Friday Five: Buckle up, it's portal season
It’s been quite the week, but that’s to be expected when the transfer portal opens.
It’s been quite the week, but that’s to be expected when the transfer portal opens.
There’s real momentum in a few places. There always is. There’s also some uncertainty. There always is.
Let’s get into it.
The core returns for women’s basketball
“Don’t worry we’re back #gbr.”
That message, shared by Allison Weidner on Instagram Stories, did more than confirm a return. It settled the biggest question hanging over Nebraska’s offseason: what happens with Britt Prince?
Prince comes back as the centerpiece and not just because of the numbers, even though those are hard to ignore. She’s coming off a season where she led Nebraska across the board while shooting with an efficiency that doesn’t usually pair with that kind of volume. The jump from her freshman year to her sophomore season was decisive.
“I want to lay it all on the line for my teammates. I love them. I love playing with them. We all wish the outcome was different, but I thought we fought hard out there and we laid it all out on the line for each other,” Prince said following Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament loss to Baylor.
That mindset matters for Nebraska just as much as the production, especially when you’re building something that’s supposed to last.
Weidner’s return adds another layer to this. Not because of what she’s done recently—she hasn’t had that opportunity—but because of what it represents. Multiple knee injuries could have easily ended her trajectory. Instead, she’s working her way back into a roster that now has real expectations attached to it.
That combination—elite production at the top and resilience within the group—is what gives Nebraska a legitimate starting point going into next season.
Portal movement is here and it’s not simple
Berke Büyüktuncel entering the portal is the first real test of how Nebraska men’s basketball navigates that balance after a breakthrough season.
“I’m beyond thankful to Coach Hoiberg — not only an exceptional coach, but one of the best human beings I’ve had the privilege to learn from — along with our entire staff, my teammates and our incredible fans,” Büyüktuncel shared on social media.
This isn’t a clean, easy loss to evaluate. On paper, you can point to the numbers. Büyüktuncel was solid, but not overwhelming. That doesn’t fully capture what he brought to the floor though. His ability to defend, move the ball and operate as a connective piece in Nebraska’s system made things work in ways that don’t always show up in the box score. That’s the harder part to replace.
There’s also the reality of the portal itself. Entering doesn’t always mean leaving but it shifts the odds. Once a player steps into that space, the process changes.
Nebraska now has to operate with that uncertainty while also addressing a roster that already needed work. With multiple departures and eligibility losses, the staff is now tasked with rebuilding parts of the rotation.1
That’s where Fred Hoiberg’s emphasis becomes important.
“First of all, they have to fit the culture,” Hoiberg said earlier this week. “They have to fit with the group of guys that we’re gonna have coming back.”
Finding talent is one thing. Finding players who can plug into a system that depends on spacing, decision-making, and adaptability is something else entirely.
“We do need help in that area,” Hoiberg said. “We’re gonna identify those players that we feel fit from that standpoint. But if you can get the point forward, or the hybrid type big, maybe that pure point isn’t quite as important.”
That gives you a sense of direction. It also makes clear what’s at stake.
On the other side of it, Frager returns
After redshirting and then stepping into a major role, Braden Frager gave Nebraska something it didn’t consistently have before: offensive aggression without hesitation. He didn’t need to be perfect. He just needed to be willing.
And in March, that showed up in a way people won’t forget.
The game-winner against Vanderbilt is the obvious moment. But the larger takeaway is how he grew into that role over the course of the season. That kind of development isn’t guaranteed to carry over but when it does, it changes the ceiling of a team.
With so much turnover around him, Frager becomes more than just a returning contributor. He becomes part of the identity moving forward.
There’s opportunity in that.
John Cook’s impact keeps expanding
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame has selected John Cook for the Mayoral Award of Excellence. Let’s just say that’s more than deserved based on what he’s both built and reached in his career.
“I’m incredibly honored to receive this recognition from the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Nebraska has always been a special place for volleyball, and everything I’ve helped build has been driven by the passion of our players, staff, and fans,” Cook said in a statement. “What’s meant the most to me is seeing how deeply this sport has connected with people in Nebraska and united communities across the state. To watch volleyball continue to grow here and beyond, and to be part of that at both the collegiate and professional levels, is something I’m very proud of.”
Nebraska volleyball became more than just successful under Cook. It became central in the volleyball world. To the school, to the state, and now increasingly to the broader conversation around women’s sports.
The Memorial Stadium match in 2023 is the most visible example but it’s not the only one. The continued success of the Omaha Supernovas adds another layer to that impact, showing that the demand for volleyball is sustainable.
A reset in gymnastics
We touched on this earlier in the week, but it’s worth circling back to. Nebraska is moving on from Heather Brink after eight seasons.
“I want to thank Heather Brink for her service to our women’s gymnastics program and Husker Athletics,” athletics director Troy Dannen said in a statement. “Heather has a great history here as a student-athlete, an assistant coach and as head coach, and she will always be known as one of the greatest Huskers. Moving forward, we will look for the right individual to build on the foundation Heather has put in place and elevate our program back to being a Big Ten and national contender.”
Nebraska is handing this search off to Elevate College, and the search began immediately.
And that’s the week that was in Nebraska Athletics.
The weekend ahead has plenty to pay attention to as well, like Nebraska volleyball’s spring match against Iowa State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
We’ll have more next week.
The Nebraska staff got a start on Thursday evening. Sam Orme, a 6-foot-9 forward from Belmont University, committed to the Huskers. He immediately slots into the spot left behind by Büyüktuncel.