The Nebraska Cornhuskers were one of a few teams to finish the season with a victory, winning the inaugural Crown Invitational Tournament. They missed out on the NCAA Tournament, thanks to a six-game losing skid late in the season and a lack of big-time wins.
One victory they did have was over Creighton in the non-con, where the Huskers went 10-1 overall. They lost to Saint Mary’s and did not get any other quality wins. The program looks to bounce back for the 2025-26 campaign, having been the third college basketball team to announce its non-con schedule.
One highlight is the four-team Hall of Fame Classic Tournament, including Mississippi State, New Mexico, and Kansas State. The high-major ones will be two of the top opponents, but who among the confirmed foes will be the ones to watch for Nebraska?
Here’s a list of the top three non-con opponents for the Huskers.
3. Winthrop Eagles
- 2024-25 season record: 23-11 (11-5 Big South)
The perennial Big South contenders lost almost all of their key players from last season but have reloaded via the portal. Daylen Berry (13.8 ppg) comes from Charleston Southern as the likely lead guard, while Kareem Rozier (Duquesne) and Kody Clouet (San Diego) are veteran contributors to watch on the backcourt. Winthrop has been a thorn in teams’ sides in the non-con and could give Nebraska a scare.
2. Oklahoma Sooners
- 2024-25 season record: 20-14 (6-12 SEC)
It’s a new-look roster for the Sooners, led by St. Joe’s transfer guard, Xzayvier Brown (17.6 ppg and 4.3 apg). He and former Miami guard Nijel Pack will be a solid backcourt, while Tae Davis (15.1 ppg) comes from Notre Dame as a quality frontcourt option. Oklahoma has the chance to be one of the better offensive units in the SEC next season.
1. Creighton Bluejays
- 2024-25 season record: 25-11 (15-5 Big East)
Nebraska is familiar with Creighton due to their annual rivalry matchup. They’ll be especially familiar with the players on the Bluejays roster, as their top two transfers come from Iowa in Owen Freeman (16.7 ppg and 6.7 rpg) and Josh Dix (14.4 ppg). Add Charlotte transfer Nik Graves, and you have a Creighton unit that’s going to be as potent as past groups.