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Rienk Mast to undergo knee surgery

The Dutch forward will medically redshirt the 2024-25 season

Kaleb Henry

Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska men’s basketball will be without a returning starter for the upcoming season.

Forward Rienk Mast announced on social media Thursday that he will undergo knee surgery. The procedure will cause him to miss the 2024-25 season, though he will use a medical redshirt to preserve his final season of eligibility.

“As some people know, I played most of last season with a knee that wasn’t completely healthy,” Mast said. “Over these past couple weeks, I’ve spoken with multiple doctors about what we can do to get my knee healthy for the rest of my playing career and hopefully life.

“These have been some difficult conversations, but the best way forward for me is to undergo surgery.”

Mast, a native of Groningen, Netherlands, earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the media this past season. He averaged 12.3 points per game while leading the Big Red in rebounds (7.5 per game) and assists (3.0 per game).

“Rienk has put a lot of thought into this decision and worked closely with our medical staff in looking at all of the options to get his knee healthy,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He has been in contact with our staff throughout this process, and we are in agreement that this is Rienk’s best long-term option for his basketball career.

“Although he will not be on the court next season, Rienk will have a different role, one where we can take advantage of his experience and leadership skills. We know that Rienk will be diligent in his rehab and will do everything he can to return to full health.”

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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