Huskers Open with West Georgia Monday Night

Huskers Open with West Georgia Monday Night
The Nebraska men's basketball program opens the 2025-26 season this Monday, Nov. 3, as the Huskers welcome West Georgia to Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7:01 p.m., and the game will be carried on B1G+ (subscription required). The radio broadcast is available on the Husker Sports Network, as well as on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app. Tickets in the 300 Level are available for the matchup by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or at the PBA Ticket Office beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

The Huskers went 2-0 during its two exhibitions, a 90-89 win over No. 8 BYU on Oct. 18 and a 91-50 win over Midland on Oct. 27. In Monday's win over Midland, redshirt freshman Braden Frager poured in a game-high 21 points, including six 3-pointers, while Pryce Sandfort added 18 points in 18 minutes of work. Jared Garcia was the third Husker in double figures with 10 points and added five rebounds. NU got 51 points from its bench as no Husker played more than 18:30 on Monday. After a slow start, Nebraska took control with a 13-0 run midway through the first half keyed by a trio of Frager 3-pointers. 

One constant during both of NU's exhibitions has been the team's shooting from 3-point range. NU shot nearly 40 percent from long range while averaging 15.5 3-pointers per game in the two exhibitions. Four different players (Rienk Mast, Connor Essegian, Braden Frager and Pryce Sandford) hit at least four 3-pointers in at least once in exhibition play.  Last season, NU was ninth in the Big Ten with 7.5 3-pointers per game. 

West Georgia looks to make a jump after going 6-26 in its first season of Division I action. The Wolves return a trio of starters headlined by Shelton Williams-Dryden, who averaged 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 55 percent from the field. Williams-Dryden was a preseason All-ASUN selection for Head Coach Dave Moore, who begins his eighth season at UWG. 

Numbers to Know
199 - Head Coach Fred Hoiberg will be going for career win No. 200 in the season opener against West Georgia. Hoiberg is 199-164 in 11 seasons of coaching at the collegiate level.

.950 - Nebraska is 19-1 at home in non-conference play over the last three seasons and is 32-9 (.780) at home in non-conference action in Fred Hoiberg's first six seasons at Nebraska.

401 - Nebraska's 2025-26 roster enters the season with 401 career starts at the Division I level. Rienk Mast has 111 starts in his career while Kendall Blue has started 89 times during his career at St. Thomas. A total of 10 Huskers have started at least once.

3 - West Georgia is one of a trio of first-time opponents on Nebraska's 2025-26 schedule, joining Florida International (Nov. 8) and New Hampshire (Dec. 30).

90.5 - Nebraska averaged 90.5 points per game in its two exhibition games, its highest scoring average in a season with multiple exhibition games since 1999-2000 (102.5 ppg).

3 - For just the third time in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present), Nebraska returns multiple double-figure scorers with Rienk Mast (12.3 ppg in 2023-24) and Connor Essegian (10.7 ppg). In both previous instances (2018-19 and 2024-25), Nebraska has advanced to postseason play. 

Scouting West Georgia

West Georgia makes its first trip to Lincoln on Monday night to begin the 2025-26 season. The Wolves are in a transitional period to Division I after making the move prior to the 2024-25 season.

Dave Moore begins his eighth season at the helm, as he guided the school to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, including a 27-6 mark and a Gulf South Conference regular-season title in its final season in Division II. Moor was also an assistant coach at St. Bonaventure and Robert Morris before taking the West Georgia job in 2018. 

Shelton Williams-Dryden is UWG's top returner and one of three starters back this season. He was third in the ASUN in scoring at 17.6 ppg while chipping in 7.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6 senior is a preseason All-ASUN pick. He is joined by Kolten Griffin (9.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Malcolm Noel (6.3 ppg, 3.4 apg) while the Wolves had five players redshirt last season and added seven newcomers (six transfers and one freshman) to fortify their roster. 

This is NU's first meeting with West Georgia, although the Huskers are 8-0 all-time against the current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.  

For Openers
Nebraska begins its 130th season of basketball on Monday night against West Georgia and the Huskers will look for a strong opening night effort.

• Nebraska is 88-41 (.682) all-time in season openers and has won 22 of the past 24 openers dating back to an 87-83 setback at Oral Roberts to begin the 2000 season.
• The Huskers' last opener against an ASUN program marked the first game in Pinnacle Bank Arena, as Nebraska topped Florida Gulf Coast, 79-55 in 2013. FGCU was coming off a Sweet 16 appearance the previous year, and opener was the jumping off point to NU's 19-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. 
• Berke Büyüktuncel is the only Husker starter remaining from last year's season opener, as he totaled six points, six rebounds and two steals in the win over UTRGV.  Of the 10 players who played in last year's opener, only Büyüktuncel, Connor Essegian and Sam Hoiberg are back on the 2025-26 roster.
• In addition, Jamarques Lawrence and Rienk Mast both started NU's season opener in 2023 vs. Lindenwood.

Midland Recap
Braden Frager scored nine of his 21 points in a 12-0 first-half run, as Nebraska overcame a slow start to down Midland, 91-50, Monday night in an exhibition game at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Frager hit a trio of 3-pointers in a span of 1:40 as Nebraska turned an 18-16 advantage with just over nine minutes remaining in the half into a 14-point lead, as they built a 44-26 halftime lead.  He finished 6-of-12 from 3-point range, as Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers in the win.

Pryce Sandfort and Jared Garcia also finished in double figures with 18 and 10 points, respectively. Sandfort hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range while Garcia had 10 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. In all, 13 of the 15 players who saw action broke into the scoring column while no Husker played more than 19 minutes.

A Look at Nebraska 
The Huskers begin their quest for a third straight postseason appearance, bringing back four players who have made at least 15 starts in NU careers. The Huskers will be led by All-Big Ten forward Rienk Mast, who returns after missing all last season following knee surgery. Two years ago, Mast averaged 12.3 points and led NU in both rebounding (7.5 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg). NU also brings back returning starters Berke Büyüktuncel (6.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Sam Hoiberg (3.9 ppg; 1.9 apg) and regains the services of Jamarques Lawrence, who started 23 games on NU’s 2023-24 NCAA Tournament and started 31 games at Rhode Island last season. The Huskers also return senior guard Connor Essegian, who averaged 10.7 ppg, including 38 percent from 3-point range, as the team’s sixth man last season and Cale Jacobsen, who played in 24 games, including the final three rounds of the CBC. NU also added eight newcomers (six transfers and two freshman) to help offset the loss.

Huskers Bidding for Third Straight Postseason Appearance
The Huskers will be shooting for a third straight postseason appearance in 2025-26. It would be the first time since a nine-year stretch between 1990-91 and 1998-99 and just the third time in the program history. NU also made five straight postseason appearances between 1982-83 and 1986-87.

Back-to-Back 20 Win Seasons
Nebraska finished with 21 wins in 2024-25, a total which tied for seventh on the Huskers’ single-season list. It marked the 15th 20-win season in program history and second straight under Fred Hoiberg. 

• NU has 44 wins over the past two seasons, which is the second-highest consecutive 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. Fred Hoiberg joined Danny Nee (twice) as the only Husker men’s basketball coaches in school history to accomplish the feat. Hoiberg would be the first Husker coach to ever accomplish the feat at Nebraska if the Huskers can eclipse the 20-win mark in 2025-26.

Return of Mast Anchors Husker Post
The biggest addition of the offseason is the healthy return of Rienk Mast to the Husker lineup. Mast earned all-conference recognition from both the coaches and media in 2023-24, but missed all of last season following left knee surgery. Mast, who averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, began limited practice work last July and has been full go during practice.

• Mast averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 assists during NU's two exhibition games, including a 31-point outburst against BYU on Oct. 18. In that game, he went 7-of-8 from 3-point range, which is one off NU's single-game record.
• Mast is a three-time all-conference pick, as he was also a two-time All-Missouri Valley selection at Bradley in 2022 and 2023. 
• In 2023-24, Mast led Nebraska in both rebounding and assists, becoming just the third player in school history to lead the team in both assists and rebounds in the same season. He finished the year ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in both rebounds (sixth) and assists (14th) per game.
• Mast's 7.53 rebounds per game was the rebounds per game by a Husker since 2007-08 (Aleks Maric, 10.2). Ed Morrow Jr. also averaged 7.50 rebounds per game in 2016-17 but played just 24 games.
• His six double-doubles are the most by a Husker since Aleks Maric had 15 during the 2007-08 season, as Mast and Maric are the only Huskers in the last two decades with at least six double-doubles in a season.
• He had the best game of his career against Ohio State on Jan. 23, setting highs in points (34), field goals (13) and 3-pointers (six) while adding 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
• His performance against OSU was the first 30-point, 10-rebound game by a Husker since 2008. Mast, Maric and Eric Piatkowski are the only Huskers with 30-point, 10-rebound games in the last 30 years.
• He keyed Nebraska's upset of No. 1 Purdue with 18 points, including 14 in the first half while helping limit two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey to 15 points.
• Against Florida A&M on Nov. 9, he became the first Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) to have a game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds, and first since Aleks Maric in 2008.

Mast Doubles Up
Rienk Mast enters the 2025-26 season as one of the nation's returning leaders in double doubles. He is one of just eight active Division I players to have at least 25 career double-doubles entering the season.

No.	Player (2025-26 School)	Double-Doubles
1.	Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan	45
2.	Lassina Traore, Texas	32
t3.	JT Toppin, Texas Tech	31
t3.	Graham Ike, Gonzaga	31
5.	Brandon Noel, Ohio State	29
6.	Carson Towt, Notre Dame	28
7.	Caden Pierce, Princeton	27
8.	Rienk Mast, Nebraska	26

Essegian Flourishes as Husker Sixth Man
Nebraska's top returning scorer from 2024-25 is senior Connor Essegian, who emerged as one of the Big Ten's top sixth men a year ago. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 10.7 points per game while pacing the Big Red with 78 3-pointers.  He finished ninth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (2.2/gm) and 11th in 3-point percentage (.377).

• Essegian finished second in Big Ten scoring among reserves, as he was one of three Big Ten players to average double figures while starting 10 or fewer games.
• He tied for sixth on NU’s single-season 3-point list with 78, the most by a Husker since Glynn Watson Jr. had 82 in 2019.
• Essegian totaled five 20-point games, including a 21-point effort against UCF in the title game of the College Basketball Crown.
• Essegian scored a career-high 29 points in NU’s win over South Dakota on Nov. 27. In that game, he set personal highs in points (29), assists (five) and 3-pointers (six).

Adding Punch from the Portal
Nebraska has relied on the transfer portal under Fred Hoiberg, getting players such as All-Big Ten performers Derrick Walker (2023) Rienk Mast (2024) and Brice Williams (2025) in his six years at Nebraska. The Huskers’ six-member transfer class this season enters 2025-26 with over 200 combined starts and nearly 3,400 points and 1,500 rebounds. Lawrence, who spent two years at Nebraska before starting 31 games at Rhode Island last year, Blue and Jarusevicius all started at their previous institutions last season. Sandfort was one of the Big Ten's leading bench scorers while Garcia started at Tulsa in 2023-24.

Husker Portal Additions

Player	2024-25 School	GP	Starts	Pts.	Reb.	Asst.
Lawrence	Rhode Island	93	66	682	222	190
Blue	St. Thomas	100	89	1,013	395	185
Cooper	Air Force	21	0	112	37	8
Jarusevicius	Central Michigan	69	25	640	294	25
Garcia	Tulsa	88	31	573	335	59
Sandfort	Iowa	65	2	365	129	57
Total		436	213	3,385	1,412	524

A Trio of Hoibergs
Fans watching Husker basketball will see a trio of Hoiberg family members in 2025-26.

• Head Coach Fred Hoiberg begins his seventh season at the helm of the program after guiding the Huskers to back-to-back postseason appearances.
• Senior guard Sam Hoiberg returns for his fifth season, as he has played in every game the past two seasons. Last season, he started 15 of the Huskers' final 16 contests and topped the Big Red with 1.4 steals per game.
• Charlie Hoiberg begins his first season as a graduate manager for the Huskers after earning his undergraduate degree at TCU last May. Charlie, who is Sam's twin brother, was a manager for TCU last season.

Huskers Making Mark with National Teams
Connor Essegian and Leo Curtis spent part of the summers representing their countries in international action.

Essegian played with the Armenian National Team for the third straight summer. He helped Armenia to a two-game sweep of Costa Rica in June, averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Essegian had 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting, six boards and three steals in the finale.

Curtis spent part of the summer training with the Iceland U20 team, as they played in the 2025 U20 EuroBasket Championships in Greece. He finished the seven-game tournament leading all players in blocked shots (2.7 per game) and ranking in the top three in both rebounding (8.1 rpg, third), and minutes played (31.6, second).  Curtis topped the team in scoring (14.6 ppg), rebounding, blocked shots and minutes.

A Daunting Slate Ahead
Nebraska's exhibition win over BYU marked the first of several ranked opponents the Huskers will see this season based on the Associated Press and Coaches preseason polls.

 NU is slated to face seven teams in the AP Top 25 including top-ranked Purdue (AP/Coaches), No. 7 Michigan, No. 12 UCLA, No. 17/14 Illinois, No. 22/21 Michigan State, No. 23 Creighton and No. 24 Wisconsin. In addition, NU will face seven other teams who are receiving votes in at least one preseason poll, including Oregon, Ohio State, Southern Cal, Washington, Iowa, Indiana and Oklahoma. The Huskers will also face either Kansas State or Mississippi State in the Hall of Fame Classic on Nov. 21., as both teams are receiving votes.

Nebraska went 4-4 against ranked opponents in 2024-25, as the four wins over ranked teams tie a school record done three other times in school history.

Home Sweet Home
The Huskers have made Pinnacle Bank Arena a formidable home court in recent seasons under Fred Hoiberg. In 2024-25, NU was 10-6 at home with six wins coming by double figures and is an impressive 39-11 (.780) over the last three seasons.

• Nebraska finished the season ranked 13th nationally in attendance with 14,964 fans per game.
• NU has ranked in the top-15 nationally in attendance 10 times since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013-14.
• NU set a school record with a 20-game home winning streak spanning the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons until the streak was broken against Rutgers on Jan. 16, 2025.

What's New a PBA This Season
Fans will see a number of upgrades at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, as ASM Globel and PBA completed $10 million in capital improvements to help continue a first-class experience for fans and teams earlier this fall.

• Center court features a new center hung scoreboard. The 37' 6" tall by 32' 6" wide scoreboard features a resolution of 29.9 million pixels. For comparison, the previous board had 6.5 million pixels. The board has fully integrated video screen capability, including the underbelly.
• A new 900 feet ribbon board was added inside the arena, expanding from 2' 7" tall to 3' 1" tall. The resolution doubled from 1.3 million pixels to 2.6 million pixels.
• The arena wi-fi network was upgraded throughout the PBA. The access points went from 250 to 600, tripling coverage and improving performance 5x, as a new 10 GB fiber pipe was added. Access points are in the seating areas with each access point supporting 70 seats.

Other enhancements included new LED lighting enhancements on the roof and in the concourses, along with new seats in the suite area around the arena.

Replacing the Class of 2025
Nebraska looks to replace a trio of starters who have moved on to the professional ranks in Brice Williams, Juwan Gary and Rollie Worster.

• Williams, who helped NU to a pair of postseason appearances, put together one of the best single-season performances in school history in 2024-25. A first-team All-Big Ten performer, he averaged 20.4 points per game the highest average since Tyronn Lue in 1997-98. A three-time national player of the Week, Williams set a school-record with 713 points, including a school-record 43-point effort at Ohio State. He is currently in camp with the Detroit Pistons.
• Gary was a three-year starter who totaled nearly 1,000 points in his three-year Husker career. Last season, Gary averaged a career-best 14.6 points per game while adding 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He was named "King of the Crown" as he averaged 19.0 points on 52 percent shooting and 8.0 rebounds per game in four games. Gary is playing for Charleroi in Belgium this season.
• Worster started 26 of 31 games before a foot injury ended his season. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game after playing previously at Utah and Utah State. He is playing professionally for Team FOG Naestved in Denmark.

World Wide Huskers
 NU’s roster has had an international flavor in recent seasons and that trend continues in 2025-26 with Berke Büyüktuncel (Türkiye), Leo Curtis (Iceland), Ugnius Jaruševičius (Lithuania) and Rienk Mast (Netherlands) on the Husker roster. During Fred Hoiberg’s seven seasons, NU has had players on the roster from 12 international countries, including Australia, Canada, England, France, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Senegal and Slovenia.

Starting 5 Plan and Single-Game Tickets on Sale
Husker men’s basketball fans have some options to purchase tickets for the 2025-26 season. In addition to single-game tickets which are on sale, fans can customize their tickets with the Starting 5 mini plan. 

For just $80, which includes all fees, Husker fans can buy 300 Level seats for some of the biggest games at Pinnacle Bank Arena at an affordable price.  The $80 cost for the Starting 5 mini plan is a savings of up to $50 compared to purchasing select single-game tickets separately. There is a limit of six packages per customer. 

The Starting 5 mini plan features one game from Group 1 (Creighton, Michigan State, Illinois or Purdue), two games from Group 2 (Oregon, Washington, Northwestern, Penn State, Maryland or Iowa) and two games from Group 3 (West Georgia, Florida International, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Winthrop, South Carolina Upstate, North Dakota or New Hampshire). 

Fans can purchase their Starting 5 mini plan by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.).