Nebraska Basketball, despite graduating top scorer and losing a lot to the portal, looks to make back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since 1994.
Nebraska basketball enters this year with a lot of new faces. Keisei Tominaga and Josiah Allick both graduated and a lot of the Huskers’ premiere rotation transferred out. Still, Fred Hoiberg kept with the times and hit the portal hard himself. Bringing in just two freshmen, Nebraska is studded with a fresh lineup filled with experience from all over the NCAA.
An exciting returner to watch will be Brice Williams, but Sam Hoiberg and Juwan Gary will be interesting pieces as well. Rienk Mast will miss the 2024-25 season due to injury, which is a huge blow for Nebraska.
The Huskers made the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in 10 seasons. They have made it just three times since 1994, and in school history, have only won one game in the tournament, that coming in 2014. Fred Hoiberg will take his squad this year and try to make the field once again for just the 10th time in school history.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg (10th season overall, fifth at Nebraska)
2023-24 Record: 23-11 (12-8)
2024 Postseason Finish: Lost to Texas A&M (98-83) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
Notable Departures:
- Keisei Tominaga (15.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG)
- CJ Wilcher (7.7 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.8 APG)
- Jamarques Lawerence (6.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG)
- Josiah Allick (7.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.3 APG)
- Eli Rice (4.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.4 APG)
- Blaise Keita (2.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.5 APG)
Notable Non-Conference Games:
- vs. St. Mary’s (Nov. 17)
- at Creighton (Nov. 22)
- Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22-25)
Projected Rotation:
PG: Rollie Worster (6-4, 204, Sr.)
2023-24 Stats: 9.9 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG (Utah)
PF: Connor Essegian (6-4, 195, Jr.)
2023-24 Stats: 3.2 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.2 APG (Wisconsin)
SF: Brice Williams (6-7, 213, Sr.)
2023-24 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 44.4 FG%
PF: Juwan Gary (6-6, 221, Jr.)
2022-23 Stats: 11.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 SPG
C: Andrew Morgan (6-10, 245, Sr.)
2023-24 Stats: 12.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 55.6 FG% (North Dakota State)
6: Ahron Ulis (6-6, 215, Gr.-Sr.)
*Missed 2023-24 season*
2022-23 Stats: 6.1 PPG, 2.1 APG, 1.6 RPG (Iowa)
7: Sam Hoiberg (6-0, 183, Jr.)
2023-24 Stats: 3.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.7 APG
8. Nick Janowski ( Fr.)
247Sports Composite #136 ranked recruit
9: Braxton Meah (7-1, 250, Sr.)
2023-24 Stats: 5.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.3 APG (Washington)
10: Gavin Griffiths (6-8, 193, S0.)
2023-24 Stats: 5.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.6 APG (Rutgers)
11: Berke Buyuktuncel (6-9, 245, So.)
2023-24 Stats: 4.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.4 APG, 38.5 FG% (UCLA)
Nebraska Basketball Team MVP: Brice Williams
Williams is Nebraska’s highest returning scorer, finishing just behind Tominaga for the team lead a season ago. Williams is a fascinating prospect, as he is a lengthy ball handler who can play any position on the wing as well as handle the ball and distribute. He also has a knack for cleaning to the glass, averaging 5.5 boards last campaign.
Williams will not torch teams from beyond the arc, but the 6’7 guard has the ability to knock shots down, shooting just above 38% from three last year. His game, however, is getting to the rim. He is a strong and creative finisher, as well as has the ability to find an open teammate if the defense collapses. Williams is a quick, lengthy, and strong guard, which poses matchup nightmares for Huskers opponents. He will be Fred Hoibergs go-to guy, and should have quite the career after he graduates this spring.
Nebraska Basketball Make-or-Break Player: Ahron Ulis
Ulis will be an interesting story to follow this season. The Iowa transfer sat out last season and will have one year of eligibility left with the Huskers. We have him projected as the sixth man, but he could easily start at point guard, moving Utah transfer Rollie Worster off the bench. Nonetheless, Ulis has an uber-important role this upcoming year.
In his last season at Iowa, the point guard averaged just 22.5 minutes as the starting point guard and was not relied on as a top offensive threat. He averaged 6.1 points and 2.1 assists, but at 23 minutes a game, if his usage increases in Lincoln, these numbers could take a serious jump. Whether starting or first guy off the bench, Nebraska needs Ulis to provide steady scoring and leadership to guide an otherwise new team.
Key Analytic: 3PT %
At 35.8% last season, Nebraska did not shoot poorly by any means. However, with departures from Allick, Tominaga, and Witcher, as well as the season-ending surgery to Rienk Mast, Brice Williams is the only returning player who shot over 31% from beyond the arc.
Nebraska basketball has a lot of strong finishers at the rim, so shooting the three will not be the end-all be-all for the Huskers. However, shooting from three is an integral part of the game now, and if they cannot show that they are dangerous shooters, the defenses will be clogging the paint, taking the rim away completely.
Nebraska basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected Conference Finish: 11th in the Big Ten
Projected Postseason Ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Exit