How to Watch Nebraska Basketball at the Hall of Fame Classic with Previews, Breakdowns, Streaming
The Nebraska men’s basketball team not only reignited an old rivalry but also lit up the scoreboard inside the Sanford Pentagon last Saturday.
Dropping in its most points against a Division I opponent in regulation since 2018, the Huskers rallied from a 16-point deficit to send their old flame, Oklahoma, back home with a 105-99 defeat, sparked by Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort’s career-high 28 points. Rienk Mast added 26 points in the effort as NU shot 64.3% from both the field and 3-point line to complete the comeback.
Big man Berke Buyuktuncel (16 points), Jamarques Lawrence (14), and Cale Jacobsen (10) each joined their teammates by scoring double figures as Nebraska extended its own nation-leading winning streak to eight games, which dates back to last season’s College Basketball Crown title.
Full of momentum and a win over a quality opponent, the Huskers make the short drive to Kansas City for one of their biggest non-conference challenges in the Hall of Fame Classic.
Here’s all you need to know as Nebraska faces New Mexico for the first of two games in the late November tournament.
Game 1
How to Follow Along
Eric Olen is in his first year with New Mexico after leading UC San Diego to the Round of 32 last season. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
New Mexico Scout
Head Coach
Eric Olen | 1st season at New Mexico; 13th as HC | 3-1 (.750) at NMU; 243-120 (.669) Career Record | 1x NCAA Tournament App., 4x NCAA DII Tournament App. | 1x Big West Regular Season & Tournament Title; 4x CCAA Tournament Titles, 3x CCAA Regular Season Titles | 2x Big West Coach OTY, 2x CCAA Coach OTY, NAVC Pacific District Coach OTY | Previous head coach at UC San Diego | Previous assistant at UC San Diego.
2024 Finish
L, 63-71 to Michigan State in NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
2024 Record & Awards
27-8 (17-3 Mountain West, 1st) | Mountain West Player & Coach OTY | All-Mountain West: 2x First Team, 1x Defensive, 1x Honorable Mention.
All-Time Series
New Mexico leads 1-0 (March 16, 2009, last matchup in NIT First Round, 83-71 NMU)
Donovan Dent (2) transferred to UCLA after being named the 2024-2025 Mountain West Player of the Year. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Key Returners
None.
Key Departures
New Mexico guard Deyton Albury (1) leads the Lobos in scoring after transferring from Utah State. / James Snook-Imagn Images
Impact Transfers/Newcomers
Outlook
One of the best stories from last season’s mid-major field, New Mexico, was the location of Richard Petino’s resurgence in college basketball after flaming out at Minnesota. The son of the basketball legend won 88 games and reached back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in Albuquerque before taking the job at Xavier over the offseason.
As is what happens with most coaching changes, an exodus occurred in the desert. No key returners were left from a team that reached the Round of 32 as the Mountain West Champions. Conference Player of the Year Donovan Dent now plays at UCLA, while fellow All-Mountain West First Team pick Nelly Joseph graduated alongside starter Mustapha Amzil (11.1 PPG). Tru Washington (11.1 PPG) found a new home in Miami, while 29-game starter Filip Borovicanin (5.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG) was the only starter to follow Petino to Xavier.
Croatian freshman Tomislav Buljan (10) has averaged a double-double for New Mexico through his first four career collegiate games. / James Snook-Imagn Images
That forced new head coach Eric Olen — who came over as UC San Diego’s all-time winningest coach — to find replacements in the portal. The leader of the bunch ended up being Utah State transfer guard Deyton Albury, who leads the team with 13 points a game. Antonio Chol has become a factor after coming out of Garden City CC as the No. 5 overall JUCO prospect. Tajavis Miller was the Summit League’s Sixth Man of the Year last season, while Chris Howell followed Olen from UC San Diego, where he ranked 15th in the country in steals with 76 last year.
The 13th-year head coach has also relied on a few key freshmen for heavy contributions, including Croatian freshman Tomislav Buljan, who’s dominated with an 11.8-point and 10.8-rebound double-double average. 6-foot-4 guard Jake Hall has an 11-point average in four games, while Uriah Tenette has 32 points in three contests off the bench as a true freshman who scored over 2,700 points in high school.
A young team still trying to find its footing, Nebraska should be favored against a rebuilt NMU squad, especially if the Huskers can score like they did on Saturday. Despite a 3-1 mark, the Lobos have only out-rebounded their opponents 36-35.8, which could spell trouble. As long as NU shows up to play and doesn’t get too cocky after their win over Oklahoma, a 5-0 start is a very real possibility.
Game 2
How to Follow Along
Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang yells led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in his first season at KSU back in 2023. / Scott Sewell-Imagn Images
Kansas State Scout
Record
4-0 (0-0 Big 12)
Wins: UNC Greensboro, Bellarmine, California, and Tulsa.
Head Coach
Jerome Tang | 4th season at Kansas State & as HC | 65-42 (.607) at KSU & Career Record | 1x NCAA Tournament App. (Elite Eight) | 2021 National Championship with Baylor as Associate Head Coach | Naismith College Coach OTY (2023), Big 12 Coach OTY (2023), AP Big 12 Coach OTY (2023), USBWA District VI Coach OTY (2023) & NABC District 8 Coach OTY (2023) | Previous assistant at Baylor.
Projected Lineup
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans has made three NCAA Tournaments out of his four years in Starkville. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Mississippi State Scout
Record
2-1 (0-0 SEC)
Wins: North Alabama & Southeastern Louisiana.
Losses: No. 16 Iowa State.
Head Coach
Chris Jans | 4th season at Mississippi State; 10th as Division I HC | 65-41 (.613) at MSU; 208-85 (.710) Division I Career Record | 6x NCAA Tournament App., NJCAA Division II National Title (1998) | 3x WAC Coach OTY, Joe B. Hall National Coach OTY (2015) | Previous head coach at New Mexico State, Bowling Green, Chipola College, Howard College, Independence CC, and Kirkwood CC | Previous assistant at Wichita State, Illinois State and Idaho.
Projected Lineup
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