Cornhuskers head coach Fred Hoiberg shares program's new lineup

The Nebraska Cornhuskers wrapped last season with a disappointing 10-22 result. The team showed a good sign of recovery entering the last leg of the tournament by taking off the win from the contenders before being eliminated.

Disappointed by the result, head coach Fred Hoiberg discussed major events this past offseason and revealed bits of plans he had in store for Nebraska.

Hoiberg surely has enough optimism left in the tank, but the decreasing centerpieces that recently parted ways for a number of reasons from the Cornhuskers might be the opposite of little less worrying for him.

Cornhuskers losing centerpieces

The 49-year-old Hoiberg is entering his third season coaching for Nebraska. The former NBA professional had difficult times leading the program to enter the top ten position in the Big Ten Conference.

In 2019 and 2020, Nebraska posted 14th place twice and only climbed to 13th last season. The program managed to win over Penn State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin in the last leg of the tournament only to lose to Northwestern, resulting in the elimination of Hoiberg and his men.

Surely, the Cornhuskers recorded some improvements after the loss, but they still require some fine-tuning, not to also mention that the program is currently being abandoned by its centerpieces. That being said a decent amount of transfer students are coming in.

The three-year coach said that the return of Derrick Walker was one of the most important moments this offseason. Meanwhile, three top players, including leading scorer Bryce McGowens and brother Trey McGowens, parted ways with the program to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. Additionally, forward Lat Mayen has headed to Australia to go pro.

With quite a number of vacant positions that not only required to be filled—but also must be fixed, Nebraska has added six new transfers and a single new assistant since the end of the 2021 season.

Hoiberg reveals Cornhuskers' new look

Hoiberg discussed the new look of his squad this Wednesday in a radio appearance, and there was something in common between the new transfers.

The new folks in town are Sam Griesel and Juwan Gary, both of whom have the experience of playing in the NCAA Tournament. Joining them are Emmanuel Bandoumel, who previously had a stint with SMU, Roselle Catholic New Jersey state title winner Jamarques Lawrence, and Sierra Canyon senior Ramel Lloyd. Last on the list is Coffeyville junior Blaise Keita, who helped the team claim the 2020-2021 NJCAA national championship.

Hoiberg shared his excitement about having the new guys. He also shared the hope that the program would have better physicality ahead of the new season.

“I think we’ve got guys who can just flat out go get the ball,” Hoiberg said. “We’re gonna have better physicality, better length across the board. It should create some excitement.”

He also praised Nebraska shooting guard C.J. Wilcher for losing weight and demonstrating better playing results.

“You’re gonna be amazed at what his body looks like,” Hoiberg said of Wilcher. “It’s gonna open a lot of things for him on both ends of the floor.”