South Dakota State Center Damon Wilkinson Commits to Nebraska Basketball

Nebrasketball is one step closer to finishing off its roster construction for next season.

On Thursday, South Dakota State center Damon Wilkinson committed to the Huskers. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Career Experience

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Wilkinson spent the last three seasons at South Dakota State, developing into an All-Summit League-level player. Most recently, as a sophomore, the De Smet (SD) native averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists for the Jackrabbits.

In total, he's appeared in 59 games, including 19 starts. During the 2025–26 season, Wilkinson averaged 23.9 minutes per game while shooting 58.9% from the field and 72.0% from the free-throw line.

Nebraska is getting a player who scored in double figures in each of his final eight games, including a 19-point outing and three games with 18 points during that stretch. His career high, 24 points, came against UNO.

Where Wilkinson Slots in for the Big Red

Wilkinson has the potential to start for the Huskers next season. Regardless, he gives Fred Hoiberg some much-needed depth in the frontcourt. Nebraska has already signed Boston College transfer Boden Kapke, who stands 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds, but adding another experienced big man would help bolster the rotation for another potential NCAA Tournament run.

After establishing himself as one of the better bigs in the Summit League a season ago, Wilkinson’s production is well known. However, the jump to the Big Ten, widely regarded as the best conference in college basketball last year, will be a significant step up.

Still, his size and length would help replace what NU lost. Rebounding and interior scoring were two areas the Big Red struggled with despite all the success they saw. Wilkinson could provide an answer to both, helping Hoiberg stay more competitive against the top teams in the conference, like Michigan, Illinois, and Purdue.

NU's Roster (With Wilkinson and Current High School Commits) Moving Forward

2026-27	2027-28	2028-29	2029-30
Cale Jacobsen- Sr.	Will Cooper- Sr.	Leo Curtis- Sr.	Jacob Lanier- Sr.
Henry Burt- Sr.	Taj DeGourville- Sr.	Braden Frager- Sr.	Colin Rice- Sr.
Pryce Sandfort- Sr.	Damon Wilkinson- Sr.	Jacob Lanier- Jr.	Ty Schlagel- Jr.
Connor Essegian- Sr.	Leo Curtis- Jr.	Colin Rice- Jr.
Boden Kapke- Sr.	Braden Frager- Jr.	Ty Schlagel- So.
Trevan Leonhardt- Sr.	Jacob Lanier- So.
Kadyn Betts- Sr.	Colin Rice- So.
Will Cooper- Jr.	Ty Schlagel- Fr.
Taj DeGourville- Jr.
Damon Wilkinson- Jr.
Sam Orme- Jr.
Leo Curtis- So.
Braden Frager- So.
Jacob Lanier- Fr.
Colin Rice- Fr.

Husker Potential Starting Lineup

The window to enter the transfer portal closed April 21, but Nebraska is still not done adding to its roster. Even so, the foundation of next year’s lineup has already largely taken place.

Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager are set to return, and the Big Red added Sam Orme, Kapke, Kadyn Betts, Trevan Leonhardt, and Taj DeGourville as well. That gives the Huskers multiple starting-caliber pieces to replace those that were lost from a season ago.

Frager and Sandfort are expected to start as off-ball guards, with Leonhardt likely taking over primary ball-handling duties. Orme and Kapke appear to be the leading candidates at the four and five spots, though both will still need to earn their roles. Either way, Nebraska has depth, and adding Wilkinson only strengthens it further.

Why Nebraska Makes Sense for Wilkinson

Even if he doesn't fit into a starting role in 2026–27, the former Jackrabbit still has multiple years of eligibility remaining to develop in the Big Ten. And at the very least, he will factor into Nebraska’s rotation.

NU doesn't have an abundance of players listed near the 7-foot range, so Wilkinson’s ability to score and rebound made him a clear priority on his visit this week. Besides those mentioned, Nebraska's top - and only - returning frontcourt player is the 7-foot-2 Leo Curtis.

After leading Nebraska to a Sweet 16 appearance with an underfunded roster just over a month ago, the coaching staff has proven it can develop players at a high level. For a player like Wilkinson, with multiple years of eligibility remaining, Lincoln presents a strong opportunity to grow within a rising program.

The addition of Wilkinson leaves Hoiberg with one remaining roster spot for the 2026-27 campaign.

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