Nebraska Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Cornhuskers

Starters

Rienk Mast – Center (Junior)

The Dutch big man is a first-year player at Nebraska after spending the first years of his career at Bradley. Mast is finally the big man that coach Hoiberg has been looking for. He plays great interior defense and has nice touch around the rim. The big man also does a lot of what Derrick Walker Jr. did so well for the Huskers. Coach Hoiberg will have no problem with him bringing the ball up the floor and he can pass well enough to run the pick and roll and the patented back cut to the basket that worked so well for Nebraska last year.

Mast is the guy that Hoiberg has been looking for because he is finally a floor spacing big who can shoot threes and make about 40% of them. Nebraska wants to run Five out on offense and now they finally can with a big man who is a legitimate threat to score from outside.

Josiah Allick – Forward (Senior)

Allick was always one who got away from the Huskers. The Forward grew up in Lincoln and went to High School about 4 miles from the Arena. He then went to UMKC, and then New Mexico, and now is finishing up his career in his home city in front of the home fans. Sam Griesel did that for Nebraska last year as well. It seems to mean more to kids who grew up in Lincoln and they want this program to be what everyone in Nebraska knows it can be. Allick is going to leave it all out on the floor and get a ton of hustle stats, rebound like crazy, and play physical defense.

He doesn’t shoot the ball very well from deep, but he can make them at about a 30% clip, and he is good enough to handle the ball outside the paint. Allick loves to play the game and loves to play physical. He has been running with the top unit in practice over Juwan Gary so that is why I am picking him to start.

Brice Williams – Guard (Junior)

Williams was the prize of the transfer class for the Husker coaching staff. The guard started his career at Charlotte where he turned into the star for the 49ers. Williams is currently listed as a guard and will likely start at the wing, but he provides more positional flexibility than any other player on the roster. Williams can thrive as a small ball big man and can also bring the ball up and point guard.

Coach Hoiberg has said that he is comfortable having him play any position for extended stretches in a game. Williams shot 40% from deep at Charlotte and is an elite scorer. He will be one of the leading scorers for Nebraska.

Keisei Tominaga – Guard (Senior)

Here was the second giant win for the Huskers when Tominaga decided to come back to school for his final season at Nebraska. The guard is one of the best shooters I have ever seen, and it earned him the nickname the Japanese Steph Curry. He had multiple 20 point down the stretch last year and showed everyone that is much more that just a three point shooter.

There is not a shot on the floor that the coaching staff won’t let him take and if he gets on a heater, he is going to get the ball every time down the floor and will carry this offense. He has done it before, and he is going to continue to do it again. Tominaga is going to lead the team in scoring, may flirt with 20 a game, and will also be on the all-conference team at the end of the season.

Jamarques Lawrence – Guard (Sophomore)

The point guard position is one that has been talked about a lot in the offseason for the Huskers. They have not had a true point guard on campus since Glynn Watson back in the Tim Miles days. This offseason coach Hoiberg was finally able to get a true point guard only to find out the player is likely ineligible because of a gambling scandal at his previous school. Lawrence was thrust into the role after starting the final 12 of last season at the off guard. Hoiberg raves about Lawrence and his ability to run the offense every day in practice. The offense is fast, Lawrence is great at getting them out in transition, and he was already a fantastic on ball defender.

The one thing that has shown to be an adjustment for the guard was his ability to shot ready after facilitating. He has gotten much better at that part of his game, and he is going to be a distributor and scorer for the Huskers this year. How much will he turn the ball over though will be key.