Nebraska Basketball and head coach Fred Hoiberg head into the 2023-2024 season with expectations for the first time in a long time. Nebraska finished 16-16 last year and made a late season push for a postseason NIT bid but after a late loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament the Huskers were left out of the NIT field. Even with their omission in the NIT field the Huskers gave the fans something to be happy about and it looks as is coach Hoiberg and his staff have finally made some positive steps in the right direction.
Even with the improvements last season, Nebraska is still going to have to find a way to make a postseason tournament this year if coach Hoiberg wants to keep his job, but in all honesty with the failure of the football program over the last handful of seasons, he likely won’t have to do much to impress a fan base that is starving for a winner. Nebraska fans are going to fill Pinnacle Bank Arena regardless, it is just a lot more fun and provides a much greater home court advantage when Nebraska is winning games.
The Huskers lost a lot to graduation and transfers from last year but do still have a great core returning and Nebraska was able to supplement the roster with players that coach Hoiberg loves. He loves position less players who can score and rebound. Over the last two offseasons he has also put a premium on players who can play defense as well as the other things.
The depth chart is still murky at some spots but here is my best attempt and figuring out who is going to get the most minutes for the Huskers this season on their quest to make the postseason.
Point Guard
Ramel Lloyd – Starter
The redshirt freshman is a very dynamic player who could start at three different positions for the Huskers this year but right now should be the point guard. Lloyd committed to Nebraska out of Sierra Canyon where he played with Amari Bailey, Shy Odom, and Bronny James. Sierra Canyon is a factory of college and NBA talent and players from there do a lot of winning.
The freshman is a good passer and rebounder for a guard, but his offensive game is a little bit behind which may cut into his minutes. He is great at other things and even if he is not scoring will be able to impact the game.
Boogie Coleman – Backup
Jarron “Boogie” Coleman was the last addition to the Nebraska roster as a transfer from Ball State. At Ball State the point guard earned second team All MAC with 14 points, 4 assists and 1 steal per game. He has a ton of experience in the college game and did spend a year in the power 5’s at Missouri.
Coleman doesn’t get the starting nod for me at least because he was here late and missed the trip to Spain and may be a little behind. Coleman is going to play a lot and is going to contribute on both ends of the floor for the Huskers.
Cale Jacobsen – Depth
Will the redshirt freshman guard from Nebraska get any minutes? It is hard to say, he is included on this list because he played very well in Spain when he was given the chance, and this is now the second offseason in a row that the coaches have raved about how talented Jacobsen is. He is a natural scorer and was one of the most prolific scorers in Nebraska high school history.
Point guard is a spot he is still learning and on the foreign trip to Spain he did have some games with a lot of turnovers. There are some guys who will get playing time in front of him, but the coaching staff loves him.
Ahron Ulis was brought in to be a point guard on this team, but after he transferred from Iowa he was named as one of the individuals who was placing bets on Iowa games and other sporting events. That is an NCAA violation, and it will not surprise me if Ulis never plays another minute of college Basketball. As of right now he is still listed on the roster but likely won’t be a factor in any game.
Shooting Guard
Jamarques Lawrence – Starter
This is where it starts to get tough for the Huskers because every one of these players has started and can start for Nebraska. Each player is also a guy who likely never leaves the floor. Lawrence was inserted in the lineup in the middle of the season last year and the rest is history. He showed that he has star potential with his ability to score from all three levels.
Tominaga is a great three point shooter, plays exceptional defense, and is great at getting into the paint. There are going to be lineups when Lawrence runs the point so he can stay on the floor he is good enough to do that and run the offense effectively. He has a chance a huge breakout year this season.
Keisei Tominaga – Potential Starter
Tominaga should need no introduction especially if you are a fan of the Big Ten. I don’t currently have him listed as a starter and it’s because he may not actually start. He didn’t start at the beginning of last season, and he has shown he can be effective even coming off the bench. Tominaga just arrived in Lincoln earlier this week after securing a spot for his home country, Japan, in the Olympics.
The Japanese Steph Curry is electric. He shot 63% from inside the arc and 40% from downtown, he is going to get his minutes and once he gets back practicing with the Huskers will spark this team. He still could be a starter and even if he is not, he is going to get about 30 minutes a night.
Sam Hoiberg – Depth
Coaches’ kids don’t always play, and Sam was likely not going to play much last year but due to some injuries he was forced into the lineup. What Hoiberg lacks in talent he makes up for with hustle and want to. He wants it more than most players I have seen at the college level. That mentality led to him having some huge moments for the Huskers down the stretch.
The steal and lay in to ice the win over Maryland, a huge three to continue the comeback against Wisconsin, and then the drawn charge with 16 seconds left to ice the game and the sweep against Iowa. Hoiberg works hard and had a great season last year but how much will he get on the floor this year?
Small Forward
Brice Williams – Starter
This is another position that is currently hard to call for the Huskers. Each of these three guys is likely going to get minutes and every one of them can play multiple positions. Williams is going to start and there really is no disputing that. The transfer from Charlotte will likely be one of the leading scorers and go to players for Nebraska on the offense.
Williams is a great defender and there are not many scenarios in which he will leave the floor. He can defend, rebound, and score. He is also a great free throw shooter. Williams is going to start somewhere and that is something every Nebraska fan should be confident in.
CJ Wilcher – Potential Starter
Wilcher is the true wildcard. The guard can’t play point guard, but he can play on the wing, and he can play at the other guard spot. He is a giant asset to the team when he is making his shots and he is one of the streakiest shooters in the country. When Wilcher is hot everything goes in and he can carry the offense, however when he is cold there are a lot of things that go wrong with Wilcher and his game.
I know foreign trips do not gauge much but he did play a lot in Spain and played okay. He is one of the older players and has been with Hoiberg for three seasons now. If he doesn’t play well this year Nebraska has depth to make up for it. However, if he is hitting shots the Huskers may be that much better.
Eli Rice – Backup
Rice is a true freshman and when he first arrived at campus it looked as if he was going to be a good candidate to redshirt. Well then workouts and the Spain trip happened where the Freshman took over games. Rice is extremely athletic, shoots the ball well from deep, and is an impressive finisher in the paint. The initial plan may have been to redshirt him but with his ability he is going to find his way on the floor.
Currently the Huskers have a nice problem. They have a lot of talented guys who can play and still win games for Nebraska. The freshman from IMG Academy should find the floor and he is another one who can play multiple positions.
Power Forward
Juwan Gary – Starter
Gary makes Nebraska better and when he is on the floor the Huskers can do a lot of different things on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The forward got hurt last year and was only able to play 17 games. After he went down the Huskers struggled for a while trying to find someone to fill that spot, but eventually decided to go small and have the offense work the best.
Gary is cleared and ready to go to start the season he can defend every position on the floor and his athleticism makes him a tough cover on the offensive end. Nebraska missed his rebounding the most when he went out. Gary brings a lot more to Nebraska than just his offense.
Josiah Allick – Backup
It is hard to know where Allick slots into everything for the Huskers. He was just recently cleared for full contact and is getting a late start on the season, so his minutes may be limited when the season starts. The Lincoln Native is another player who prides himself on the defensive end of the floor and is incredibly efficient from the floor. Allick can play multiple positions and much like the rest of this roster could play center, power forward, and wing.
As mentioned, the forward is from Lincoln, his sister is a star on the Volleyball team, and Allick is going enjoy his final season of college basketball and leave it all out there for his hometown. He loves Nebraska and wants nothing more than to win for his hometown team.
Center
Rienk Mast – Starter
The Bradley transfer makes his way to Lincoln, after a great season for the Missouri Valley champs. Mast is a true stretch 5 and brings the same things to coach Hoiberg that Derrick Walker did except that he can shoot threes. Anyone who has watched Nebraska’s offense understands the role that the big man plays in the offense. Hoiberg needs an agile athletic big who can pass, rebound, and get the easy baskets around the rim.
Mast checks all those boxes, and you can be comfortable with the Dutch big man handling the ball outside of the paint. He will take and make threes to pull the defense out as well. Beware of the back cuts by the guards when playing Nebraska because they have a big man who can pass again.
Blaise Keita – Backup
I would be surprised to see Keita suit up for Nebraska this year. He has not practiced, and the last update provided mentioned a setback in his recovery from ankle surgery in the offseason. If Keita does play, we all know what he is going to provide. He is a great rebounder and last year developed into an elite post defender. He was able to shut down the post, block shots and rebound the misses. The big man will not likely provide much on the offensive end unless it is a wide open dunk. Keita is still a work in progress, and he is likely going to take a redshirt year due to an injury.
Nebraska has a team with a ton of positional flexibility and many of the starters at a position are going to be playing at other positions during games and throughout the year. Coach Hoiberg preaches position less basketball and it wasn’t working until it all started to come together over the last two years. If Nebraska stays healthy, they may be looking at the best team they have had under coach Hoiberg. Can they make a postseason tournament? That is going to be the question all year.