Andy Katz Ranks Nebrasketball Near the Bottom of the Big Ten

College basketball analyst Andy Katz released his 2025-26 power rankings for the Big Ten this week. If his list is close to the mark in predicting the coming season, Nebraska will be in danger of missing the Big Ten Tournament for the second year in a row.

Katz, who covers the conference for the Big Ten Network, ranked the Huskers 14th out of 18 teams, and he didn't sugarcoat his reasoning. In assessing the bottom half of the league, he grouped Nebraska with several teams facing uncertainty.

"We just don’t know yet about Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State, Minnesota, and Rutgers… they’re all reloading," Katz said in his breakdown. It’s clear that the analyst sees these programs as works in progress, not yet ready to challenge the top tier.

Time for @TheAndyKatz's late summer #B1GMBBall Power Rankings❕📊 Do you agree with his 1-18? pic.twitter.com/kY071ssotx
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) August 4, 2025

In Katz’s words, these final six teams, which include Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State, Minnesota, Rutgers, and USC, will be fighting for a spot in the conference tournament next March.

Not long ago, Katz was calling the Huskers a team to look out for as they surged toward March Madness in 2023-24. Despite following that up with success last season in the College Basketball Crown tournament, Nebraska is now lumped in with teams trying to stay afloat.

One reason for the drop in confidence might be the significant roster turnover Nebraska experienced after last season. The team lost four of its top five scorers and waved goodbye to several important contributors through graduation and the transfer portal. The rebuild has been fast and furious, with head coach Fred Hoiberg hitting the transfer market hard to reload the roster.

Pryce Sandfort playing for Iowa in early 2025. — Pryce Sandfort is one of the Huskers' offseason portal additions. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Huskers added Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort, a shooter with Big Ten experience, and Central Michigan standout Ugnius Jarusevicius, who brings a scoring punch. Their presence, combined with the return of veteran Rienk Mast, gives Hoiberg a team with a lot of potential, even if the pieces are still coming together.

This is a group that will need time to jell. Chemistry isn’t instant, especially when so many new faces are expected to carry the load. But there’s also plenty of talent here, and a coaching staff with a proven track record of building cohesive, fast-paced, perimeter-focused teams. If the newcomers can adapt quickly, there’s no reason Nebraska can’t surprise people again.

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