Tag: Nebraska Basketball

McGownes signs two-way contract with Portland Trail Blazers

Bryce McGowens has signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. 

A former Nebraska Cornhusker has found a new home in the NBA. Bryce McGowens has signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.

McGowens spent his first two seasons in the league with the Charlotte Hornets. In 105 games, he averaged 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 15.9 minutes per game.

The guard spent one year at Nebraska before entering the 2022 NBA draft. In his one season, he averaged 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

He was named to the Big Ten all-rookie team and third-team All-Big Ten. McGowens was also selected as Big Ten Freshman of the Week eight different times during the season and finished as a runner-up for the Freshman of the Year award in the conference.

McGowens will now join Portland’s NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 roster.

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Nebraska’s Juwan Gary discusses decision to return for another season

A Nebraska basketball player recently discussed his decision to return to Lincoln for another season.

A Nebraska basketball player recently discussed his decision to return to Lincoln for another season. Senior Juwan Gary made the announcement to return for the senior season.

Gary played in 28 games, including 20 starts, during the 2023-24 season. He averaged 11.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

The forward said that he returned to Nebraska for another season because of the people connected to the program.

I feel like we’ve got the best coach in the Big Ten and one of the top coaches in the country. We’ve got the best coaching staff, fan base, and all-around community. I wanted to finish my college career here. The reason I chose Nebraska is because people actually care about my career. More than my career, people want to see me become a successful person.

Before coming to Nebraska, Gary played for Nate Oats for three seasons at the University of Alabama. Coming out of high school, he was ranked as the No. 64 overall recruit in the class of 2019.

The Cornhuskers are coming off of a 23-11 record for the 2023-24 season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. They will start the 2024-25 season on October 27 at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in an exhibition game against Grand Valley State.

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Nebraska’s Berke Büyüktuncel to play in FIBA U20 Eurobasket

Berke Buyuktuncel and the Republic of Tukiye will play in the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket in Gdynia, Poland. 

A Nebraska sophomore will be in action in an international tournament this weekend. Berke Buyuktuncel and the Republic of Tukiye will play in the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket in Gdynia, Poland.

Turkiye will face Belgium, North Macedonia and Spain in the group stage. The tournament will start with a game against Belgium on Saturday.

Isaac Trotter of 247Sports spoke very highly of the skilled big man.

“Really liked Berke Buyuktuncel’s film at the FIBA U19 World Cup last year. Freshman year at UCLA didn’t work out, but Nebraska is an ideal landing spot. Fred Hoiberg wants skilled bigs like Berke.”

As a freshman, Buyuktuncel appeared in 26 games for the UCLA Bruins before transferring during the offseason. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

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Nebraska to participate in 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic

The Huskers will participate in the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. 

The Nebraska men’s basketball team is headed to Hawaii next season. The Huskers will participate in the 2024 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

The eight-team event features Nebraska, Charlotte, College of Charleston, Hawai’i, Loyola Chicago, Murray State, Oakland, and Oregon State. This is the 15th edition of the event, which will run on December 22, 23, and 25 of 2024 at the SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

This will be the second time that the Cornhuskers will make an appearance after debuting in 2014. Nebraska would finish the event with a 2-1 record.

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Former Husker Jack McVeigh selected for Australia’s Basketball Olympic Team

Former Husker Jack McVeigh will represent his home country of Australia for the upcoming games.

Another Nebraska basketball player earned a spot on a basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Former Husker Jack McVeigh will represent his home country of Australia for the upcoming games.

This is McVeigh’s first Olympics after spending six seasons in the National Basketball League and playing for Nebraska from 2015 to 2018. The 6-foot, 8-inch forward averaged 5.3 points and 2.3 rebounds across 78 games for the Huskers. He also helped the 2017-18 team to a 13-5 record in Big Ten Conference play.

Following his collegiate career, the Cabarita Beach, New South Wales, Australia native competed in the NBL, playing for the Gold Coast Rollers, the Adelaide 36ers, and the Tasmania JackJumpers.

In his most recent season, McVeigh led the JackJumpers to the NBL Championship, averaging 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds across 37 games. His performance in the NBL Championship series earned him the NBL Grand Final MVP.

McVeigh is one of two Huskers to earn a spot on the Olympic roster, joining Keisei Tominaga, who will represent Japan in the upcoming games. Australia is in Group A, alongside Greece, Canada, and Spain, while Japan sits in Group B with Brazil, Germany, and France.

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Keisei Tominaga named to Japan’s basketball roster for 2024 Paris Olympics

Japan announced that it selected Nebraska men’s basketball standout Keisei Tominaga to its 2024 Paris Olympic team.

A former Husker will once again represent his country on the Olympic level. Japan announced that it selected Nebraska men’s basketball standout Keisei Tominaga to its 2024 Paris Olympic team.

This is Tominaga’s second trip to the Olympics after playing for Japan’s 3×3 basketball team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Following a stellar career at Nebraska, he recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Indiana Pacers.

Tominaga spent three seasons with the Huskers, tallying up 1,074 points to rank 30th on Nebraska’s career scoring list while finishing seventh on the Husker’s career 3-point list with 178. In his final season, he averaged 15.1 points per game while posting career highs in nearly every offensive category.

Tominaga landed 76 3-pointers in the 2023-24 season, ranking eighth on Nebraska’s single-season chart and sixth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game. His efforts helped Nebraska to a third-place Big Ten finish in 2024 and the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.

In May 2024, he graduated from Nebraska with a degree in child, youth, and family studies and was a finalist for Nebraska’s Outstanding Male Student-Athlete and Male Athlete of the Year.

Tominaga joins Jack McVeigh (Australia) as a player in the 2024 Olympics, while former Husker great Tyronn Lue will serve as an assistant coach for the United States. Japan is in Group B with Brazil, Germany, and France, while Australia is placed in Group A alongside Greece, Canada, and Spain.

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Keisei Tominaga signs deal with the Indiana Pacers

Keisei Tominaga signed an Exhibit 10 free-agent deal with the Indiana Pacers.

A Nebraska basketball player has signed an NBA contract. Keisei Tominaga signed an Exhibit 10 free-agent deal with the Indiana Pacers.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed contract that doesn’t count against a team’s salary cap unless the player makes the regular-season roster. He will not participate in the NBA Summer League and will focus on making Japan’s 2024 Summer Olympic roster.

In 32 games last season, he averaged 15.1 points, shooting 46.6% from the field and 37.6% from the three-point line. This is not the first time that the Nagoya, Japan native has worked out for NBA teams.

He worked out for the Indiana Pacers in the run-up to the 2023 NBA draft before withdrawing and returning to Nebraska for his senior season.

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Nebraska guard cleared for all basketball related activities

CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein broke the news that new transfer Rollie Worster will now be able to participate in all team/individual-related training. 

A Nebraska basketball guard had officially been cleared for basketball activities. CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein broke the news that new transfer Rollie Worster can now participate in all team/individual-related training.

Worster played in 16 games last season before suffering a season-ending foot injury. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game.

The point guard has spent the last three years with the Utah Utes. Head basketball coach Fred Hoiberg previously discussed the Huskers’ targeting of Worster early on in the process.

“We targeted Rollie early as someone who can come in and elevate our program. The first things you look at are his experience and decision-making ability on the court. He started in the Pac-12 the last three years and had nearly a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Rollie was among the conference leaders in assists two years ago and was on track to put up better numbers before his injury in January. He also gives us positional size in the backcourt while being a very good rebounder and defender.”

Worster was a two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year at Hellgate High School. He was also an accomplished football player, earning first-team all-state honors as a safety and honorable mention accolades at quarterback.

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Future Big Ten member unveils new basketball court

The Oregon Ducks have unveiled a new court design at Matthew Knight Arena. 

On August 2, the Big Ten Conference will add four new teams to its ranks, and one of those schools is already making changes in preparation for the big move. The Oregon Ducks have unveiled a new court design at Matthew Knight Arena.

Zachary Neel of Ducks Wire was on hand for the new look court in Eugene, Oregon.

Out is the brownish tint of the evergreen trees in MKA’s old “Deep in the Woods” design that was unveiled in 2011, and in is a new, vibrant green and yellow masterpiece that is innovative and fresh.

Designer Quinn Van Horne of Van Horne Designs told Ducks Wire that the new design is all about what makes Oregon special.

“You don’t want to feel like you’re just walking into a basketball arena,” Quinn Van Horne said. “You’re walking into a microcosm of what makes Oregon special, and what makes Oregon great. We’re reiterating those stories and those passions of what really makes us proud to be Oregon Ducks and proud to be Oregonians.”

Oregon will be joined by USC, UCLA, and Washington when the four teams officially join the Big Ten later this summer.

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Four-star forward sets official visit date with Nebraska

Four-star forward A’Mare Bynum will take a visit to the Lincoln campus on September 6th. 

A class of 2025 prospect has set his official visit date with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Four-star forward A’Mare Bynum will take a visit to the Lincoln campus on September 6th.

The big man is listed at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, and is currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Nebraska for the class of 2025. Bynum told recruiting service On3 back in December that he’s excited to see how he fits into Nebraska’s offensive system.

“I like how they play with spacing. They talk to me about how I can really play well and how they see me fit in the program very well. Like bringing the ball up, being the main ball dominant. I would definitely say (our relationship) is great. They came to my game on Friday, and they told me I had a great game.”

Bynum is also receiving looks from Colorado, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Iowa State. His father, Omar, played for Iowa State in the early-2000s.

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