Nebraska has already cleared its first hurdle, and now the real test arrives Saturday in the Hall of Fame Classic against Providence. The Huskers opened the 2026-27 season with a 106-64 win over Le Moyne, and Pryce Sandfort set the tone with 20 points even while going 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Sandfort was not the only one to push the game out of reach early. Cale Jacobsen added 16 points with rebounds and assists across the stat sheet, Connor Essegian scored 13 off the bench, and Jacob Lanier and Damon Wilkinson each finished with 11 as Nebraska led 58-32 at halftime, forced 17 turnovers and shot over 62% from the field before the break. The Huskers also hit 14 of 30 from 3-point range overall and 8 of 16 from deep in the second half.
That start is why the Providence matchup matters now. Nebraska has already shown it can overwhelm an overmatched opponent, but Providence brings a very different profile after firing Kim English following last season and paying an estimated $6 million buyout. The Friars were picked fourth in the BIG EAST, then finished seventh and missed the postseason entirely, a slide that came after Jaylin Sellers and Jason Edwards graduated, Stefan Vaaks transferred to Illinois and Jamier Jones moved to Missouri.
Providence's roster turnover gives Saturday its edge. Jaylin Sellers averaged 18.3 points per game, Jason Edwards averaged 16.5, Stefan Vaaks was a freshman star from Estonia and Jamier Jones averaged 11.9, so the scoring that once carried the Friars is gone and the new group has to prove it can keep pace. Nebraska has already answered the easiest question of its season. The next one is whether that same balance and shot-making can travel against a team that is trying to reset in a hurry.
