The transfer portal could bring familiar faces back to Lincoln if Fred Hoiberg and company so choose.
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After a 28–7 season, the most wins in program history, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory, Nebraska’s stock is as high as it’s ever been.
With the portal now open, the Huskers have momentum working in their favor, and while they may not chase the top of the market, a return to familiar options could make sense.
Here’s a look at three former Huskers now in the portal, and how their careers have unfolded since leaving Lincoln earlier in their careers.
Nick Janowski
NEW: St. Thomas guard Nick Janowski has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.
Janowski averaged 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds this past season and was named First Team All-Summit League.https://t.co/MorD1lSVIl pic.twitter.com/1h1towANtT
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 7, 2026
Former Husker Nick Janowski signed with the Big Red in the 2024 recruiting class. At the time, he was regarded as a consensus four-star recruit. In his lone season in Lincoln, the 6-4 combo guard travelled to every game, but redshirted before going on to transfer to St. Thomas (MN).
As a redshirt freshman, Janowski took the Summit League by storm. In 34 games, he averaged 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds on his way to becoming the conference’s Freshman of the Year. He was also recognized as a First-Team Summit League selection as well.
With his stock as high as ever before, Janowski entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal on April 7. There’s little doubt he will be highly sought after by high-major teams, but NU’s history with him serves as an interesting topic of discussion in his transfer recruitment. Nebraska needs to replace two starters in its backcourt from last year, and the Wisconsin native instantly becomes an attractive target for the Big Red.
Janowski will have three years of eligibility remaining at his next school, which makes a lot of sense for Nebraska to put its hand in the mix. Following NU’s Sweet 16 loss to Iowa, Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence are no longer with the team, and adding an experienced guard or two seems certain at this point. Interest from either side remains unknown at this time, but don’t be surprised if Hoiberg does his due diligence at the very least.
Eli Rice
NEW: Penn State guard Eli Rice plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @JoeTipton reports. https://t.co/0BjS7OEPLM pic.twitter.com/QQxMzYOQ6n
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 6, 2026
Eli Rice has also decided to move on from his former team. Starting his career in Lincoln, the 6-8 guard transferred to Penn State after his true freshman year. During the 2023-24 season, Rice played in 17 games for the Big Red, averaging 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game before suffering a season-ending injury.
Over the next two years, Rice would go on to play in a total of 30 games for the Nittany Lions, with 29 of those coming this past season. In 2025-26, he averaged 6.7 points and 1.7 rebounds while starting in 18 contests. Penn State finished 18th in the Big Ten with a 3-17 conference record, and Rice was the third player to announce his plan to enter the transfer portal from his former team.
Rice will have two years of eligibility remaining to make an impact at his next stop. At 6-8, his frame suggests he’ll have many suitors, but for one reason or another, his game has never fully transferred to the collegiate level. Hoiberg’s teams play with grit and hustle, something Rice only shows in spurts. His outlook of being re-recruited to Nebraska seems unlikely at this time. Still, it’s hard to ignore a player with a previous relationship to the program if the interest is there. Even so, NU’s staff will likely continue to prioritize culture and attitude over measurables as the program attempts to continue elevating itself to the top tier within the sport.
Matar Diop
Stetson 6’10 forward Matar Diop is entering the transfer portal, per sources.
Made 9 starts this season. Made previous stops at Nebraska and Loyola Marymount.
🎥: @collegeballmix pic.twitter.com/AS10EM868n
— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) March 16, 2026
Matar Diop spent one season at Nebraska in a reserve role before moving on from the program. He chose the Huskers over offers from schools such as Ole Miss, Arizona State, Seton Hall, and Washington State. As a true freshman, during the 2023-24 season, the 6-10 forward saw action in 19 games, averaging 0.8 points and 0.9 rebounds.
The following year, he played at Loyola Marymount (CA). There, he averaged 8.7 minutes per contest while appearing in 17 games. He also earned the first three starts of his career and finished the season averaging 1.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. This past season was at yet another school. At Stetson University (FL), Diop saw the court in all 31 games, including nine starts. With the Hatters, the sophomore averaged 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds.
The former Husker will also have two years of eligibility remaining at what will become his fourth school. Diop was brought to Lincoln with the aforementioned Rice in the 2023 recruiting class, and the two will both be looking for new places to call home as upperclassmen. It is not likely NU will look the Senegal native’s way this time around, but of course, you never know.
Hoiberg will need to replace starting forward Rienk Mast with another big man before the start of next year. The former Big Ten Honorable Mention (2025-26) selection did a variety of things for the Huskers in his collegiate career, including playing the point-forward role. That is not what Diop offers, which points to a reunion coming in at long odds. Still, Hoiberg trusted him on the floor as a true freshman in 2023, but with where the program is looking to go next season, they appear to be in the market for a player who offers more than 10 minutes a game.
