Nebraska Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Cornhuskers

2023-24 Season Outlook

Heading into year 5 of the Fred Hoiberg era and preseason projections still don’t know where to put the Huskers. They are picked 12th or 13th in almost every preseason projection and I am going to go out on a limb and say they blow that projection out of the water. Nebraska is not going to be that bad and should finish middle of the league. Their starters have talent and are going to be able to run the offense that Hoiberg has designed.

The team also has length at near every position which is going to help on the defensive end. Coach Hoiberg has shown he is an offensive guru and can draw up beautiful offense, defense has always been the problem and over the last 18 months it seems that Coach Hoiberg has figured out that problem. Nebraska has sleeper potential in the Big Ten.

Last season the Huskers had to change the way they played. They slowed the tempo down and didnt shoot near as many threes as coach Hoiberg wanted. The team was not gifted with as many three-point shooters and the ones who were reliable were missing them and then got hurt, except for one player who made nearly everything he put up.

This year, the roster is equipped with more players who can run and will allow Nebraska to play faster and get out in transition. The Huskers are also loaded with shooters in their starting five and there are depth pieces who can shoot the ball as well. If the Huskers shoot the ball well they are going to win a lot of games and they might do it going away in some of the bottom of the Big Ten teams.

Projecting a record before the first game has even been played is a fools errand but if Nebraska can go 10-3 in their first 13 games, which would include a win over Minnesota, and then go 10-8 the rest of the way that would give them 20 wins and 11 losses. That is for sure going to earn them a bid into the NIT even with the new rules and depending on who the Huskers beat in the conference would put them firmly on the bubble. Either way the expectation for this team is to make the NIT at the very least.

The NCAA tournament is obviously the goal and if that happens please for the entire state win a game in the tournament and end the national nightmare. If the Huskers fail to make a postseason appearance they will be looking for a new coach and go through yet another rebuild process. I predict the Huskers take care of their business and go 19-12 and make the NIT as a top seed, and are a bubble team all year long.