Fred Hoiberg's Cornhuskers look to build on the momentum from their first-ever NCAA Tournament wins and run to the Sweet 16. Leading scorer Pryce Sandfort returns and was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team, and sixth man extraordinaire Braden Frager also is back. Nebraska's main concern will be compensating for the lost production and leadership of big man Rienk Mast.
Sandfort averaged 18.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game and shot
42% from 3-point range. His 129 3s were the second-highest total in Big Ten history. ... Frager averaged 11.8 points and 3.8 rebounds and was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman. His driving game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left against Vanderbilt sent the Huskers to the Sweet 16. ... The 7-foot-2 Leo Curtis will assume a larger role after serving as Mast's backup. He was the team's only true freshman to play, appearing in 17 games.
Nebraska loses four starters in Mast, Jamarques Lawrence, Sam Hoiberg and Berke Buyuktuncel. Those four accounted for nearly 40 points per game. Hoiberg, the coach's son, was a stat-sheet stuffer and the team's glue guy. ... The 7-foot Boden Kapke was a part-time starter for Boston College and averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. ... Belmont transfer Sam Orme, battling a hamstring injury in preseason practice, gives the Huskers another 3-point threat. He averaged 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds and shot 40% from distance. ... Trevan Leonhardt set the Utah Valley career record for steals (159) in three seasons and ranked second in assists (419). He averaged 11.9 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals last season.
The Huskers open on Nov. 2 against Le Moyne, which gained full Division I status in June. They play Providence on Nov. 7 in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Other key nonconference games are Nov. 15 against Boise State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Dec. 5 against in-state rival Creighton in Omaha; and Dec. 12 against Missouri in Kansas City. The Big Ten opener is Dec. 2 at home against Ohio State.
Fifth-year guard Connor Essegian will be ready to go after sustaining a season-ending ankle injury against Winthrop on Nov. 25. ... Among the Huskers' priorities will be getting to the free-throw line. They were 354th nationally and last in the Big Ten with 15.4 attempts per game.
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