Nebraska Men’s Basketball Success Powered by Transfer Portal

Nebraska men’s basketball, as much as any team in the country except maybe Michigan, has benefitted greatly from the transfer portal.

Transfers have transformed Nebraska into not only a Big Ten power but a national power in 2026. Nebraska ranks seventh in the nation in the latest AP Top 25 Poll and the Huskers have earned a 3-seed projection from the latest ESPN Bracketology.

By mid-February, with a month to go before Selection Sunday, it’s hard to remember that back in October the Huskers were picked to finish 14th in the 18-team Big Ten. In the annual media poll overseen by the Columbus Dispatch, the Huskers were picked ahead of only Northwestern, Minnesota, Rutgers and Penn State.

Astounding numbers from transfers

Ahead of Nebraska's game against Northwestern on Saturday, five Huskers have started at least 23 of their 24 games.

Four of the five are transfers:

* Pryce Sandfort: one season at Nebraska after two seasons at Iowa
* Jamarques Lawrence: two seasons at Nebraska, one season at Rhode Island, and back at Nebraska this season
* Rienk Mast: two seasons, and a redshirt year, at Nebraska after three seasons at Bradley
* Berke Buyuktuncel: two seasons at Nebraska after one season at UCLA

The fifth ironman starter is as homegrown as it gets — Sam Hoiberg, son of Huskers coach Fred Hoiberg. So is the primary sixth man, Braden Frager, who is from Lincoln Southwest High School.

Outside of the five ironmen, only Frager and Cale Jacobsen have started a game, and they each have started only one game each. Both players are extremely valuable coming off the bench.

Frager is a shooter and a scorer. He averages 12 points per game, third highest on the team. Jacobsen does a bit of everything — whatever is needed. He can score (4.5 points per game), cover a strong offensive player, distribute the ball, get on the floor and get a loose ball.

Another transfer, forward Jared Garcia, came to Nebraska after two seasons at Tulsa. He averages 8.6 minutes per game and 3.3 points per game.

CBS Sports on the Huskers’ success in the portal

CBS Sports recently wrote about teams who have capitalized on the portal, without ranking them in any particular order. About the Huskers, CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter wrote:

Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort is the Huskers' leading scorer at 17 points per game. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“Few transfers fit into their new scheme quite as snugly as Pryce Sandfort has in Fred Hoiberg’s gorgeous offense. The Huskers’ investment in the unproven Iowa transfer has transformed into one of the best values on the market.

“Kendall Blue can’t crack this rotation, and injuries have sidelined Ugnuis Jarusevicius but Sandfort is a future NBA player, and Jamarques Lawrence, who boomeranged from Rhode Island back for a second stint at Nebraska, is a vital two-way starter. Nebraska’s sterling spring has led to a winter to remember.”

A Nebraska world without transfers?

It’s difficult to imagine Nebraska without the transfers. There would be no 21-3 record, no 3-seed projection by ESPN’s Bracketology, no No. 7 ranking by the Associated Press.

And no great hopes for March Madness.

Check out these numbers from the big four transfers:

Pryce Sandfort

* 17.0 points per game
* 4.6 rebounds
* .469 field goal percentage
* .398 three point percentage
* .827 foul shooting
* 48 assists
* 26 steals
* 16 turnovers
* 7 blocks

Rienk Mast

* 14.8 points per game
* 6.0 rebounds
* .461 field goal percentage
* .339 three point percentage
* .810 foul shooting
* 73 assists
* 11 steals
* 37 turnovers
* 8 blocks

Jamarques Lawrence

* 11.0 points per game
* 2.5 rebounds
* .456 field goal percentage
* .396 three point percentage
* .815 foul shooting
* 92 assists
* 21 steals
* 47 turnovers
* 0 blocks

Berke Buyuktuncel

* 6.9 points per game
* 6.0 rebounds
* .461 field goal percentage
* .233 three point percentage
* .646 foul shooting
* 46 assists
* 19 steals
* 31 turnovers
* 23 blocks

And guard Sam Hoiberg is the catalyst who runs the team. His leadership is evident on the court and his statistics speak for themselves. He orchestrates the Huskers’ ball movement, hits clutch shots and plays clingy defense. He’s also the team’s third-leading rebounder — after Mast and Buyuktuncel — a nice feat for someone who is listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds.

Sam Hoiberg’s numbers:

* 9.5 points per game
* 5.3 rebounds
* .540 field goal percentage
* .410 three point percentage
* .718 foul shooting
* 104 assists
* 48 steals
* 19 turnovers
* 2 blocks

And from Braden Frager:

* 12.0 points per game
* 3.8 rebounds
* .508 field goal percentage
* .365 three point percentage
* .846 foul shooting
* 21 assists
* 12 steals
* 94 turnovers
* 2 blocks

Cumulative Nebraska numbers

Sandfort, Mast, Lawrence and Buyuktuncel, the transfers, have combined for:

* 55.5 percent of minutes played
* 61.2 percent of points
* 52.6 percent of rebounds
* 58.2 percent of foul shots made
* 66.6 percent of three-pointers made
* 58.3 percent of assists
* 58.7 percent of blocks

That’s the bulk and majority of Nebraska’s game.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg's team is projected as a 3-seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moving forward for Huskers

Will transfers power future Nebraska basketball teams? Transfers are here to stay in college sports, presumably. Future success will depend on teams capitalizing on the portal.

On television and social media, where potential transfers would notice, Nebraska looks like an attractive basketball destination if the NIL money is there. Fred Hoiberg’s style of ball movement and lots of distance shooting looks appealing, as does a sold-out Pinnacle Bank Arena lending its support.

That roaring crowd helped the Huskers rally from a 22-point, second-half deficit to force overtime against Purdue on Tuesday night.

And the Huskers look like they’re having fun. Something to be said for that.

Potential transfers, and recruits, might be enticed by Fred Hoiberg’s background as an NBA player, too.

But the portal works both ways. Remember Dylan Raiola? Nebraska could lose current players to the portal, maybe guys unhappy with their playing time, money, or for any reason.

But if this season is any indication, Nebraska is well positioned for portal success. Especially if the Huskers keep stacking wins and make a statement in the NCAA Tournament.

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