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In their first game since a six-point loss to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, the Nebraska men's basketball team dropped a 79-74 exhibition decision to Saint Louis on Friday night. The game does not count toward the Cornhuskers' record for the 2026-27 season, so fans should not be alarmed by the outcome. Nevertheless, the contest offered several important observations for the upcoming year.
Thirteen Nebraska players saw playing time against the Billikens, with 11 logging at least 10 minutes. Such heavy rotation is typical for an exhibition, especially given the significant roster turnover the program has experienced this offseason. The Huskers lost four starters from a team that won a program-record 28 games a season ago, and the new lineup was evident on Friday.
Preseason All-Big Ten pick Pryce Sandfort was joined by reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Braden Frager, Ashland-Greenwood native Cale Jacobsen, Utah Valley transfer Trevan Lenhardt, and Boston College transfer Boden Kapke. Jacobsen led all Huskers with 26 minutes, while Sandfort and Frager were the only others to surpass 20 minutes. Beyond that trio, Nebraska seemed focused on evaluating how its new additions would fare against outside competition. Head coach Fred Hoiberg experimented with various lineups, which may have contributed to the team's disjointed play for much of the game. If there is ever a time for experimentation, it is now, so there is no need to overreact to what unfolded on the court.
Freshman Jacob Lanier Shines in Debut
Freshman Jacob Lanier logged his first minutes in a Nebraska uniform, and the former four-star recruit in the 2026 class hardly looked like a rookie. In just five minutes of first-half action, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard from Parkview Magnet High School in Arkansas scored nine points, including a fadeaway three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Huskers a lead going into halftime. Lanier added six more points in the second half to finish with a game-high 15 points. While his offensive skills impressed, Hoiberg also pointed out that the freshman made some decisions typical of a player his age. Lanier contributed two rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes but also committed three turnovers. Though it is a small sample size, he appears poised to earn a significant rotational role in his first year.
Leo Curtis Shows Promise
When 7-foot-2 forward Leo Curtis committed to Nebraska, he was considered one of the rawest prospects in the 2025 recruiting class. The Iceland native did not start playing basketball until his teenage years, yet he became the only true freshman to see action for the Huskers in 2025-26. Curtis averaged just 3.6 minutes per game last season, but Hoiberg trusted him enough to play in 17 games, including nine conference contests and two of Nebraska's three NCAA Tournament games last spring. Against Saint Louis, Curtis looked bigger, more confident, and more capable. It is still just one game, but the 7-footer scored nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night, including a three-pointer he stepped into with confidence and made. Nebraska would benefit tremendously from his emergence this year. If he can continue providing that level of offensive production alongside the six rebounds he grabbed Friday night, it would be a welcome boost for a team aiming to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year.
Originally reported by headtopics.