Nebraska basketball 2025-26 Season Preview: Projected starting lineup, impact players and rotation explored

Fred Hoiberg and Nebraska return from a 21-14 season a year ago but lost a fair amount of their roster to graduation. Hoiberg is leaning heavily on the transfer portal to augment some solid returnees. Whether the Huskers can outperform last season's team is an open question. Here's an early look at the Nebraska team that will take the court in 2025-26.

Nebraska basketball season preview for 2025-26

Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort was a big portal addition for the Huskers in the offseason. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Starting Lineup

Guard: Connor Essegian

Essegian has had a weird run. As a freshman at Wisconsin, he averaged 11.7 points per game before barely playing in his sophomore season. He transferred to Nebraska and had 10.7 points per game while shooting 38% from 3-point range. An experienced wing with impressive scoring acumen, Essegian was a key returnee from a senior-laden team.

Guard: Pryce Sandfort

A 6-foot-6 standout who came off the bench at Iowa, Sandfort transfers in after averaging 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the Hawkeyes. Sandfort shot 40% from 3-point range last year, which is his best skill. This Nebraska team does not seem likely to lack wing shooters, but Sandfort figures to be one of the best of the bunch.

Guard: Sam Hoiberg

A walking cliche, the 6-foot Hoiberg is the coach's son, and he plays like one. A part-time starter a year ago, the 6-foot guard averaged 3.9 points per game while shooting 36% from 3-point range. Hoiberg could end up in a bench role, but his experience gives him an early edge for a starting role.

Forward: Berke Buyuktuncel

The Turkish forward fared well after transferring over from UCLA. A starter for most of last season, Buyuktuncel averaged 6.0 points and 5.5 boards per game. Those rebounding numbers are especially impressive for a player who averaged 22.7 minutes per game. He's fairly raw offensively but will use his 6-foot-9 size to scrap for a fairly guard-heavy team.

Forward: Rienk Mast

An experienced 6-foot-9 big, Mast missed last season after knee surgery. The year before, he averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 boards per game. Mast also shot 34% from 3-point range and 84% from the foul line. A solid passer and experienced four-year player (he transferred from Bradley), Mast will be a big weapon in the season ahead.

Rotation Players

Guard transfers Kendall Blue and Jamarques Lawrence are both likely to see significant minutes off the bench. Central Michigan big man Ugnius Jarusevicius and freshman recruit Fridrik Leo Curtis could both be major contributors inside. There's no lack of depth here.

Impact Players

The return of Mast is probably the big story here. If he can play at the levels he did in 2023-24, Nebraska has a strong inside presence to balance a host of talented guards. The backcourt is solid, but the frontcourt is thin, so Mast is the most significant player to watch.

What do you think of Nebraska's upcoming team? Share your take below in our comments section!