Abdelmassih, Hoiberg form unusual bond while building successful partnership

Nebraska assistant basketball coach Matt Abdelmassih has a long history with head coach Fred Hoiberg. They're friends, but their personalities are "completely opposite," Abdelmassih says.On the surface it sure looks like an odd pairing. Fred Hoiberg, the former NBA player, college superstar, former coach of the Chicago Bulls, for Pete's sake, and now the new face of Nebraska basketball. And the man who has essentially been his shadow for the past two weeks or so since he's been in Lincoln, Matt Abdelmassih.

"When you’re not a former player, your last name doesn’t point towards basketball royalty," Abdelmassih said.

But the two make a perfect match. They first met when both were a part of the…