Rienk Mast Season 2024-25

Honors and Awards

• Third-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches, 2024)
• Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten (Media, 2024)
• Netherlands Senior National Team (2023)
• First-Team Missouri Valley Conference (2023)
• First-Team NABC All-District 16 (2023)
• Second-Team Missouri Valley Conference (2022)
• Second-Team NABC All-District 16 (2022)
• Missouri Valley Conference Most Improved Team (2022)
• Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team (2021)
• NABC Honors Court (2022)
• NU Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall, 2023; Spring 2024)
• Three-Time MVC Honor Roll (2020, 2021, 2022)
• Two-Time MVC Scholar-Athlete: (2022, 2023)
• MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award (2021)

2023-24 (Junior)
Rienk (pronounced RINK) Mast made an immediate impact in his first season at Nebraska, as Nebraska won 23 games and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. He made 32 starts, averaging 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, as he topped NU in rebounds and assists and ranked third in scoring.  A third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches, Mast ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in both rebounds (seventh) and assists (15th). His six double-doubles were the most by a Husker since the 2007-08 season, while he also posted 20 double-figure efforts. Mast's best effort in the postseason was a 15-point effort, including a trio of 3-pointers, against No. 13 Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament. 

In Big Ten action, Mast started all 20 games, averaging 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while also shooting 34 percent from 3-point range. He posted a pair of double-doubles in conference action, highlighted by a 34-point, 10-rebound performance in a win over Ohio State. In that game, Mast hit 13-of-17 shots from the field, including a career-high six 3-pointers while also dishing out four assists and blocking a pair of shots. He collected four 20-point games, including 21 points at No. 14 Illinois and 20 points and eight rebounds in the win over No. 6 Wisconsin in Lincoln. Mast shined in the Huskers' upset of No. 1 Purdue with 18 points - including 14 in the first half - four rebounds and three assists while holding two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey to 15 points. Mast also grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out six assists and had eight points in the win over Michigan State to give NU its first win over the Spartans since 2016.  Mast opened the season with seven straight double-figure efforts, including a 20-point, 16-rebound effort against Florida A&M, the first 20-point, 15-rebound game by a Husker since 2008. He also posted double-doubles against Rider (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Oregon State (15 points, 13 rebounds. His best performance in non-conference play was a 19-point, 12-rebound effort in a win at Kansas State. Mast played with the Netherlands National Team for the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in the summer of 2023. He played in all three games, averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game as he was second on the team in rebounding.

Before Nebraska
Mast spent four years at Bradley University, totaling 1,001 points and 657 rebounds in three seasons after redshirting in 2019-20 because of an injury. Last season, Mast earned first-team All-MVC honors, leading Bradley in scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg) while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range. He ranked second in the MVC in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage and 11th in scoring, as he finished third in voting for MVC Player of the Year.  Mast, who also averaged 2.4 assists per game, totaled nine double-doubles, including 14 points and 12 rebounds in Bradley’s NIT loss to Wisconsin. He had a career-high 30-point effort against Northern Iowa in the MVC Tournament, one of 26 double-figure scoring efforts last season. 

Mast earned third-team All-MVC and second-team NABC All-District 16 honors in 2021-22, averaging 11.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as he topped the conference and ranked in the top 50 nationally in rebounding. He totaled nine double-doubles and had 18 double-figure contests in 2021-22. Mast had five 20-point games, including a season-high 23 points and 13 rebounds against Evansville and 20 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Indiana State to garner MVC Player of the Week. He was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team in 2020-21, as he played in 28 games and averaged 8.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His year was highlighted by a 24-point, 10-rebound effort against Southern Illinois in the MVC Tournament. In that game he was 10-of-16 from the floor, including four 3-pointers. 

Before coming to the United States, Mast earned all-star team honors at the 2017 FIBA European Under-16 Championship after leading the Netherlands to a second-place finish in Division B. He also served as captain a year later at the 2018 European Under-18 Championship, helping Holland to the Division B title. Mast played for Donar in the top division of the Dutch Basketball League and was named the league’s Youth Player of the Year and Most Improved Player following the 2018-19 season. While at Donar, he was teammates with former Huskers Lance Jeter and Jason Dourisseau. Mast attended Topsport Talent School before coming to the United State to play collegiately.

Personal
The son of Erik Mast and Willy Reinalda-Mast, Rienk was born on July 19, 2001, in Groningen, Netherlands. He has one brother (Jelte). Rienk graduated from Bradley with a degree in physics in May of 2023 and is working on a master's degree in applied science from Nebraska. Mast is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2024-25.