C.J. Wilcher opens reflects on leaving Nebraska basketball

He’d been constantly praying on it, hoping God would guide him in the right direction. He relied on his church family at Crossroads. He relied on his biological family. He didn’t want this to be a spur-of-the-moment thing. He tried leaving his emotions out of it, knowing that’s almost impossible to do.

Do I leave for my final year of eligibility? Do I stay at Nebraska?

“I was just trying to decide where God wanted me to be,” Wilcher told the Journal Star on Monday. “This year, we had a great year. I had a pretty good year, too, individually. I just wanted to be alongside God’s will for my life. It may sound cheesy to say, but it’s true. So going into it, I prayed about it being smooth and it being clear what God wanted me to do.”

We all know the conclusion he reached, as the beloved guard entered the transfer portal last Wednesday.

But how did he get there? Why is he walking away from a place full of people he loves?

“It was super hard,” Wilcher said. “It was super hard because I’ve been able to connect with the people here. I’m not going to say this place because the people here make the place. I’ve been able to build new connections and really enjoy my time here. This year, looking back to my previous two years and knowing how much I have enjoyed it, even though my perspective has changed on life and stuff.

“It was super hard. But honestly, I was thinking, ‘What would keep me here, basketball-wise? I just felt I’ve done all I could do, as far as for here. It kind of came down to that. This will probably be the best thing for me overall as a person and my career as well.”

The difficulty in his decision makes sense.

This wasn’t just a three-year stop for Wilcher. He credits this place with helping him become the man he is. This is where he found his faith. This is where he built what he hopes become life-long relationships. This is where he learned how to lead. This is where he’s struggled and come out the other side.

“If you would have told me four years ago I would have been able to get into church or have people chant ‘One More Year’ at senior night or just know the amount of love I get here?” Wilcher said before trailing off. “This place means the world to me, honestly. It’s a bittersweet thing. I love it here, but I just had to make the best decision for me and my career, honestly.”

This isn’t the first time the thought of leaving has crossed Wilcher’s mind. He thought about it last year, too, but ultimately decided to stay for the 2023-24 season.

What made him choose to stay for this past season?

“I just felt like I had everything I needed here to impact winning, to have success individually,” Wilcher reflected. “I feel like I showed that. God showed that to me. I just felt it in my chest. I’m glad I did. Coming back gave me an opportunity to help be a part of leading a team to the NCAA Tournament and be a part of big wins and to make history. I’m glad I did stay.”

As someone who was a part of the 10-win season, he doesn’t take anything from this last season for granted.

The Purdue win. The Wisconsin win. Earning a double-bye at the Big Ten Tournament. Being a leader on a team that had one of the winningest seasons in Nebraska history? He’s proud of that.

“Sports here is bigger than just sports. It’s more of a connection,” Wilcher said. “The connectedness and interpersonal nature here is tremendous. And, it means a lot to be a part of history. And then to know we beat a Final Four team and we took an Elite Eight team to overtime. We can beat these dudes.

“Much respect to the coaches, too. So much respect to those guys. They helped me a lot and ultimately helped bring me to where I’m at in my life right now.”

Wherever Wilcher lands — he’s had conversations with several teams since he’s been in the portal — no one can take his Nebraska experience away from him.

And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I’ve been here for three years, and it went by fast, but it feels like a lifetime,” Wilcher said. “I feel like I’ve been through every single emotion: good, bad, indifferent. And I did that here with the people here. It’s flattering to see the impact I’ve been able to have and the impact that the city of Lincoln and the people in it have had on me and my life.

“I came here at 19 years old. I’m leaving at 22. It’s given me a new perspective on life and relationships with people and how important those things are.”