Debating postseason honors teams will always be a favorite of fans. Everyone thinks their favorite player should be first-team all-league. That will never change. Nebraska basketball fans are feeling that on Tuesday despite a historic haul for the Huskers — at least the best in decades.
Nebraska basketball with multiple All-Big Ten selections
For the first time this century, since the 1998-99 season, Nebraska basketball had multiple players earn second or third-team all-conference. Keisei Tominaga who averaged 14.6 points per game and shot 37 percent from 3-point range was named second-team All-Big Ten.
Rienk Mast also earned a third-team All-Big Ten selection after averaging 12.7 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and three assists. Mast and Tominaga were each former transfers to Nebraska basketball and a reminder that Fred Hoiberg’s evaluation skills are off the charts.
That’s the same Fred Hoiberg who was named Big Ten Coach of the Year (co-coach). Hoiberg did that after leading Nebraska to a third-place finish after being predicted 12th in the preseason. He also did it with one second-team All-Big Ten player.
While I have a hard time seeing how Mast didn’t get second-team, the biggest snub belongs to Juwan Gary, who was left off the Big Ten All-Defensive team.
Gary helped Nebraska have the No. 26 adjusted defense according to the Kenpom rankings. The Huskers were also third in points-per-possession allowed in the Big Ten and they were more than two points better with Gary on the floor.
Gary is an elite on-ball defender on the wing and averaged 1.1 steals per game this season along with 0.8 blocks. Andy Katz included him on his ballot and Gary seemed like a no-brainer.
Nothing is ever a surprise when it comes to the Big Ten, but the ramifications should be a motivated Juwan Gary, which is a good thing for Nebraska basketball as the postseason starts Friday for he Huskers.
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