Mack, Burke suspended indefinitely for violations of team rules

The worst season in program history hit a new low on Saturday, as Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg announced that sophomore point guard Cam Mack and junior guard Dachon Burke had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

“This first year there’s been a lot of challenges, and I’ve had to make some tough decisions,” Hoiberg said in a conference call with local media. “But every decision that has been made has been made in the best interest of this program. We’ve tried to set a culture of accountability, and when a rule is violated, we’re forced to take action."

Hoiberg said he wasn’t able to speak on the long-term status of Mack and Burke with the NU program at this point. Both players were on their way back to Lincoln from Minnesota at the time of the interview.

The Huskers will wrap up the regular season at Minnesota on Sunday before next week's Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

Mack's season has been a mixture of exciting displays of talent and potential on the court, along with frustrating mistakes off of it. He had already been disciplined four previous times over the course of the season.

The most recent instance was being suspended for NU’s road game at Michigan on Thursday. Mack did not travel with the team to Ann Arbor, and then reports surfaced on Friday that he had been involved in a hit-and-run and fled the scene of an accident.

Mack had 28 appearances, including 25 starts, for the Huskers this season and averaged 12.0 points, 6.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

This was the first disciplinary action against Burke, who had played in 29 games with 27 starts and averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.

Hoiberg did not hide his frustration over the latest developments, as they served as the most recent of a series of issues he and his staff had had to deal with this season.

“I mean, there is frustration,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve been supported so well by our fans all season, and we want to put a product out on the floor that our fans can be proud of. But with every decision that has been made, it’s been in the best interest of our program, and I have to stick to that, as difficult as these decisions are.

“But we’re trying to create a culture here that can breed long-term success. And if there’s some pain in the short-term to help with the long-term, then those are things that have to happen.”

Hoiberg said he would hold individual meetings after the conclusion of the season, which would provide more clarity about what the future might hold with the current roster.

“Yeah, there’s going to be a lot of things to discuss,” Hoiberg said.

While his first season in Lincoln has been nothing like he had hoped, Hoiberg remained optimistic about what he has been building with the Huskers.

The introduction of sit-out transfers Dalano Banton, Shamiel Stevenson, and Derrick Walker; junior college transfers Teddy Allen and Lat Mayen; and whatever else Nebraska might add to its 2020 recruiting class should give next season a completely different look.

In the meantime, Hoiberg is showing that establishing a culture of responsibility and accountability will always take precedent over on-court success.

“I’m very excited about our future,” Hoiberg said. “I’m very optimistic about getting things turned around quickly, and sometimes it takes some painful moments to get there. But this was a decision that I had to make and felt was the right thing for the team and was the right thing for our future.”