Now that we know that Keisei Tominaga is back for Nebraska basketball, here’s our projected depth chart for 2023-24.
If you didn’t catch the press conference this week that featured Fred Hoiberg and Keisei Tominaga, you should. The excitement was palpable and frankly, Nebraska basketball fans should be excited.
The return of Tominaga is incredibly exciting. The guy averaged 14 points a game in Big Ten play and averaged 17 points as a starter for Nebraska basketball in 2022-23. Imagine what he’ll do in a full season.
As important as some of the transfer portal additions were, Hoiberg was correct in saying Tominaga was the biggest offseason move for the Huskers. He’s an elite scorer and his return has Husker fans talking about a potential NCAA tournament berth.
While that’s a realistic goal, let’s remember that the Big Ten is brutal. We also haven’t seen a single game. However, in the mindset of looking ahead, we should be able to make out a pretty good Nebraska basketball depth chart, and here’s my projection, as of now (with 11 players) heading into the 2023-24 season.
Point guard: Ahron Ulis; Jamarques Lawrence, Ramel Lloyd, and Sam Hoiberg
Ahron Ulis is an addition I like the more I study him. There will be more opportunities for him to show off his playmaking skills with Nebraska and Hoiberg believes he can get him to shoot the ball better too.
If there’s one thing Fred Hoiberg knows — it’s shooting and offensive basketball. He was really in his element last season and now that the Huskers have the talent of a mid-level Big Ten squad, we’re going to see what the head coach can really do.
Ulis started for Iowa last season, so there’s no jump up in competition to worry about. He’s got a low-turnover rate and while he only averaged six points a game, he’ll be just fine running the show.
Hoiberg indicated Jamarques Lawrence could be part of the point guard competition which is smart. He’s too good to keep off the floor and he can play some point guard. I don’t know if I want him doing it full-time, but with Keisei taking up most of the minutes at the two, it’s a good way to get Lawrence on the floor.
Lawrence was impressive down the stretch and is a solid defender, can get to the bucket, and is a stellar shooter. Outside of Tominaga, he’s as talented as anyone on this roster. That’s why I see him getting some minutes here along with potentially Sam Hoiberg (in a pinch) and Ramel Lloyd.
Two-guard: Keisei Tominaga, Lawrence, Brice Williams, CJ Wilcher
This is pretty obvious. Tominaga is going to start every game at the two-guard spot for Nebraska basketball. Hoiberg said he and the coaching staff were watching the NBA playoffs to get new ideas to create shots for Tominaga, which fired me up even more for next season.
I loved when Hoiberg used him as a screener. Tominaga was really good in that action. He’s also tremendous at moving without the ball and cutting to the hoop. I’m certain he’ll get more ball-screen opportunities and I wanted to see him grow as a playmaker and defender — both of which are needed if he wants to get drafted.
Lawrence should also see some time at the two and I think Brice Williams could play there in certain spots if Nebraska is looking for a really big lineup. I even wonder if we’ll see Tominaga ever run the point, accompanied by the Williams, Juwan Gary, Josiah Allick, and Rienk Mast. That’s an intriguing five if someone can run the point.
Nebraska basketball fans shouldn’t forget about CJ Wilcher. I definitely see him having a role off the bench, especially with the way the roster is constructed. There aren’t a ton of 2/3 players and Wilcher can slide into that role if need be and some younger guys aren’t quite ready.
Small forward: Brice Williams, Gary, Wilcher, Eli Rice, Lloyd
This was the most difficult decision for me but I really think Williams will find his way into the starting lineup at Nebraska. He’s 6-foot-7, a solid 3-point shooter, and averaged 13.8 points per game for Charlotte.
For his career, Williams is a 39-percent 3-point shooter. Two years ago, he shot 43 percent. He’s also got really good length and does a solid job on the boards (5.3 per game). He also averaged over an assist per game, as well as 0.8 steals.
In short, Williams does a lot and even though I could see him as the sixth man off the bench, he’s just too good in my opinion. The Huskers could play big and start Juwan Gary at the three, with Josiah Allick at the four.
That’s the other very realistic starting lineup and think that will be the call on some nights. But my prediction is that Williams starts the majority of the games at the three.
Power Foward: Juwan Gary, Josiah Allick, Brice Williams
As you get into the frontcourt, you can see Nebraska basketball is a little light on 3/4 guys. Gary is perfect for that role and played it well for the Huskers in 2022-23.
Gary proved to be a valuable defender on many of the athletic fours you can see in the Big Ten. He’s also a reliable rebounder, shooter, and all-around offensive player.
Allick could see time at the four in bigger lineups. Like I said, I think he’ll even start some games there. But with Allick also serving as a backup five in some spots, he seems more valuable coming off the bench.
There are options though and good ones, which Hoiberg seemed really excited about.
Center: Rienk Mast, Blaise Keita, Josiah Allick
This is probably the most straightforward for the Huskers as it seems pretty clear that Rienk Mast will be the starting center after transferring from Bradley.
Mast and Allick will probably see most of the minutes. Both guys are under 6-foot-10, but they are each solid low post scorers. The one thing Nebraska needs more of is rim protection.
Blaise Keita will be relied on for that. His offensive game needs work and he’s been recovering from injury this offseason. However, he seems healthy and Nebraska will need his defensive prowess around the rim.
If there was another addition to be had via the transfer portal, a backup center, another point guard, or a 3/4 would be ideal. However, Nebraska didn’t have enough rim protection a year ago and that’s still an issue.
Overall, I really like this roster and as you can see, Nebraska has lots of versatility, lots of lineup options, and hopefully, lots of different ways to win basketball games during the 2023-24 season.
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