Nebraska Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Cornhuskers

Projected Starters

Isaac Copeland – Senior

Copeland enters his second season playing for the Huskers after spending the first two years at Georgetown. The former 5-star recruit helped solidify the frontcourt for Coach Miles last year. The senior forward put up averages of 13 points and six rebounds. The forward can score from all three levels on the floor but is at his best when he is driving to the basket and showing off his athleticism with electrifying dunks. Copeland is again going to be relied upon to score and solidify the frontcourt, as well as provide the much-needed senior leadership.

Isaiah Roby – Junior

As a casual fan watching Roby play, it is understood why Coach Miles and the Huskers were extremely excited when he announced his commitment to the Huskers. The forward is the most crucial piece to a Nebraska team looking to make history. When Roby is in the game Nebraska has numerous options on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Much like his frontcourt mate he can score from all three levels. He is deadly from the three-point line, and at times shows he is the most athletic player on the court. His per game averages last year do not tell the whole story. Roby showed what type of player he can become during the conference season last year. If Roby has the season many think he can have, Nebraska is going to be very tough to beat.

James Palmer Jr – Senior

Palmer enters the season as one of the early frontrunners for the conference player of the year. Much like his counterpart Copeland, Palmer enters his second season playing for Nebraska. He is a transfer from Miami. What Palmer did last year took the entire conference by surprise. Palmer lived at the free throw line last year. He was great at getting to the line and was at his best off the dribble getting to the line. The senior guard has a knack for the clutch. He hit clutch shots and took games over late for the 22-win Huskers.

The per game averages of 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists were good enough for first team all-conference. This year paired with the rest of his counterparts and his partner in crime of Copeland are hoping to get Nebraska to the tournament. Palmer returned after testing the NBA waters. With another season like the previous one, he will be playing in the NBA.

Thomas Allen – Sophomore

Allen will be the player who steps in to replace graduated seniors Evan Taylor and Anton Gill. Allen makes his way to Nebraska after playing his high school ball at powerhouse Brewster Academy. Allen was a star at Brewster Academy. Allen originally committed to NC State, only to decommit after Mark Gottfried was relieved of his coaching duties. The Nebraska staff never stopped recruiting Allen. The guard’s skillset fits perfectly with what Coach Miles tries to do on offense.

Allen is a good three-point shooter and he made some big shots for the Huskers last year. As the season wore on and the rotations started to tighten last year for the Huskers the sophomore saw his minutes diminish. Allen was not always in the right spot defensively and he at times was a little turnover prone. Allen appears to have turned the corner, and even with his limitations on the defensive, his skill set of what he does well are too great to keep him on the bench.

Glynn Watson – Senior

Watson now enters his fourth season as the point guard and quarterback of the Nebraska offense. The senior guard had a bad season by his standards last year. He is looking to make a big comeback. Nebraska is at their best when Watson is scoring and distributing. When the guard can score his points, he makes Nebraska very hard to defend. His averages of 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last year will improve. The guard is not a great shooter from deep but has been known to be streaky.

The mid-range game is Watson’s bread and butter and he is deadly once he gets inside the paint. Look for Watson to improve on his numbers and help take this team to the next level. Watson does not want to end his career at Nebraska without an NCAA tournament win.