Nebraska Men’s Basketball Carries Momentum Into Offseason

Nebraska crashed college basketball’s elite last season with a 28-7 record and a memorable trip to the Sweet 16 that was a whisker away from the Elite Eight.

With such success comes just rewards. Nebraska was the national feel-good story of the 2025-26 season — a program with a thin basketball resume that burst onto the scene with a dominant, 20-0 start.

Now, as the offseason kicks in, coach Fred Hoiberg’s Huskers are being recognized not only for the tremendous season but for a program more inclined to remain potent than fade away. Hoiberg, the recently named Associated Press Coach of the Year, has the community engaged and locked in.

In the latest 2026-27 CBS Sports “Top 25 And 1" rankings, the Huskers land at No. 23. This ranking should not be a surprise. This is the road map for successful basketball programs — consistent expectation with the promise of high-level accomplishment.

Winning programs reload; they don’t rebuild. Nebraska is expected to return a solid core in Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager and Cale Jacobsen. The Huskers are counting on contributions from Ugnius Jarusevicius and 6-foot-4 guard Connor Essegian, who played in the first seven games before suffering a season-ending right ankle injury.

Jarusevicius, a 6-11 forward from Lithuania who transferred from Central Michigan, missed last season with a back injury. With Nebraska losing big men Rienk Mast (graduation) and Berke Büyüktuncel (transfer portal), Jarusevicius’ size, and availability, could be necessary for success.

What about Sam?

Replacing guard Sam Hoiberg won’t be easy as the coach’s son played tireless defense, ran the offense, grabbed rebounds, took the ball inside, made threes. That was a pretty remarkable body of work from a 6-foot body.

He holds the Huskers’ single-season record in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.75-to-1). He also was on the Big Ten’s All-Defensive team. Many opposing coaches made sure to praise Hoiberg’s defense and hustle and how he was the glue for the Huskers.

Replacing guard Jamarques Lawrence will be another challenge. He started all 35 games last season and averaged 9.8 points and a career-high 3.8 assists per game, with a 1.9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Lawrence was a scoring threat when the Huskers needed one and he helped run the offense, too.

Recruiting and the transfer portal will address some of those concerns. But the team will look different, be different, function differently. That doesn’t mean better or worse. Just different.

Big Ten rankings

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish ranked seven Big Ten teams. He said Nebraska’s ranking is based on its returning players and that core “will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Belmont transfer Sam Orme and four-star prospects Colin Rice and Jacob Lanier.”

Parrish’s other ranked Big Ten teams:

1. Michigan. The defending national champion is expected to return three of its top five scorers and already has landed Tennessee transfer big man J.P. Estrella.

3. Illinois. Expected to return six of its top nine scorers.

4. Michigan State. Expected to return six of its top eight scorers. Tom Izzo teams are always in the conversation.

16. Purdue. Expected to return five of its top nine scorers.

19. Indiana. Hoosiers finding success in the transfer portal and in recruiting.

21. USC. Expected to return three of its top five scorers.

23. Nebraska. Expected to return five of its top nine scorers.

The future

While last season was a major breakthrough for Nebraska’s program, what happens moving forward will be a test for Fred Hoiberg. He has established something special in Lincoln. He has won 20 games in three consecutive seasons. He has shown he can win in Lincoln and he can recruit in Lincoln.

There is a school of thought that Nebraska is now an unleashed sleeping giant in basketball. Potential recruits and transfer portal possibilities saw how the Huskers operated and how much support they received. Of course, NIL money is a major factor in college athletics, but it isn’t the only factor for some players.

Nebraska won’t be the highest bidder on some players but the Huskers still can field highly competitive teams. Players will want to play for Hoiberg, a former NBA player, with a growing track record of success.

Legendary Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden once said about recruiting in football-fertile Florida against Miami and the University of Florida that he didn’t expect to get every recruit, just his share.

Just his share.

Before last season, Nebraska was 0-8 in NCAA Tournament games. Those days seem very, very far away. Nebraska seems positioned to get its share moving forward.

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