Huskers will lean hard on healthy big man Rienk Mast as they try to climb in Big Ten

Nebraska (21-14, 7-13 Big Ten)

The Cornhuskers finished last season on a high note, winning four games in a row to capture the College Basketball Crown title in Las Vegas. They still aren’t expected to crack the upper half of the Big Ten, but there is reason for optimism with the return of Rienk Mast. The versatile big man sat out last season after having surgery on his left knee. He’s a capable scorer in the post and on the perimeter.

Players to watch

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Mast raised eyebrows in his first appearance of the season, scoring 31 points and making 7 of 8 3-pointers in a 90-89 exhibition win over No. 8 BYU. He averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 2023-24. Big man Berke Büyüktuncel can score but his calling card is as a grinder. He led the Huskers in rebounds and was second in blocked shots a year ago. Pryce Sandfort will move from his bench role at Iowa to starter at Nebraska, where he gives the Huskers a floor-spacer with his 40% shooting on 3s.

Departures and arrivals

Four of the top five scorers are gone, with Associated Press All-Big Ten first-team pick Brice Williams (20.4 ppg) and Juwan Gary (14.6 ppg) the biggest departures. Sandfort, Kendall Blue (St. Thomas) and Ugnius Jarusevicius (Central Michigan) are transfers who are expected to contribute. Jamarques Lawrence was the Huskers’ starting point guard the first half of the 2023-24 season, spent last year at Rhode Island and returned to Lincoln for his senior season.

Top games

The Huskers open at home against West Georgia on Nov. 3. They play in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri, against New Mexico on Nov. 20 and against Kansas State or Mississippi State on Nov. 21. No. 23 Creighton visits Lincoln on Dec. 7. Big Ten play opens at home against No. 24 Wisconsin on Dec. 10. The Huskers visit No. 7 Michigan on Jan. 27 and host No. 1 Purdue on Feb. 10.

Facts and figures

Coach Fred Hoiberg begins his seventh season at Nebraska, where he’s 84-108. … Four players who have made at least 15 starts for Nebraska are back as the Huskers bid for a third straight postseason appearance. … Nebraska has 44 wins over the past two seasons, the second-highest two-year total in program history. NU won 45 games spanning the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. … Nebraska posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the third time in school history and the first since the late 1990s.

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