Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.
Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon
Today: Nebraska (21-14 overall in 2024-25, 7-13 in Big Ten play)
Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers were an interesting bunch last year. They went 14-1 outside of Big Ten play. Nebraska toppled four teams ranked at the time of the matchup. They also ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak that made the Cornhuskers the sole 7-13 team to be eliminated from a Big Ten tournament appearance. To top it all off, Nebraska won the inaugural College Basketball Crown.
Nebraska’s roster movement
Players returning with eligibility: Connor Essegian, Rienk Mast, Berke Buyuktuncel, Sam Hoiberg, Braden Frager, Cale Jacobsen (walk-on)
Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Brice Williams, Juwan Gary, Ahron Ulis, Rollie Worster, Andrew Morgan, Braxton Meah
Players departing via transfer portal: Gavin Griffiths (to Temple), Nick Janowski (to St. Thomas)
Players arriving via transfer portal: Pryce Sandfort (from Iowa), Ugnius Jarusevicius (from Central Michigan), Jamarques Lawrence (from Rhode Island), Will Cooper (from Air Force), Kendall Blue (from St. Thomas), Jared Garcia (from Tulsa)
Players arriving from high school: Leo Curtis (247sports Composite top 100), Quentin Rhymes
Nebraska loses a significant amount of continuity and production, including four of its five leading scorers from the previous season. To try to account for it, Hoiberg brings in a two-man high school class ranked inside the 247Sports Composite top 50 and six transfers – headlined by intraconference addition Pryce Sandfort – that ranks inside the top 65. The key returnees are Essegian and Mast, the latter of whom missed and medically redshirted last season after knee surgery. All scholarships have been filled.
What to like about Nebraska
There are shooters galore in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers roster seven players who have shot 35 percent or higher from long distance at least one season in their careers – six did so last year. Hoiberg’s coached some teams who have hoisted threes at will – the 2023-24 squad attempted nearly 900 – and this team could replicate that volume at a high percentage.
This team should have decent depth. The incoming transfers are primarily merited on production, not potential. The roster is also well-configured. There are reliable rotational pieces for guards, wings and bigs.
Sandfort could be a breakout player in the conference. He took a huge leap in volume and efficiency in his sophomore season last year and should thrive in Hoiberg’s offensive system. There were certainly flashes of the player he can be, now he has to put it together in a larger role.
What to question with Nebraska
Nebraska lacks a true facilitator. Guys like Lawrence, Hoiberg and Blue have serviceable assist numbers, but the assist-to-turnover ratios aren’t too desirable. Someone is going to need to step up and run the show offensively, but it isn’t apparent who that will be.
This roster is on the lower end of the talent spectrum relative to the Big Ten. There’s no genuine go-to guy, either. They’ll be balanced, which is primarily a positive, but who gets the ball with the game on the line?
I’d bet more on this squad’s offensive firepower than its defensive capabilities. Hoiberg’s teams tend to be middle of the pack defensively in the conference, and this team is likely more of the same.
Nebraska’s outlook for the 2025-26 season
Home: Maryland, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Washington
Away: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern
Nebraska currently projects as Bart Torvik’s No. 12 Big Ten team and inside the top 40 nationally. Last year, the Cornhuskers were 57th nationally and 13th in the league.
One of the more unpredictable teams, Nebraska will be polarizing this upcoming season. Their play style will result in streaky play, and ultimately, the results will depend on how well the Cornhuskers shoot the ball from deep.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: 2025-26 Big Ten preview, Nebraska Cornhuskers
