us ever had to pick Nebraska to lose. 

On the other hand, it was quite depressing because it showed Nebraska's obvious ineptitude in basketball. There are two teams in major (or BCS if you want to relate it to football) conferences that have never won an NCAA Tournament game. Nebraska is one of them. 

Here are some of the teams that won NCAA Tournament games in 2010: Northern Iowa, Ohio, Murray State, Old Dominion. I'll shake your hand if you can name the mascots of all those teams, and that's only one year. Since 1998, more than 25 teams have won their first tournament game. North Dakota State, who knocked off Oklahoma Thursday night, now has a win.

Nebraska doesn't. 

Nebraska, the university with multiple national championships in both football and volleyball, Elite 8 appearances by the women's basketball team and College World Series appearances by both the baseball and softball teams, has never won a men's tournament game.

The Huskers have been close.

In 1991, the 26-7 Cornhuskers earned the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and were paired up with Xavier as the 14-seed. Xavier never trailed and upset Nebraska 89-84 in Minneapolis.

In 1998, there was a 10-point lead on 6-seed Arkansas with 16:45 left to play. The Razorbacks won 74-65.

Since then, nothing. Not even a bid. Actually, not even really the hope of a bid. Wins in the NIT were something Nebraska fans became proud of because, let's face it, Nebraska is a football state. Always has been. Right?

Not anymore.

With a tireless second-year head coach, new facilities that are among the best in the nation, a team of overachievers that don't believe anything is out of the realm of possibility and the support of one of the most fervent fan bases in sports, Nebraska basketball is real. And it's here. It's now. Home wins over Ohio State and Wisconsin, coupled with a road win at Michigan State and a season sweep of Indiana made a good resume.

Nebraska is in the NCAA Tournament, Jeremy. It's sooner than we thought it would be. The Huskers, seeded 11th, will have a tough battle with Baylor in San Antonio. 

But Nebraska is there. Teams that fail to qualify for the NCAA Tournament have no chance of winning the national championship. Until now, that was Nebraska.

I get a lump in my throat as I say it: Nebrasketball is in the NCAA Tournament.