Nebraska will lean on committee approach against West Georgia

Nebraska closed last season with a bit of momentum, but it remains to be seen if that success will carry over into the current campaign.

The Cornhuskers will have to replace two key players in 2025-26 -- a season that begins Nov. 3 when West Georgia pays a visit to Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska went 21-14 last season, capped by four straight wins to capture the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament.

Departees Brice Williams, who led the team in scoring (20.4) and assists (2.9), and Juwan Gary, who was second on the squad in points (14.6) and rebounds (5.1), combined to make 110 3-pointers.

"It's gonna be by committee. You can't just replace those guys with one player," coach Fred Hoiberg said.

Connor Essegian (10.7 points, team-high 78 3-pointers) is among the returning players who will need to step up for Nebraska. That said, Hoiberg expects the key to the season to be on the defensive end.

"That's the question with this team," Hoiberg said.

West Georgia is coming off a 6-25 season in its first Division I campaign; the team lost its first 10 games and never recovered. The Wolves finished 4-14 in the Atlantic Sun Conference, putting them 10th in the league.

Shelton Williams-Dryden was the team's leading scorer at 17.6 points per game, and none of his teammates averaged more than 9.9 per contest. He also paced the team in rebounds (7.5) and steals (1.2), while his shooting percentage (55.2) placed him fourth in the A-Sun.

Williams-Dryden was recently named first-team ASUN, much to the delight of coach Dave Moore.

"We are excited that Shelton is being recognized as one of the top players in the A-Sun. He is certainly deserving of that recognition," Moore said in a news release. "Preseason accolades are fun. Shelton has worked extremely hard since the summer to make sure he is on that list at the end of the season. We can't wait to get started on Nov. 3."

--Field Level Media