Last Year: 16-16; Eleventh (9-11) in the Big 10 Conference, No Postseason
Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg (Fifth Year; 40-83 at Nebraska with no NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Jarron Coleman – 6’5″, 213 – Senior (5th) |
| SG Keisei Tominaga – 6’2″, 179 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Brice Williams – 6’7″, 213 – Senior |
| PF Juwan Gary – 6’6″, 221 – Senior |
| C Rienk Mast – 6’10”, 248 – Senior |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Jarron Coleman: 14.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 spg – 35.2% 3FG @ Ball State
Keisei Tominaga: 13.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.6 spg – 50.3% FG, 40.0% 3FG
Brice Williams: 13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.6 spg – 39.7% 3FG @ Charlotte
Juwan Gary: 9.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 spg, 0.5 bpg – 43.5% FG
Rienk Mast: 13.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.5 bpg – 51.8% FG @ Bradley
Experienced Reserves
| W CJ Wilcher – 6’5″, 214 – Junior |
| F Josiah Allick – 6’8″, 231 – Senior (5th) |
| G Jamarques Lawrence – 6’3″, 183 – Sophomore |
| F/C Blaise Keita – 6’11”, 257 – Junior |
| G Sam Hoiberg – 6’0″, 183 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
CJ Wilcher: 8.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.6 apg – 39.9% FG
Josiah Allick: 8.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.8 bpg – 55.7% FG @ New Mexico
Jamarques Lawrence: 5.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.4 spg – 40.7% FG
Blaise Keita: 2.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.2 bpg – 51.4% FG
Sam Hoiberg: 4.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.6 spg – 40.9% 3FG
Freshmen
| G Ramel Lloyd, Jr – 6’6″, 210 – Redshirt Freshman |
| W Eli Rice – 6’8″, 213 – Freshman |
| F Matar Diop – 6’10”, 213 – Freshman |
Nebrasketball 2022-23 was, at times, quite a harrowing adventure. It was also a journey of discovery. Most of the season was difficult, and the good moments only seemed to come through after white-knuckle tension. Yet it was one of those strangely successful seasons which some teams have from time to time, when, after a period of struggle, there are enough consistent glimmers of real potential that it sort of makes a .500 record seem like a true accomplishment.
Such was the weird and wild ride upon which head coach Fred Hoiberg and his merry men from Lincoln led their fans last year. Now, they’re looking to deliver on the potential which they showed in the new year over the course of an entire season. Nebraska has only finished with a winning record twice since Tim Miles took the Huskers to exhilarating heights in 2013-14, and the folks around Lincoln would really appreciate some more of that already decade-old fun. Led by a pair of foreign-born phenoms, the Cornhuskers have some burgeoning star power, and Hoiberg has scoured the country for upgrades from the Transfer Portal.
What appears to be both a more cohesive plan and rotation each have Huskers fans looking forward to this team. It’s been a bit of a chaotic offseason, but they feel like this group has genuine potential to contend for an NCAA bid. And with Hoiberg – one of the sport’s occasional magicians – stalking the sidelines, who knows what may eventuate?
The legend of Keisei Tominaga began in Lincoln two years ago, and this year, after a summer spent with Japan’s national team, the ketsu shall be written. Once, he was a largely unheralded junior college newcomer who was too small to play the 2-guard spot. In his first season with the Huskers, Tominaga scored in double figures seven times, but he didn’t really make a consistent impact which might have hinted at what was coming. Last winter, though, he started hitting triples in clusters. Then, he did it in back-to-back games. Then, in January, he did it in four straight games. And from New Year’s Eve till season’s close, Tominaga cranked it up to a whole different level. He scored double figures in ten straight, exploding to average a whopping 19.4 points on better than 45% shooting from deep to finish the run – and provide hope that he is the sort of potential all-conference star to lead Hoiberg’s squad to new kinds of success.
While not a classic lead guard, Tominaga is a master at moving without the ball, and at using dekes and fakes after the catch to free up space to get himself a good look. He also has one of the quickest triggers on the Northern Plains. Tominaga pushes the ball well when bringing it up or in transition, going hard towards his defender to then stop and pop from outside. With his tremendous range now well known, Tominaga should be able to use his dribble more often to work into the lane, where he has a solid floater to keep defenses honest. Tominaga made 71.6% of his looks near the rack last season – extraordinary efficiency for a player of his size, and it came on a legit sample of 80+ attempts, per Bart Torvik. Tominaga was similarly excellent in posting a 50.0% mark on all other 2FG’s, and he knocked down the tenth-most triples in the Big Ten. A fan of NBA superstar Steph Curry, Tominaga even has one of his hero’s signature moves down. In the midst of his white-hot finish to the season last year, Tominaga hit a look-away triple at Michigan State which lit up social media. Hoiberg has spoken of his desire to run Golden State-like offensive sets in an attempt to free up Tominaga to let fly, much like Curry’s team does in the NBA. Though he doesn’t call too much attention to himself vocally, Tominaga plays the game with tremendous confidence. This summer as Team Japan qualified for the 2024 Olympics, Tominaga helped his home country to their most wins ever in an individual FIBA World Cup. Tominaga averaged 11.4 points on 37.5% shooting from the land of trey for the tournament, and hopes to carry the additional momentum forward into his last year of college basketball.
In addition to ranking third (16.7%) in the Valley in total rebounding rate, Mast finished second on his Bradley team in assist rate (18.3%)
New to Lincoln is Rienk Mast, the most prominent of Hoiberg’s veteran transfer additions. A two-time All-Missouri Valley selection while at Bradley, Mast is a reliable, versatile post scorer who has spent the last two years as his team’s go-to guy. The Dutch big man posted nine double-doubles last year while leading Bradley to a MVC regular season title, and he has proven capable of scoring both inside and out. As a freshman, Mast took nearly half of his shots from behind the three point arc. Now, three years later, Mast has developed nearly a full repertoire of shots, both inside the lane and ranging out to the wing. A 65% career shooter utilizing his patience and great footwork around the rim, Mast showed more to his game last season. He’s got a very reliable right hook shot, and when made to go left last year, Mask showed that he’s developed a nice turnaround jumper out to at least 15 feet. So effective is his host of moves and shot types in & around the painted area that Mast rattled home 53.1% on his 143 mid-range attempts last season. That mark gave Mast the seventh-best percentage of any player in America who attempted at least 100 such shots, per Bart Torvik.
While Mast doesn’t play much above the rim, he’s solid below it, something which Hoiberg hopes to maximize. “He’s very keen on details,” Mast told the Lincoln Journal-Star of his first practices for Hoiberg this summer. “Shooting motion, sticking your shot, the footwork into it. I’m pretty big with the footwork aspect of things and he’s been really helpful with teaching me a couple things in that.” Mast hits the boards, too; he finished second in the MVC in rebounds last season, and ranked in the top ten of the MVC in offensive rebounds in each of his three seasons at Bradley. While Derrick Walker’s playmaking out of the post will be a tough act to follow, Mast is also a smart and crafty passer who has a great sense of where his teammates are even as he works with his back to half the court. In addition to ranking third (16.7%) in the Valley in total rebounding rate, Mast finished second on his Bradley team in assist rate (18.3%) last year. If Mast can translate his solid defense up to the Big Ten, Mast’s polished offensive approach will instantly make him one of Hoiberg’s most valuable players.
Juwan Gary manned the 4 spot most often for Nebraska last year, and did a very nice job up until he was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. Now, he’s back to show off even more of the skills which made him a 4-star recruit four years ago. Gary is a great rebounder and, with his explosiveness around the rim, plays bigger than his listed size. He can shoot it, as well, even out to the three point arc. Though he’s not yet been a particularly efficient jump shooter, Gary can pull his man away from the paint – an interesting proposition with Mast coming aboard. “If he’s on the outside, nobody’s in the paint, so it’s easier for me to get to the paint, to the lane, kick out (passes), stuff like that,” says sophomore guard Jamarques Lawrence of the change in playing with Mast. The quicker that Maat and Gary – who possesses some nimble feet, also – start clicking, the quicker Nebrasketball’s other players may find the halfcourt offense opening up like never before. When Gary is out there, he brings the team’s energy level up a notch, and he creates second chances and turnovers. He led the Huskers with 16 putback stabs last year, per Hoop-Math, despite missing 15 games; and in his 17 appearances, Gary managed to rack up 24 steals, a total which still ranked second on the team at season’s end. As of mid-August, Gary has still not been completely cleared to return to full action, but Hoiberg is pleased with his rehab. “Not full. He will not be cleared for contact for probably at least another month, but he’s doing pretty much everything,” the coach explained at a late summer press conference, as reported by Husker247. With a clean bill of health this fall, Nebraska will be getting an important two-way playmaker back in Gary.
Lincoln native Josiah Allick has come back to win with the home team in his final season. While he’s not expected to be a primary scorer in his extra year, Allick has proven that he can do a little bit of everything at his previous stops. Allick is a good rebounder and defender, and he’s become a better and cleaner passer lately, as well. Last year, at New Mexico, Allick spent a lot of time matched up against top interior scorers to try and keep some pressure off of Morris Udeze. Allick can score around the basket, and was highly efficient last year, shooting 70.3% up close and a solid 42.9% from mid-range, per Bart Torvik. He can make jump shots out to the three point arc; during his final two seasons at Kansas City, Allick hit 29 triples combined at a 36% rate. With the ability to spell Mast at the pivot or play beside him as more of a versatile co-forward, Allick can provide a good deal of depth and versatility to Hoiberg’s lineup.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 68.0 – Points Per Game (242nd) |
| 53.4% – Team 2FG Percentage (54th) |
| 64.1% – Team Free Throw Percentage (352nd) |
| 13.3 – Opponent Free Throw Attempts Per Game (6th) |
| 15.8 – Team Free Throw Attempts Per Game (308th) |
Hoping also to carve out a significant role up front is Blaise Keita. One of the highest-ranked JuCo recruits in the country a year ago, Keita injured and then re-injured his ankle last year, missing 11 games in all and never really getting comfortable when he was able to play. It’s looking like he will miss the start of this season, but should be back before the new year. When healthy, Keita is long and mobile, a guy who can snag an offensive rebound even when it takes a weird bounce – and stuff it back. Keita’s offensive game right now is mostly reliant on a cashing in feeds after a screen and working the offensive boards. If he can slow down his footwork some and play more deliberately with the ball in his hands, he’s got the length to provide Nebraska with lots of points which Hoiberg will hardly have to scheme for. He’s also the rim protector which the Huskers need, and if Keita can play 15+ solid minutes of post defense each game, Nebraska will be much better for his presence. Freshman Matar Diop offers some similar talents, and should be able to fill in for Keita early on. Prior to his prep career in Pennsylvania, Diop, who is from Senegal, played at the NBA Academy Africa, and brings some natural gifts that have Hoiberg excited. “Almost 6-10, with a 7-3 wingspan and a tremendous motor. So really excited about that addition to our roster,” Hoiberg enthused in describing Diop. “Just really brings us an element to this team with an element to protect the rim. Athleticism. Gives us a lob threat.”
Hoiberg’s primary contenders at the 3 spot are CJ Wilcher and former Charlotte transfer Brice Williams. The CBI Champion 49ers’ leading scorer last year, Williams is a highly efficient wing with Big Ten size and strength. Williams needed just under ten shots per game last year to average nearly 14 points, shooting 39.7% from deep and 84.3% at the foul stripe to help out a highly efficient stat line. For his career, Williams is a 39.5% shooter from the land of trey, and his stature makes it possible for Williams to rise up and get a look even when the shot clock is running down. Williams saw a 26% usage rate last winter at Charlotte, and will need to translate that prime efficiency in shooting the ball to Lincoln since he likely won’t be able to maintain quite such a featured role. Something which does bode well for Williams is that he attempted at least 100 shots near the cup and from mid-range in addition to his 146 triple tries, and he’s made a decent career percentage from all three levels. A good rebounder and solid defender, Williams uses his length well, but will need to show a bit more physicality or increased quickness in order to deal with the wings in his new conference.
Wilcher, whose younger brother Simeon now plays for St John’s, is himself a former transfer from the Big East. After arriving in Lincoln, Nebraska’s Wilcher has started 26 games and averaged 8.0 points for the Huskers. Last year, though, his three point percentage fell from the solid 40.6% which he made as a sophomore to 31.3% as a junior. Wilcher brings good size and, if he can regain the confidence in his shot, a solid deep threat. He also took steps as a passer last season, and if he can take similar steps defensively this year, may end up averaging nearly the same 26 minutes he played after all the injuries a year ago. True freshman Eli Rice may also push for some minutes. Standing 6’8″ and boasting perimeter skills with solid athleticism, Rice has real long-term potential which excites Hoiberg.
In his freshman season, Jamarques Lawrence showed that he can get buckets. Now, Lawrence will look to prove that his strong second half is indicative of the player he is ready to become. Lawrence started the Huskers’ final 12 games a year ago, and averaged 28 minutes, 9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2 assists on 39% shooting from deep during that time. If he could put up similar numbers as this year’s 6th man, it would really solidify Nebraska’s rotation around Tominaga. With the veteran shooters drawing lots of attention, Lawrence should be able to hunt good looks for himself and create a bit for others too. And if he can manage to keep it up, Lawrence’s support from deep will be huge in case Tominaga has an off-night or bad matchup. The only thing Lawrence must dramatically improve is his foul shooting; despite his production from deep, Lawrence made just 12 of his 31 (38.7%) free throws last year. The Huskers’ coach’s son is also back after being pressed into duty after injuries such as those which ended Gary’s and breakout wing Emmanuel Bandoumel’s seasons. After scoring just 13 points in his first ten career games, Sam Hoiberg averaged 6.6 points and 2.6 boards on 53% shooting from deep over his final 11 tilts. It’s going to be quite a fight for minutes this year with better health, but if Hoiberg the Younger can keep up a blistering pace from deep, he’ll find himself back on the floor. And if Sam could put up numbers confidently when called upon mid-season as a redshirt freshman walk on, there is no reason to doubt him with a year’s added experience.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| vs Creighton – December 3 |
| @ Kansas State – December 17 |
| vs Duquesne – November 22 |
| vs Oregon State – November 18 |
| vs Cal State-Fullerton – November 26 |
In Lawrence and his son, coach Hoiberg knows he has a couple of serviceable players who can be called upon at the point. The coach thought he had another, more experienced option, but Ahron Ulis done messed up and landed himself in the midst of an ongoing sports-betting scandal prior to his transfer from Iowa to Lincoln. Consequently, he’s not going to be playing for the Huskers any time soon, if at all. So, in early August, Hoiberg made a strong, corn-fed offer to Jarron ‘Boogie’ Coleman to come to Lincoln and coordinate some of the Huskers’ attack. Coleman, who spent two years at Ball State, then one at Missouri, and then another back in Muncie prior to joining Nebraska, has averaged 11.9 points, 4.3 boards and 3.3 helpers across his past three seasons, shooting 34.7% from distance along the way. During his season at Missouri, Coleman shot just 30.3% from three and only racked up one more assist than turnover committed for the year. Last season, Coleman posted a 115:75 mark, the best of his career so far; and he’s been a 36.1% shooter from deep in a Ball State uniform. That’s the type of player Hoiberg needs Coleman to be for this team: a calm distributor who can knock down open shots. Coleman has transitioned to focusing his offense on the perimeter more and more over the years, but still got to the foul line 3.3 times per game last year, making 77.6% of his tries. With good size and length to use defensively, Coleman is a helpfully-large guard to trot out next to Tominaga. Overall, his four years of experience should make Coleman a solid addition to the Husker backcourt and – Hoiberg hopes – settle down an unsettled spot.
There is another big guard on the roster, and he may be Nebraska’s most intriguing new player of all. Ramel Lloyd, Jr, is a 6’6″ redshirt freshman who can play the point. After a 4-star prep career and a full year marinating in Hoiberg’s system, Lloyd is a talent who Nebrasketball fans can’t wait to see unleashed. A lanky ballhandler who makes plays in transition and can set up teammates in the halfcourt, Lloyd chose Nebraska because he believes in Hoiberg’s vision to unlock his full potential. “I played for my dad (former Long Beach State star Ramel Lloyd, Sr), so even though he was tall…he knew I wasn’t gonna be big, like 6-foot-9 or 6-foot-10 when I was full grown,” Lloyd told Slam Magazine last year. “So even though I was taller than all the kids, he would have me play the guard. He knew eventually I would turn into a guard completely…Nebraska had all of the tools and things needed for me to become a pro. I felt like Coach Hoiberg and the staff would be big on my development with all the NBA experience.” Now, with established veterans around him who can shoot the ball, Lloyd will get a chance to come in and show his playmaking skills. Lloyd’s frame and quickness also hint at tremendous defensive versatility, and after Hoiberg resisted the temptation to burn his redshirt last year, Lloyd’s arrival will be closely watched.
Last year, the Cornhuskers stalled consistently on offense, and when they managed to get to the line, couldn’t make their freebies. They also had considerable turning the opposition over last winter; though they guarded well in general, and didn’t give their opponents many extra points at the charity stripe. Now that the already-solid defense has been fortified with some playmaking veterans and depth added on the perimeter Nebrasketball shouldn’t face so many matchup disadvantages. And with better shooters surrounding their star marksman, Hoiberg’s attack should have the balance it too often lacked unless Tominaga was going his Steph Curry impersonation.
This year, the Huskers aren’t just hoping to break even. Even though last season was a struggle, the returnees figured out how to win even as key guys dropped out of the lineup. “A lot of people were saying, when we had the injuries, ‘what could have been’. My message to the guys was: ‘What can still be.’ Those guys fight like hell,” Hoiberg told the Lincoln Journal-Star towards the end of the season. “They practice as hard as anybody. And they are resilient. They have some toughness and character to them.”
That toughness and character should roll over into this season. With a solid, deeper rotation and enticing new skills being set upon the table, Nebraska feels like the time is now to make a move up in the standings. It’s taken a couple of years, but Hoiberg has brought positive momentum back to Nebrasketball. Now the Huskers don’t just want wins; they want an NCAA Tournament bid.
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