Experts high on Nebraska basketball’s transfer portal haul

Roster construction is far from over for the Nebraska basketball team. If the NCAA passes the five-in-five rule and grandfathers in players, the wait could be even longer.

There’s a good chance Jamarques Lawrence would come back. He’s said that he wants to. Rienk Mast, took a redshirt year, so he wouldn’t have the chance.

Regardless, even if the Huskers don’t add any other players to the roster, Nebraska basketball is in good shape heading into the 2026-27 season. The Huskers are just one of two teams that will have a First-Team All-Big Ten selection (Pryce Sandfort) coming back, with Michigan State being the other.

Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Braden Frager is back, too. He will have a starting role next season, and the retention of those, along with the additions of Sam Orme, Trevan Leonhardt, and Boden Kapke, along with the retention of guys like Cale Jacobsen, Connor Essegian, and Leo Curtis, gives the Huskers a really solid roster, which will also have two incoming freshman signees ranked in the top 100.

Fred Hoiberg said Jacob Lanier and Colin Rice could each contribute this season. That’s a solid 10, and the Huskers added another portal guard, Taj DeGourville, on Thursday who will play a key role.

Nebraska basketball projected as a five seed in 2027 bracketology

There is still work to do, but the experts like what Nebraska basketball has done. Joe Lunardi of ESPN projected the Huskers to be a five seed in the 2027 NCAA Tournament in his first bracketology.

Jon Rothstein has Nebraska ranked 27th in the Rothstein 45. On3 has Fred Hoiberg’s team ranked even higher at 20th. Evan Miyakawa ranked Nebraska’s incoming transfers 29th, and its overall transfer portal activity 20th.

So even though Hoiberg didn’t land any big-time names out of the portal, he did what he always does: found good value and players who haven’t reached their full potential.

With two of the most productive returners in the Big Ten to build around, it will be fun to see what Hoiberg and the Huskers can do in 2026-27.