To see the previous teams ranked in the 82 in 72 series, please see below:

67. Pittsburgh Panthers

68. Iowa Hawkeyes

69. NC State Wolfpack

70. Butler Bulldogs

71. Princeton Tigers

72. Virginia Cavaliers

73. Saint Joseph’s Hawks

74. Oklahoma Sooners

75. West Virginia Mountaineers

76. Georgia Bulldogs

77. UAB Blazers

78: Wisconsin Badgers

79. San Diego State Aztecs

80. Missouri Tigers

81. Northwestern Wildcats

82. Loyola Chicago Ramblers

Welcome back to our 82 in 72 countdown at The Center Hub! I hope you were able to catch my preview on the #67 team in our rankings, the Pitt Panthers. I am back today with a preview for our number #66 team! Today we are going to be looking at one of my favorite three point shooting teams, located somewhere in middle America…The Cornhuskers of Nebraska come in at number #66! Here’s where our team had the Huskers ranked:

Steven	Maxwell	Kam	Cody
64	67	Unranked	64

The 2023-2024 season for Fred Hoiberg and the Huskers was the best campaign both Hoiberg and the school had seen in quite some time. Hoiberg was able to take Nebraska to the dance for the first time in ten years in 2024 and the brand of basketball that Coach Hoiberg and Keisei Tominaga were able to curate in Lincoln. With Tominaga now departed, Fred Hoiberg will be looking to a handful of key returners along with a plethora of transfers and newcomers for the 2024-2025 season…

In 2023-2024, Nobody in the Big Ten took nearly as many three point shots as Nebraska, and Kesei Tominaga led the way with nearly seven attempts per game. This offensive approach, which eerily mimics schemes you can find in the NBA, should continue with the departure of Tominaga, as the Huskers have Brice Williams(3.8 3pa per game in 23-24), Rienk Mast(3.8 3pa per game in 23-24. but out for the season), and Juwan Gray(3.0 3pa per game in 23-24) all returning.

In 2023-2024, Brice Williams led the team in minutes per game and was second on the team in scoring while being the only Husker to appear in every contest. At 13.4 PPG last season, Williams should to lead the Huskers in scoring this season and if it is not Williams, it would’ve likely been Rienk Mast, who averaged 12.3 PPG last season and was voted third team All-Big Ten by the coaches. Mast might be my favorite player on this roster, a player who is an ode to the big-man game of old with a hint of modern stretch, he provides the needed strength and size to compete in the Big Ten while also posing difficult matchups on both ends given his experience, size and skillset. Mast in my eyes is one of the better bigs in all of college basketball. However, Mast underwent knee surgery and will miss the entire 2024-25 season. It is worth mentioning that Mast is maintaining his final year of eligibility, so it’s likely Fred Hoiberg will continue to implement this three point happy offensive scheme.

For Fred Hoiberg and the Huskers to find success this season, their grab-bag of incoming transfers is their determining factor. They must find legitimate contributions from this transfer class, and the most likely contributor in my eyes is the Tominaga-replacement, Rollie Worster from Utah. Worster has played in over 100 college contests and before ending last season with a foot injury, Worster was averaging 9.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. A high-IQ player who won’t replace Tominaga’s behind the arc volume, Worster will be able to push tempo and initiate a majority of sets for Coach Hoiberg. Playing off of Worster will be likely starter Andrew Morgan, a transfer from North Dakota State. Morgan was All-Summit second team last season for the Bison and is an efficient big forward who should complement the remaining frontcourt nicely. 

Fred Hoiberg brought in a trio of transfers who all left something on their plates last season at their previous stops, but all three could possibly play a large role for Nebraska. Those players are Connor Essegian, Gavin Griffiths and Berke Buyuktuncel. Essegian, after an up and down sophomore campaign at Wisconsin, will be looking to find consistent success in a consistent role for the Huskers. Essegian fits the mold of what coach Hoiberg values in his guards. Griffiths is a likely bench piece, but his defensive capabilities along with his shooting ability from the perimeter make him a likely rotation contributor. Berke Buyuktuncel is the wish upon a star in this transfer class for the Huskers. After an impressive youth international career, Buyuktuncel had an extremely disappointing freshman campaign for UCLA. Berke is coming off of an impressive Euro U20 championships tournament performance this past summer where he shot over 50% from behind the arc and the field along with averaging 12 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. If the Huskers get top-notch Berke Buyuktuncel, that could be a huge advantage for them this season, especially in the Big Ten.

This Cornhuskers team will be poised to push for a second consecutive tournament berth, players like Ahron Ulis will be starving to curate success for Nebraska on the hardwood this season after not playing last season. It feels like Fred Hoiberg is finally settled into his post, and it seems like Nebraska has found momentum to build upon. This team has a chance to solidify the foundation that Fred Hoiberg is building, and this transfer class alongside their returning starters have a chance to once again surprise the public and make their way into the dance.