Nebraska men’s basketball dishes about offseason workouts, new roles

LINCOLN, Neb. —

The Nebraska men’s basketball team hosted its first media availability of the summer on Monday morning at the Hawks Championship Center.

The Huskers are still riding high from last year’s March Madness run because of what it meant for the program’s history.

But coach Fred Hoiberg doesn’t want the players to be content.

“We want to get right back to work, so we can feel the same thing a year from now. Hopefully, this puts us in a spot where we can compete for championships,” Hoiberg said.

Returning veteran Pryce Sandfort will assist the team in this goal. He was one of Nebraska’s main scoring threats last year.

He’s since transformed himself into a locker room leader.

“I’ve been trying really hard to step into that role and be vocal with the new guys, because the system takes a long time to get used to,” Sandfort said.

Center Leo Curtis said he has also matured in his second year with the program.

“I know what level it is that we are playing at, and playing against the national champions in Michigan has given us a lot of confidence when we go up against all the Big Ten teams,” Curtis said.

However, the Huskers aren’t immune to challenges. They still have to get all of the program’s transfers up to speed, including Taj DeGourville.

The former San Diego State Aztec admits he’s still adjusting to Lincoln, but he said he’s impressed with the Huskers’ style of play so far.

“Offensively, it’s just like an NBA environment with a lot of space. We’ll also be good on defense as well, because we have a lot of rotation,” DeGourville said.

He also added that the culture is strong in Lincoln.

“They want to get better, and they’re headed in the right direction, so I want to help them get there,” DeGourville said.

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