Nebraska basketball faces Providence after 106-64 opener

Nebraska men's basketball enters Saturday's Hall of Fame Classic with a strong start and a new-look roster. The team will face Providence at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, at 6 p.m. Central Time on FS1.

The Cornhuskers defeated Le Moyne 106-64 in their season opener on Thursday. Pryce Sandfort led the scoring with 20 points. Cale Jacobsen added 16 points, along with three rebounds and three assists. Connor Essegian, who returned from a season-ending injury last year, contributed 13 points off the bench. Jacob Lanier and Damon Wilkinson each scored 11 points.

Nebraska built a 58-32 lead at halftime. The team forced 17 turnovers and shot over 62% from the field in the first half. Despite a 1-for-6 start from deep, the Huskers finished 14-for-30 on three-pointers. They went 8-for-16 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Providence began its 2026-27 season by defeating Maine. The Friars are 1-0 in the Big East. Head coach Bryan Hodgson is in his first season at the school. He previously led South Florida to a 25-9 record and conference titles. Providence finished 15-18 last season and missed the postseason.

The Friars lost several key players to graduation and the transfer portal. Jaylin Sellers and Jason Edwards graduated. Stefan Vaaks moved to Illinois, and Jamier Jones went to Missouri. Ryan Mela is the primary returning player. He averaged 9.9 points and over five rebounds per game last season.

Hodgson added several transfers to rebuild the roster. Miles Byrd, a Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, joins from South Dakota State. Malik Mack arrives from Georgetown after two seasons there. Jacob Bannarbie transferred from UNLV and scored 14 points against Maine. Javon Bardwell scored 12 points in his college debut.

The two teams have never met before. Nebraska holds a size advantage over Providence. The Huskers will look to maintain their defensive pressure and limit turnovers to secure their second win of the season.