Nebraska Basketball: Analyzing Cornhuskers 2020-21 depth chart

Nebraska Basketball frontcourt for 2020-21

It was previously stated that the entire team on the floor is going to be able to run the floor and shoot threes. This is going to be true for all but a few players in this offense. Those three players are the ones who will be manning the paint, but Nebraska does have some wings who can shoot, take the ball up like guards but are also tall and athletic enough to play in the paint. Let’s start with the three players no one expects to step out and shoot a three or really handle the ball.

Yvan Ouedrago

The sophomore center just turned 18 in March and he is set to play his entire sophomore season as an 18-year-old. Many believe that the French center has his best basketball ahead of him and it could come as early as this year. He was a trendy pick to be the breakout player of the year in the league and is picked as one of the best sophomores in the league by Busting Brackets.

His freshman season was one for the record books. He holds the single-season freshman rebound record with 203, he holds the freshman record for rebounds in a game with 19 and he also holds the freshman record for double-double’s in a season with three. His offensive game is a little raw, but it got much better as the season progressed. Anyone who has seen Ouedraogo can not believe he is only 18 as he is a chiseled mass of muscle and a load in the paint. He is primed to take off and he is going to be one of the players at the center of the Huskers rebuild.

Derrick Walker

The third and final sit out transfer from a year ago. Walker is a transfer from Tennessee who has played in the NCAA tournament and experienced a lot of team success as a Volunteer. Walker is going to be an interesting player to watch as well, as much like Banton he hasn’t done a whole lot individually in his career.

Over his career, he has only averaged about eight minutes a game and has shown that he was efficient from the floor albeit an extremely small sample size. I want to withhold any statements about Walker and his overall game until he plays a significant number of minutes for a power school. I believe he can play and was not a factor at Tennessee because of the players around him, but he did play in just about every game in Knoxville.

Eduardo Andre

Andre is the other freshman on the team and he was also a late and surprising addition to the roster. All summer long all you heard about was how the team was going to go after and likely secure the commitment of Adama Sanogo. Sanogo chose to go to UConn and Andre committed to Nebraska.

The center can play and while he is a late bloomer he is going to play for the Huskers. He can protect the rim has a good offensive game and can be an elite rebounder. Andre is still raw as he has only been playing basketball for about 4 years, but he has the ability to be an elite shot-blocker and rebounder. With a little development, the center could be very good.

Next comes the players who are going to play in the frontcourt but can play like guards and can shoot like guards.

Lat Mayen

Mayen makes his way to Nebraska after a successful season at Chipola Junior College. While at Chipola the forward displayed much of the athleticism that has the Husker media and coaching staff salivating. The forward started his career at TCU and was starting to display his talent before a knee injury derailed his career there. The Huskers are going to be his second chance.

By all accounts, the forward is already the best and most talented player for the Huskers he is going to be able to score in the paint, bring the ball up, rebound, and shoot from outside everything that coach Hoiberg is looking for. The Australian forward has lofty expectations to live up but by all accounts, is blowing the roof off the expectations. It would be a tremendous boost for year two to Mayen to be as good as everyone expects him to be.

Akol Arop

Arop is another player who has some question marks and mainly they center around how much playing time he is going to be able to get this season. He played a lot towards the end of last year and showed some things. He is not the greatest offensive player, but he is quick, long, and athletic. Those led him to be a good rebounder and a good rim protector.

Arop is a coach’s dream because he only knows one speed to play at. He seems to value every single minute he has been given and plays his tail off every single night to earn more and more minutes. The native of Omaha has nowhere near reached his ceiling and with his athleticism and motor, if he reaches it with some development, he could be a great player.

A player who is going to factor in a ton to Nebraska’s future plans is sit out transfer Trevor Lakes. It was written earlier that Lakes is one of the best shooters I have ever seen and unfortunately for Nebraska, he will have to sit out this year, but once he is eligible, he is going to be making an awful lot of huge threes in the Vault.