Nebraska basketball did not make a ton of offseason headlines, but they are quietly setting up to be another potential NCAA Tournament team.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Nebraska basketball.
Nebraska was certainly not a bad team last year, but they fell victim to a loaded conference schedule. A strong 10-1 non-conference slate – with just one close loss to a good Saint Mary’s team – was overridden by the grind of the Big Ten.
Still, a second consecutive 20 win season is a milestone at a school like Nebraska. With three of their top six in minutes played back on the roster, reinforcements from the transfer portal, and a standout big returning from injury, the Cornhuskers are prepared to take a step forward in 2025-26.
Nebraska is shaping up to be a solid program under Hoiberg, one that will not consistently compete for Big Ten titles, but one that bracketologists will have on their radars in most years.
Head coach: Fred Hoiberg (12th season overall, 7th at Nebraska)
2024-25 record: 21-14 (7-13)
2025 postseason finish: College Basketball Crown (CBC) champions
Notable departures:
- Brice Williams (20.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG)
- Juwan Gary (14.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.2 SPG)
- Rollie Worster (7.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Oklahoma (Nov. 15) – Sioux Falls, S.D.
- vs. New Mexico (Nov. 20) – Hall of Fame Classic
- vs. Kansas State OR Mississippi State (Nov. 21) – Hall of Fame Classic
- vs. Creighton (Dec. 7)
Projected Rotation
PG: Jamarques Lawrence (6-3, 185, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 7.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 39.1 3P% (Rhode Island)
SG: Kendall Blue (6-6, 190, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 51.0 FG%, 41.7 3P% (St. Thomas)
SF: Pryce Sandfort (6-6, 205, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 8.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 40.0 3P% (Iowa)
PF: Berke Buyuktuncel (6-9, 245, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 6.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.4 APG
C: Rienk Mast (6-9, 240, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25: Did not play (injury)
2023-24 stats: 12.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 APG
6: Connor Essegian (6-4, 185, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 10.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 37.7 3P%
7: Sam Hoiberg (6-0, 183, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 3.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG
8: Ugnius Jarusevicius (6-10, 220, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 16.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 0.6 APG, 53.7 FG% (Central Michigan)
9: Jared Garcia (6-9, 240, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 9.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.9 APG (Tulsa)
10: Braden Frager (6-7, 220, Rs.-Fr.)
2024-25: Did not play (redshirt)
Nebraska Basketball team MVP: Reink Mast
A native of the Netherlands, the 24-year-old big man has played lots of competitive basketball over the years, from FIBA as a teenager, to five years of experience at the D1 college level.
Mast embarked on his collegiate journey at Bradley, where he earned all-Freshman Missouri Valley and third-team all-MVC honors in his respective seasons on the court. He transferred over to Nebraska in 2023, and started all 32 games the following season, before a knee injury sidelined him for the entirety of 2024-25.
In his final year of eligibility, Mast looks to be the center piece of the offense and perhaps pick up on the production that Brice Williams and Juwan Gary are no longer around to bring. The good news is that he fits everything Fred Hoiberg is trying to do to a tee.
The 6-9, 240-pounder is an exceptional passer, who can both make things happen in the post, or facilitate from the top of the key. Mast – a career 33.4% three-point shooter on 3.1 attempts per game – also has a perimeter shot that defenses are forced to acknowledge. 14 to 16 points per game with a physical presence on the defensive interior is to be expected from Mast this upcoming season.
Nebraska Basketball make-or-break player: Jamarques Lawrence
Lawrence is one of those “boomerang” transfers, someone who started at Nebraska, spent a year at URI, and is now back in Lincoln. Lawrence is a career seven to ten point per game scorer with a good-pull up jumper. That will suffice, but outside of scoring, Lawrence will be asked to do more on this offense.
The Cornhuskers are lacking true point guards who can put the ball on the deck and attack the rim in this ball screen heavy offense. At the very least, Lawrence needs to be dynamic enough to deter some of the attention from the sharp shooters around him. Otherwise, there is a clear area of this Nebraska roster that opponents will exploit.
Key analytics: Shooting proximity (Haslametrics)
Shooting proximity measures how far from the hoop a team attempts their field goals on average. A shooting proximity of 1 would mean that they take all layups, while 3 would indicate a full shot diet of three-pointers.
Nebraska’s shooting proximity in 2024-25 was 2.14, which ranked at the top of the Big Ten and 14th in the nation. Outside shooting will be the clear identity of Nebraska basketball once again, and they are capable of succeeding that way. In a league that ranked 23rd out of 31 in overall three point attempt rate, Nebraska certainly stands out among the rest of the pack.
Nebraska Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish: 14th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Exit