Nebraska Tests New Lineups Against Saint Louis on October 9

Nebraska begins its preparations for the 2026-27 college basketball season against Saint Louis at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Friday, October 9, with coach Fred Hoiberg using the exhibition matchup to assess player combinations and establish a rotation following the program's first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.

The Huskers enter the exhibition after recording a program-best 28 wins in 2025-26, including 15 Big Ten victories. According to Saint Louis and Nebraska team information, both programs reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament, making the contest an early test against an experienced opponent.

Hoiberg plans to evaluate Nebraska's depth across three exhibition games this month, including subsequent matchups against BYU on October 16 and Kansas State on October 26. The coaching staff expects to experiment with different combinations before the regular season begins against Le Moyne on November 2.

According to Nebraska's preseason coverage by Nebraska.tv, Hoiberg identified Trevan Leonhardt, Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager and Boden Kapke as starters against Saint Louis, leaving the fifth position undecided.

Hoiberg explained that the exhibition schedule would help determine how the team should deploy its available players.

"We're really going to use this game," Hoiberg said. "I've got a lot of guys that I need to play and figure out the rotation."

The coach also highlighted Saint Louis' pace, off-ball movement and efficiency near the basket as challenges for Nebraska's defense. Hoiberg said the Billikens ranked fourth nationally in pace last season, making transition defense, rebounding and pressure defense important areas for evaluation.

"We're going to learn a lot about ourselves and try to figure out who's going to be in the rotation," Hoiberg said.

Nebraska returns seven players from last season's squad and adds eight newcomers, including six Division I transfers and two freshmen, according to Huskers.com. The returning group includes Sandfort and Frager, who ranked among the team's leading scorers in 2025-26.

Sandfort averaged 18.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season while earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. His 129 three-pointers established a Nebraska single-season record, and he averaged 21.0 points per game during the NCAA Tournament. He was subsequently named to the 2026-27 Preseason All-Big Ten Team as a unanimous selection.

Frager averaged 11.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year recognition. He also contributed 14.7 points per game during Nebraska's NCAA Tournament run, according to Saint Louis' game preview.

Senior guard Connor Essegian is preparing for his final season after an ankle injury limited him to seven games in 2025-26. Nebraska.tv reported that he had been cleared before summer workouts and had practiced without restrictions, although he was wearing a protective boot outside practice because of toe soreness. X-rays showed no fracture, and Essegian did not expect to miss playing time.

Essegian said Nebraska's previous postseason breakthrough had changed the team's outlook heading into the new campaign.

"We don't have to worry about trying to get that first win in the NCAA Tournament," Essegian said. "Now we can just go out there and really compete and have fun."

He also emphasized his willingness to contribute in different ways during his final year with the Huskers.

"Whatever needs to be done, I'm here to do that," Essegian said. "I just want to enjoy it and love this last year here at Nebraska and be able to make winning plays."

Saint Louis arrives after a school-record 29-6 season and a shared Atlantic 10 regular-season championship. The Billikens finished 15-3 in conference play, defeated Georgia 102-77 in the NCAA Tournament's opening round and then lost to eventual national champion Michigan in the second round.

According to the Saint Louis game preview, the Billikens scored a school-record 3,053 points and made a record 379 three-pointers last season, averaging 87.2 points and 10.8 three-pointers per game. They return nine players, including starters and five players who averaged at least 9.1 points per game.

Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz enters his third season with a 48-21 record at the school and a 451-130 career record. The exhibition marks the first of three scheduled preseason games for Nebraska, which will also recognize its 2026 Sweet 16 team during pregame ceremonies.