In the Huskers' first outing since a six-point loss to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, Nebraska men's basketball came up short once again.

However, Husker fans have little reason to worry, as Friday night's contest was an exhibition that won't count toward their record in 2026-27. Even so, Nebraska's 79-74 defeat offered several takeaways ahead of the year to come.

1. Fred Hoiberg Is Figuring Out Who His Squad Is

Thirteen Huskers saw action against the Billikens on Friday night, 11 of whom played at least 10 minutes. That's not unusual for an exhibition, especially considering how much turnover Nebraska has experienced this offseason.

The Huskers lost four starters from a program-record 28-win team a season ago, and the roster changes were evident Friday night. Preseason All-Big Ten selection 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 of action, while Sandfort and Frager were the only other players to log at least 20 minutes. Beyond that trio, Nebraska appeared intent on evaluating how its new additions would perform against another program. Hoiberg experimented with several lineups, which may have contributed to the Huskers looking out of sorts for much of the game. If there's ever a time to be experimental, it's now. No need to overreact to what we saw on the court.

2. Jacob Lanier Is Not Afraid of the Moment

Freshman Jacob Lanier logged his first minutes in the scarlet and cream, and the former four-star recruit in the 2026 class didn't act much like a freshman at all.

In just five minutes of first-half action, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard from Parkview Magnet High School in Arkansas product scored nine points, including a fadeaway three-pointer at the buzzer to give Nebraska the lead heading into the locker room.

Lanier added six more points in the second half to finish with a game-high 15 points. While his offensive prowess impressed, Hoiberg also noted that the freshman made some decisions typical of a player his age. Lanier added two rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes, but he also committed three turnovers. It's a small sample size, but it looks as if he'll be trusted to play a significant rotational role in year one.

3. Leo Curtis is Coming Along

When 7-foot-2 forward Leo Curtis committed to the Big Red, he was one of the rawest prospects in the 2025 recruiting class. The Iceland native didn't 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 a season ago. Even so, Hoiberg trusted him enough to play in 17 games, including nine conference contests and two of Nebraska's three NCAA Tournament games last spring.

Curtis looked bigger, more confident, and more capable against Saint Louis. It's 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 drained. 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 welcom boost for a team looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year.

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