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For Sam Griesel, first Nebraska-Creighton rivalry a lifelong dream

Robin Washut profile picby:Robin Washut•12/03/22•

RobinWashut

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(Photo: Nebraska Athletics)

Sam Griesel has never played in the Nebraska-Creighton rivalry. But he’ll probably understand the game’s significance as much as anyone inside CHI Health Center Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Lincoln native grew up cheering for Husker basketball. That means he’s been watching NU take on CU for as long as he can remember. 

“That’s probably an understatement,” Griesel answered when asked if he followed the series as a kid. “But, yes. Short answer, yes.”

“Obviously this has been circled on my mental schedule for a while now,” he continued. “But as we’ve gotten closer to it, I think it’s important for me and our team to realize that we can’t let the moment get too big for us. It’s just a basketball game at the end of the day.”

The senior point guard is no stranger to facing the Bluejays. Griesel played CU in Omaha in 2020 when he was a junior at North Dakota State. He would have taken them on again last season, but a scary health issue forced him to watch the rematch from his couch at home.

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Hoiberg knows importance of instate rivalries to local players

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg knows exactly what Griesel is feeling going into Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. CT tip. A native of Ames, Iowa, Hoiberg played four games with Iowa State in the heated instate rivalry with Iowa.

He went 3-1 against the Hawkeyes as a player and then 5-2 as the head coach at ISU.

“It was always a little something extra with that game,” Hoiberg said. “I tried to talk with my teammates that were from different parts of the country, different parts of the world, about the importance of that game. 

“But you can’t let it change the way you play just because of all the hype that surrounds this game.”

Griesel vs. Scheierman: Round 8

Creighton also has a player who is likely going through similar emotions as Griesel. South Dakota State transfer and Aurora, Nebraska, native Baylor Scheierman will also make his NU-CU debut on Sunday.

Griesel and Scheiemer have plenty of their own history against each other, as the two faced off seven times as Summit League rivals. Scheierman and the Jackrabbits won five of those seven meetings, but each matchup was decided by six points or less.

“It’s a cool story for us,” Griesel said. “Obviously, we came from two different universities, and now, being Nebraska kids …  it’ll be a cool moment for both of us.”

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