Nebraska Basketball Outside Top 50 in Preseason KenPom Rankings

The Nebraska men's basketball team debuted in the initial preseason Kenpom rankings at No. 56 nationally, and was rated the 13th best-team in the Big Ten Conference.

Both Red and White teams meet at center court at the end of the scrimmage. / Amarillo Mullen

Nebraska basketball will have plenty of bulletin board material heading into the 2024-25 season.

The latest KenPom preseason rankings released Sunday have the Husker men's basketball program as the No. 56 overall team nationally. Nebraska received a slight bump from last year's preseason start at No. 58 in the KenPom evaluations. The KenPom rankings also have the Big Red as the 13th best team in the Big Ten Conference.

The Huskers were also listed as one of the first teams out in ESPN's early bracketology rankings. Nebraska finished last season 23-11 with a solid 12-8 record in Big Ten Conference play and made it to an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in a decade, but still aim to win their first tournament contest in school history.

The KenPom preseason forecast projects Nebraska finishing 16-13 overall and 9-11 in Big Ten play. The Huskers are also predicted to fall in each of their road games this season by the ranking site with a 1-12 record away from Lincoln. The lone victory KenPom predicts outside of Pinnacle Bank Arena is the Dec. 22 matchup against Murray State.

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg gives direction during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies in the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The highest-rated team by KenPom is Houston, followed by Duke, Auburn, Alabama and defending national champion UConn. The highest-rated Big Ten team is No. 10 Purdue, followed by No. 23 Illinois. UCLA, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland, and Indiana are all rated inside the top 40. Nebraska remains behind Wisconsin (No. 46), and Northwestern (No. 50), but ahead of USC, Minnesota, Penn State, Rutgers and Washington. The Huskies are the Big Ten's lowest-rated team at No. 75.

KenPom is not a college basketball poll, but instead a measurement of teams based on efficiency.

Nebraska completed its preseason Red-White scrimmage Sunday as the Red team downed the White 66-50 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Although the Huskers began their season at their former home, the team was very solid at Pinnacle Bank Arena last year. NU was 18-1 at home and had two top-ten upsets. KenPom predicts a similar home court advantage, having the Huskers going 15-1 at PBA.

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) drives to the basket as Texas A&M Aggies forward Henry Coleman III (15) defends during the second half in the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Last season, the Huskers were propelled by the elite scoring threat of Keisei Tominaga, who has exhausted his eligibility. Despite the successful season, Nebraska had to reload over the summer due to several transfers and injuries. Ramel Lloyd Jr., Eli Rice, Blaise Keita, Matar Diop, CJ Wilcher and Jamarques Lawerence all transferred out of Lincoln while Rienk Mast announced in May he would miss all of the 2024-25 season due to an injury and recovery.

Nebraska did add key pieces in North Dakota State forward Andrew Morgan, Utah guard Rollie Worster, Rutgers forward Gavin Griffiths, Washington center Braxton Meah and Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian, who all had key roles and experience arriving from differing programs. Likewise, NU returns Brice Williams who averaged 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game a year ago.

The Big Red return two other starters as well, including Juwan Gary. Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg returns as well.

Last week the Huskers released their television designations and start times for the upcoming season. All 31 regular-season games for the Big Red will be available for national audiences on television or through a streaming service. Nebraska opens its year with an exhibition matchup against Grand Valley State at 1 p.m. CDT on Sunday, Oct. 27. The regular season begins eight days later against Texas Rio Grande Valley at PBA.

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