As Nebraska men’s basketball’s offseason continues, two areas of focus

The Huskers will look vastly different in six months, and their offseason activity is just beginning.

Nine players have left since March 22, when NU lost to Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA tournament. One, North Dakota State transfer center Andrew Morgan, has joined two incoming freshmen, Braden Frager and Nick Janowski. So Nebraska still has six scholarships to fill, questions to answer and a roster to stitch together through the portal.

Josiah Allick (6-foot-8, 231 pounds) exhausted his eligibility, while freshman Matar Diop (6-10, 213) and junior Blaise Keita (6-11, 257) entered the transfer portal. Starter Rienk Mast (6-10, 248) hasn’t decided whether to return for his final year.

If Mast doesn’t come back, Morgan (6-10, 245) could pick up some of the responsibilities Mast leaves behind. Morgan averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for NDSU and said NU coaches envision him being able to get the ball above the foul line, initiate offense and find cutters within the Huskers’ system.

Mast’s possible departure would also leave Nebraska looking for more size. South Dakota State forward and Bellevue West graduate William Kyle (6-9, 240) visited NU and would infuse the Huskers with some grit and toughness under the basket, as well as the kind of rim protection that comes with being Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. NU has also reportedly been in contact with Minnesota big man Pharrel Payne (6-9, 255), who averaged 10 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for the Gophers.

The Huskers’ most significant losses on the perimeter are Keisei Tominaga, C.J. Wilcher and Jamarques Lawrence, the latter two leaving through the portal.

Lawrence might be the most replaceable because Nebraska already has a Big Ten-caliber point guard on the roster. Ahron Ulis didn’t play last season while serving a yearlong NCAA suspension for underage gambling. Ulis spent the season practicing and still has a year of eligibility left. Ulis averaged 6.1 points and 2.1 assists per game at Iowa in 2022-2023 and could slide into the ball handling void left behind by Lawrence.

The Huskers will have to look elsewhere to replace the pure shooting of Tominaga and Wilcher. Eli Rice, who could have been primed for a step forward after showing an ability to create offense and knock down 3-pointers, also entered the transfer portal.

UNO wing Frankie Fidler will soon make a decision between Nebraska, Creighton, Wisconsin, Michigan State and remaining with the Mavericks. The 6-foot-7 forward wouldn’t average 20 points per game against high-major competition, but he’s a career 35.4% shooter from 3.

Bradley guard Connor Hickman, 40.2% from beyond the arc last season, could also be a candidate to replace some of the perimeter scoring Nebraska has lost as the Huskers try to repeat their more recent season: retooling through the portal to assemble a roster that can play deep into March.