If you were listening to your radio last Friday night, you heard several exclamations of “Bang-A-Rang-A-Rang-A-Rang!!!”
The emotion of Kent Pavelka, who has announced Nebraska men’s basketball games since November 30, 1974, concisely reflect those of long-suffering Nebraska basketball fans.
Following Nebraska’s 58-56 victory over ninth-ranked Michigan State, and their iconic coach Tom Izzo, the Huskers boast an undefeated record of 14-0.
The sparkling record includes victories over notable programs Oklahoma, Kansas State, Creighton, Wisconsin and Illinois.
As predicted, social media exploded.
Some posters – or imposters — shared their beliefs that this was the greatest regular season win in Cornhusker basketball history.
I don’t fall in that category. I fully expected Nebraska to win the game. Plus, there is two more months of basketball to be played.
I have been following Husker hoops since January 1971. Please allow me to rate, what I believe, are the greatest regular season wins.
In chronological order:
March 2, 1900. Nebraska 48, Kansas 8, in Lincoln. It was the first game Nebraska played with the opponent being from outside the state of Nebraska.
February 8, 1958. Nebraska 43, Kansas 41, in Lincoln. The fourth-ranked Jayhawks, led by Wilt Chamberlain, had beaten Nebraska 102-46 two weeks earlier in Lawrence. The Huskers were coached by Jerry Bush, the grandfather of Fred Hoiberg.
December 12, 1964. Nebraska 74, Michigan 73, in Lincoln. A buzzer-beating shot by NU’s Fred Hare upset the top-ranked Wolverines. Michigan was led by Cazzie Russell, the NBA’s top draft selection in 1966.
December 1, 1965. Nebraska 101, Wisconsin 88, in Madison. It was the first time in Nebraska basketball history that the Cornhuskers scored 100 points or more.
March 6, 1976. Nebraska 82, Iowa State 66, in Lincoln. It was the final Husker basketball game played in the Coliseum, the Huskers home for 50 years. It would have been a shame if NU had lost that historic finale.
December 22, 1979. Nebraska 92, Alabama-Birmingham, 84, in Lincoln. The only game in school history in which Nebraska played four overtimes. I was one of the 6,973 fans in attendance at the Devaney Sports Center.
February 6, 1982. Nebraska 67, Missouri 51, in Columbia. Missouri was the nation’s top-ranked team. A month earlier, the then second-ranked Tigers beat Nebraska by two points in Lincoln. At the Hearnes Center, the Huskers silenced Missouri’s student section, known as the Antlers. They retaliated by pelting Kent Pavelka with garbage while he was announcing the game. Pavelka’s safety was at risk and MU authorities did nothing to help him. Sometimes, the cost of defeating a top-ranked team on the road carries a soiled price tag.
November 28, 1990. Nebraska 71, Michigan State 69, in Lincoln. A last-second Beau Reid basket knocked off the fifth-ranked Spartans. It was the springboard victory that led Nebraska to 26 wins that season — the most in program history.
February 19, 1992. Nebraska 83, Kansas 81 (OT), in Lincoln. A last-second three-point field goal by NU’s Jamar Johnson provided an upset over third-ranked Kansas. The sellout crowd stormed the court.
February 19, 2011. Nebraska 70, Texas 67, in Lincoln. The Huskers upset the third-ranked Longhorns and in front of 12,208 fans. As they did 19 years earlier, they stormed the floor. Husker Radio Network announcer Kent Pavelka roared, “There’s your signature win Doc Sadler!” One year later, Sadler was fired.
March 6, 2013. Nebraska 53, Minnesota 51, in Lincoln. This victory is notable because it was the last Husker basketball game played in the Devaney Sports Center – NU’s home since November 27, 1976.
March 9, 2013. Nebraska 77, Wisconsin 68, in Lincoln. It was promoted as “No Sit Sunday” at the new Pinnacle Bank Arena. The 15,998 fans obliged, as NU upset ninth-ranked Wisconsin to secure a bid in the NCAA Tournament.
January 9, 2024. Nebraska 88, Purdue 72, in Lincoln. The Huskers, led by fan favorite Keisei Tominaga’s 19 points, upset the top-ranked Boilermakers. The gold star victory was a bookmark for Nebraska securing an NCAA Tournament bid two months later.
January 2, 2026. Nebraska 58, Michigan State 56, in Lincoln. The victory over ninth-ranked Michigan State improved the Huskers season record to 14 wins and no losses. It’s the best start since the University of Nebraska fielded a basketball team in 1897.
Does the go big red-hot beginning mean the Huskers will not only qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but win their first Big Dance game in program history?
Many NU fans are ready to shout, “You Betcha!”
Wait, that’s a phrase used with basketball’s other gender.
And that’s a column for another day.