Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Nebraska Cornhuskers

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation series, we’ll break down the roster changes and outlook for all 18 Big Ten basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season. Next up is Nebraska, which is coming off its best season in years.

Jack Ankony | Jul 17, 2024

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg walks onto the court before the game against the South Carolina State Bulldogs at Pinnacle Bank Arena. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

After four seasons near the bottom of the Big Ten, coach Fred Hoiberg broke through with Nebraska in 2023-24 with its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 and most wins since 1991.

The Cornhuskers lost several key pieces from that team, but Hoiberg did well in the transfer portal to keep them competitive entering his sixth season.

Here’s a full breakdown of Nebraska’s offseason, plus its outlook for next year.

Who they lost

Transfers: C.J. Wilcher (7.7 ppg, Texas A&M), Jamarques Lawrence (6.9 ppg, Rhode Island), Eli Rice (4.2 ppg, Penn State), Matar Diop (Loyola Marymount), Blaise Keita (2.0 ppg in 2022-23, Western Kentucky), Ramel Lloyd Jr. (Long Beach State)
NBA/graduation: Keisei Tominaga (15.1 ppg), Josiah Allick (7.3 ppg), Jarron Coleman (2.4 ppg)

Who they gained

Transfers: Andrew Morgan (12.9 ppg, North Dakota State), Rollie Worster (9.9 ppg, Utah), Gavin Griffiths (5.8 ppg, Rutgers), Braxton Meah (5.3 ppg, Washington), Berke Buyuktuncel (4.5 ppg, UCLA), Connor Essegian (3.2 ppg, Wisconsin)
Freshmen: Nick Janowski (No. 132 in 247Sports Composite), Braden Frager (No. 182)

Returning

Brice Williams (13.4 ppg), Rienk Mast (12.3 ppg, out for 2024-25 season with injury), Juwan Gary (11.6 ppg), Ahron Ulis (6.1 ppg in 2022-23 at Iowa), Sam Hoiberg (3.4 ppg)

Reasons for optimism

Brice Williams made a seamless transition from Charlotte to Nebraska last season and became one of the Big Ten’s most underrated players. The 6-foot-7 guard returns for his fifth season of college basketball after averaging 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 38.8% from 3-point range. He’s certainly in the mix for an All-Big Ten selection, something he just missed out on last season. Juwan Gary is back for his sixth-year senior season, too, giving Nebraska a strong wing defender and veteran presence.

Nebraska will be heavily reliant upon transfers next season, especially in the backcourt. Hoiberg added Utah transfer Rollie Worster, Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian and Rutgers transfer Gavin Griffiths, who should compete for starting roles. Worster brings three seasons of starting experience in the Pac-12, but he’s just a career 29% 3-point shooter.

Though he took a step back as a sophomore, Essegian was a Big Ten All-Freshman selection and boosts Nebraska’s 3-point shooting. Griffiths was heralded as a strong 3-point shooter as a top-50 recruit out of high school, and Nebraska will need him to improve on his 28.2% rate as a freshman at Rutgers. Ahron Ulis didn’t play in 2023-24 due to a gambling suspension, but he started 27 games for Iowa in 2022-23 and looks to bounce back with the Cornhuskers.

Biggest concerns

Despite Hoiberg’s intriguing backcourt additions through the transfer portal, it will still be a challenge to replace guards Keisei Tominaga, C.J. Wilcher and Jamarques Lawrence. They each shot above 35% from 3-point range last season. Tominaga had eight 20-plus point games and often made highly contested shots few players make.

Additionally, Rienk Mast’s injury makes it unlikely Nebraska will be near the top of the Big Ten standings. The 6-foot-10 forward underwent offseason knee surgery and will miss the entire 2024-25 season, the program announced in May. Last season, Mast made the All-Big Ten third team and averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was a focal point of the offense, leaving a significant role to fill.

To help fill the interior void without Mast, Hoiberg added Washington transfer Braxton Meah and North Dakota State transfer Andrew Morgan. The 7-foot-1 Meah made the Pac-12 All-Defensive team in 2022-23, but he’s not the same kind of offensive threat as Mast. Morgan averaged 12.9 points per game last season and can hit an occasional 3-point shot, but the impact of losing Mast can’t be overstated.

Nebraska will hope that 6-foot-9 transfer Berke Buyuktuncel, the 36th-ranked recruit in 2023, is ready to step up after struggling for most of his freshman season at UCLA. Hoiberg could opt to play three guards, Gary and a center to take pressure off the frontcourt, but that could be a problem against physically imposing Big Ten teams.

The bottom line

Coming off a historic 2023-24 season, Nebraska will likely take a step back next season. Hoiberg has a lot to replace with Tominaga, Wilcher, Lawrence and Josiah Allick leaving the program and Mast suffering a season-ending injury. But the return of Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, plus several immediate-impact transfers, should keep the Huskers near the middle of the 18-team Big Ten and on the NCAA Tournament bubble.