Hoibergs Expecting Fun, Emotional Night

Fred Hoiberg can offer a solid scouting report on at least one Michigan State basketball player.
 
That would be his son, sophomore guard Jack Hoiberg.
 
"He's quick," Fred Hoiberg said. "He's got his dad's quickness, his mom's ability to shoot, so he's a pretty complete player."
 
That tongue-in-cheek comment might not seem so funny if Jack Hoiberg, a walk-on guard, would play in Thursday night's game between Nebraska and Michigan State at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
 
"Now that," Fred Hoiberg said, "will be weird."
 
Otherwise, the Nebraska head coach isn't sure how he'll react when he sees his son suited for the opposing team.
 
"I honestly don't know," he said. "I've never experienced anything like this. I don't think many people have."
 
Jack, the second-oldest of Fred and his wife's Carol four children, has played in 12 games for Michigan State, for a season total of 35 minutes. He was a freshman on last year's team that advanced to the Final Four, a trip that began with his father interacting with and following the Spartans, and ended with Fred becoming Nebraska's head coach.
 
Yes, the conversation of son possibly joining father in Lincoln occurred, but Jack felt connected with his teammates and veteran coach Tom Izzo, and he didn't want to give up on something he'd started.
 
His father agreed.
 
"I told Jack to follow his heart," Fred Hoiberg said. "He's put so much work into that Michigan State program, and for him, I think going into this he thought he might have an opportunity to get out there some. To play on the preseason No. 1 team in the country, to stay a part of that, I think was very important for him."
 
Plus, the coach understands how invested walk-ons are to their scout team roles, and the amount of time they spend to make a difference for the team while bettering themselves.
 
"Jack puts a lot of pride into that, pushing Cassius (Winston)," Fred Hoiberg said. "He'll send me his film clips. He was Carson Edwards last year and he was just going off. It was so much fun to see. He's a big part of that thing, and I know Izzo really appreciates what Jack brings to the program, and those players do as well."
 
Fred Hoiberg got an inside look to his son's contributions and to the Michigan State program in general later last season, when Izzo allowed him to access to practices and meetings.
 
"It was a fun thing to be able to spend time not with just the coaches but also spend time with Jack and the family," Fred Hoiberg said.
 
"I think the world of Coach Izzo for everything he's accomplished and the type of person he his, first and foremost, how down to earth he is. It was so fun to be a part of that journey they had last year to the Final Four, winning both Big Ten championships, regular season and conference tournament. That game against Duke was one of the greatest college basketball games I've ever seen."
 
Fred Hoiberg and Izzo remain in touch, texting each other periodically throughout the season. No phone calls, though. With nearly one exception.
 
"I tried to call into Izzo's radio show the other night but they didn't answer," Fred Hoiberg said. "I was going to be Bob from Saginaw and have a good question for him."
 
He didn't say what the question would be, but a popular one about the Spartans these days is, frankly, what's wrong? Michigan State (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten Conference) was the preseason No. 1 team in the nation but has lost four of its last five games.
 
Fred Hoiberg's answer? Nothing.
 
"It's an unbelievably talented team that I think will be there right at the end," he said. "They're too talented. When you look at Coach Izzo's teams, they have these little setbacks during the season. I think he likes it. I think he likes the adversity that they have to handle, and generally they right the ship heading into tournament time."
 
The Spartans' last four losses have come by one point, five points, nine points and seven points, two to ranked teams. The lone victory in their current funk was by one point, at Illinois, ranked at the time.
 
"That's this league. It's such a grind," Fred Hoiberg said. "Every time you step on the floor, you're going to be in a battle. There's so many good teams, and that's a couple of those losses that they had. They're still, in my mind, a team that's going to have an opportunity to win a national championship."
 
He knows, given his interaction with the Spartans during last year's Final Four run.
 
Jack Hoiberg, a popular interview request this week in East Lansing, joked with reporters that anything his father learned last season that he could use to Nebraska's advantage could be countered by Jack's knowledge of his father's ways. He's watched as many Nebraska games this year as possible.
 
"I think he knew this year wouldn't be the greatest year in terms of wins or anything, but they've definitely had flashes of the way that my dad wants to play," Jack Hoiberg said. "I'm excited to see how they do in the future."
 
Like his father, Jack isn't certain how he'll feel come game time.
 
"It's definitely weird," Jack said. "Can't say I've ever experienced anything like it. I'll be able to tell you more about it after the game. But, yeah, just gonna be a different thing, for sure. A lot of emotions, but it'll be fun, too."
 
And what team will other members of the Hoiberg family support Thursday night?
 
"I don't know. That's a good question," Fred Hoiberg said. "I think Carol's pretty torn about what she's going to wear. The twins better wear red. My parents, I'm sure one will wear green and one will wear red."
 
Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.