Fred Hoiberg already has four starters locked in for Nebraska’s exhibition opener Friday, but the rest of the Huskers’ rotation is still very much up for grabs.
Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager, Trevan Leonhardt and Boden Kapke will start against Saint Louis at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Hoiberg said Monday. Beyond that, the coach is still sorting through a crowded competition for minutes as Nebraska begins its three-game exhibition slate.
That process got a little more complicated - and a little more interesting - during a recent scrimmage.
“Somebody goes and puts up 30 points in a scrimmage the other day and that makes you think even harder on starters, reserves, who's going to be in and who's going to be out of it.”
Hoiberg said the Huskers will use the exhibitions to keep evaluating the group, and he’s approaching Friday’s game with a preseason mindset.
"I'm going to treat it more as like an NBA preseason-type game. I've got a lot of guys that I need to play and figure out the rotation," Hoiberg said.
The next two tuneups will also matter. Nebraska plays at BYU after Friday, then faces Kansas State in Grand Island. Hoiberg said the third exhibition will carry a more game-like feel, while the first two are still about answering the biggest roster questions.
"I think I'll use the third one more of a real game situation," Hoiberg said. "Where we still have a lot of questions (this week) on who's still going to be in the rotation. So that's what we need to really figure out."
Nebraska will be without Sam Orme on Friday after he tweaked his hamstring about a week and a half ago. Hoiberg said the staff isn’t going to force the issue.
"He's coming along well, but we're not going to push it with him. Hamstrings are tricky," Hoiberg said Monday. "You don't want to create something that's going to be a lingering issue all season long."
Cale Jacobsen, meanwhile, dealt with a mild ankle sprain, but Hoiberg expects him back on the practice floor Tuesday.
The first exhibition opponent should provide a solid early test. Saint Louis was highly efficient on both ends last season, and Hoiberg has already talked with Billikens coach Josh Schertz about how both teams are handling the preseason work.
"They were fourth in the country in pace. They're really going to test our transition defense, they're going to test us on the glass.
They guard in a lot of different ways," Hoiberg said. "We'll see what we're made of."
Nebraska’s scrimmage Saturday was, in Hoiberg’s words, “really competitive,” and he said he liked what he saw.
"I was really pleased with it. We're making progress," Hoiberg said.
"We're getting there. But again, I need to figure out my rotation."
And that remains the big story as this new-look team prepares to play in front of the public for the first time. Hoiberg said the job isn’t just picking an opening-night group - it’s making sure the entire roster understands there are opportunities ahead.
"It's not always going to be the same of how the season starts and how it ends," he said. "There's going to be opportunities for pretty much everybody to get out there and show what they can do."
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